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Paterson, New Jersey

"Silk City"

Alexander Hamilton founded Paterson as America's first planned industrial city, harnessing the Great Falls of the Passaic River to power the nation's manufacturing future.

Founded 1792 | Population 161,030 | Peak 161,030 (2024) | County Passaic County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Paterson, New Jersey

1

1792 Hamilton Founds Industrial City: Alexander Hamilton established the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures (SUM) and chose the Great Falls to power America's first planned industrial city.

2

1835 Silk Manufacturing Capital: Paterson became the silk manufacturing capital of America, earning the nickname 'Silk City' with dozens of mills.

3

1913 Paterson Silk Strike: Over 24,000 silk workers walked off the job in one of the most significant labor actions in American history, supported by the IWW.

4

1970 Great Falls National Park: The Great Falls of the Passaic River — a 77-foot waterfall in the heart of the city — was eventually designated a National Historical Park.

5

2020 Immigration Gateway: Paterson became one of the most diverse cities in America, with large Arabic, Dominican, and Bangladeshi communities.

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Complete Historical Timeline

1792 Industry

Hamilton founds industrial city

1835 Industry

Silk manufacturing capital

1913 Civil Rights

Great silk strike

1945 Industry

Manufacturing begins declining

1970 Culture

Great Falls park movement

2011 Culture

Great Falls National Historical Park

2023 Government

Population exceeds 161,000

Did You Know?

1

Alexander Hamilton personally chose the Great Falls site for America's first planned industrial city — it's a key scene in the musical 'Hamilton.'.

2

The 1913 Paterson Silk Strike involved 24,000 workers and is considered one of the most important labor actions in U.S. history.

3

Paterson's Great Falls is one of the largest waterfalls by volume in the eastern United States — a 77-foot cascade in the middle of a city.

Famous People from Paterson, New Jersey

FR

Frederick Reines

Physicist, University Teacher · Born Mar 16, 1918 · Died Aug 26, 1998 (age 80)

KS

Kathryn D. Sullivan

Scientist, Astronaut · Born Oct 3, 1951 · Age 74

PW

Patrick Warburton

Actor, Comedian · Born Nov 14, 1964 · Age 61

JS

J. Michael Straczynski

Screenwriter, Actor · Born Jul 17, 1954 · Age 71

LC

Lou Costello

Actor, Comedian · Born Mar 6, 1906 · Died Mar 3, 1959 (age 52)

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