areas to be placed on the Department of the Interior's National Register of Historic Places, the preservation of some of the historic buildings within the Historic District, and attracted attention from federal entities such as the Smithsonian Institution and the National Park Service. Their efforts led to the Great Falls/S.U.M. A grass-roots group, spearheaded by Mary Ellen Kramer, wife of then-Mayor Lawrence "Pat" Kramer, began working towards re-vitalizing the downtown and Great Falls sections of Paterson. By the 1960s, Paterson's fortunes had waned, with only a few cotton mills still operating.
Ultimately, Paterson would fall victim to the economic uncertainties that have affected other industrial centers. It had succeeded, however, in establishing a center for others to come and seek their fortunes in the power provided by the Passaic River and the Great Falls. had not realized its original dream of becoming a manufacturer and trader of goods. In 1945, S.U.M., the society that started it all, sold its charter and all of its remaining property to the City of Paterson. The post-World War II years would see most of the mills and factories shuttering their doors, even as more workers arrived some were African-Americans from the South, others came from other parts of the world. The Great Depression hit the city hard, as did the manufacturing slump that came after World War II. Although it failed, the 1913 Silk Strike focused national attention on the plight of mill workers and eventually contributed to later improvements to working conditions nationwide.Īs happened with most other Northeastern industrial cities, Paterson's fortunes continued on an uneven course through the twentieth century. In 1913, Paterson became a focal point of the labor movement when silk mill workers struck for six months, demanding improved working conditions and an eight-hour workday. By the end of the 19th century, the silk industry had earned the city its nickname, "Silk City". Although there had been silk mills in Paterson since the mid-1800s, silk production became more dominant. The height of Paterson's industrial strength came in the 1890s.
Opportunities for workers were further affected by influxes of immigrants from Ireland, England, France, Russia, Poland, Germany, and other parts of the world. This diversification proved to be key to Paterson's success, although all these industries were affected by changing levels of supply and demand that influenced all areas of life.
As the years progressed, manufacturing in Paterson became more diversified - in addition to cotton and wool textiles, Paterson began building railroad locomotives, making paper, and producing rope, hemp, and even firearms. Later, more raceways provided more extensive access to water, allowing for more mills to be built. The town boomed during the War of 1812, and then suffered a setback after the war ended, as foreign textiles became more easily obtained. When the first raceway was built in early 1794, the power of the river was first used, and a second cotton mill opened later that year. Despite these problems, the first cotton mill was built shortly after the land was purchased water power was not yet available, so the "Bull Mill" was operated by ox-power. Over-speculation on the part of S.U.M.'s directors, and a temperamental civil engineer (Pierre Charles L'Enfant - designer of Washington, D.C.), hired to design the city, plagued the enterprise. Paterson's early years were marred by financial and personnel difficulties.
This was the entity that, in 1792, purchased 700 acres of land above and below the Great Falls and established the city of Paterson, named for New Jersey Governor William Paterson Paterson was an ardent supporter of Hamilton's plans and he signed S.U.M.'s charter in November of 1791. called for the society to both manufacture goods and trade in them as well. Toward that end he co-founded the "Society for Establishing Usefull Manufactures" (S.U.M.), a manufacturing society that would be operated by private interests, but would have the support of government. Hamilton believed that a strong industrial system was the best way to help the United States gain financial independence and become a world presence.Īfter Hamilton was appointed the United States' first Secretary of the Treasury, he continued to advocate for the establishment of industry in America. He was concerned over the lack of industry in the United States during colonial times, it was prohibited by English law. After the Revolutionary War ended, Alexander Hamilton began promoting his views on the economic needs of the new nation.
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