![]() ![]() “But the difference now is that random acts of violence are occurring on our streets every day.” The city is made up mainly of immigrants. “When my mother was raising my brother and me all those years ago in Paterson, there were the same basic parallels to our city today,” Mayor Andre Sayegh said in 2014. ![]() This story wasn’t an unusual one in Paterson. My mother was unemployed and scraped together what she could from food stamps and government checks to take care of her four children. Paterson’s demise left my family in poverty and struggling to make ends meet. He said the water must have changed because the way people had described it to him suggested it could heal a nation.īut the murky stream he saw did not match their description. My grandfather saved up money to bring my family from overseas, and he took on many low-wage occupations.Īfter he moved my family here from Palestine, he told me he visited the waterfall often between his shifts because its remoteness allowed him quiet time in his chaotic days. My uncle dropped out of college to become an electrician because he needed a steady line of income and school was taking up his time. Unfortunately, by the time they arrived, Paterson’s once booming industry had turned into that brown, polluted water at the end of the Passaic River - worthless and ugly. My grandfather and my uncle visited the waterfall often, and as I grew up, they would take me there and tell me the stories about Paterson’s economic boom. He had heard of Paterson’s prosperous past and decided it would be the perfect place to bring his family to settle down. The murky stream in Paterson, New Jersey did not match their description.Īmong the immigrants was my grandfather. Paterson welcomed many immigrant factory workers, who flowed into the city like the water that powered the booming mill industry. Paterson has long been a destination for immigrant families, one that has evolved with economic and social change in the United States. His hopes were soon realized as it generated energy that powered the economy and provided a livelihood for those who worked long hours producing cotton textiles, steam locomotives, colt revolvers and aircraft engines. Hamilton believed that Paterson Falls would be at the heart of the city’s economic success. Alexander Hamilton and the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures constructed the waterfall in 1791 after hiring Pierre Charles to design a power system that would siphon water from the Passaic River to power enormous brick mills. Paterson was the first planned city in the United States and was designed for industrial purposes. ![]() It then saw the city’s demise but now offers hope for the future. Over centuries, the waterfall was at the heart of Paterson’s economic rise. Two dusty-looking boulders are connected by a man-made, teal blue, rusting metal bridge. The falls are surrounded by vibrant trees and moss that climbs up sturdy rocks. As it does, the water fades from a potent, bubbly white to brown and gray. Its thunderous water crashes into rocks at the bottom before sliding slowly into the Passaic River. Please visit the National Park Service’s website before planning your visit as hours of operation change seasonally.The city of Paterson’s celebrated waterfall sits in the northern part of the U.S. The Paterson Great Falls can be viewed from Overlook Park, as well as from Mary Ellen Kramer Park off of Maple Avenue. Please visit the National Park Service’s website before planning your visit as features are subject to change. FeaturesĮducation Programs, Field Trips, Guided Tours, Park Store, Permits, Scenic Views, Virtual Tours, & Volunteer Opportunities Visit the National Park Service’s website here to learn more. Today, the natural oasis is surrounded by a unique urban park setting as the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park. General George Washington even picnicked by the waterfall with the Marquis de Lafayette, Alexander Hamilton, and James McHenry during the Revolutionary War on July 10, 1778. The success of this ambitious plan served to support the United States’ economic independence. Paterson, the nation’s first planned industrial city, was founded by Alexander Hamilton when implementing an innovative hydropower system using the Passaic River to power nearby mills. The majestic Paterson Great Falls plunge 77 feet into a 300-foot-wide chasm and have long been a source of inspiration and power. ![]()
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