History of Paterson New Jersey begins with Alexander Hamilton’s vision for America’s first planned industrial city, a landmark silk workers’ strike, and a Negro League ballpark that hosted future Hall of Famers. Located in Passaic County along the Great Falls of the Passaic River, Paterson grew into one of the nation’s most important manufacturing centers. Its location beside the 77-foot waterfall shaped nearly every chapter of its development.
Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton first visited the Great Falls during the Revolutionary War and returned in 1791 with a plan to harness its power. He founded the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures, which purchased 700 acres around the falls in 1792. Therefore, Paterson became the nation’s first planned industrial city, named for then-Governor William Paterson. Pierre Charles L’Enfant, designer of Washington, D.C., helped plan the new settlement’s layout.
By the early 1900s, Paterson had earned the nickname “Silk City,” with more than half its workforce tied to silk production. Immigrants from Italy, Germany, Poland, Ireland, and dozens of other countries filled the mills along the raceway system. Meanwhile, the city’s factories also produced locomotives and other heavy machinery beyond textiles. This diverse immigrant workforce shaped Paterson’s identity for generations.
Roughly 24,000 silk workers walked out in February 1913, shutting down nearly 300 mills and dye houses across the city. The strike centered on the introduction of a four-loom system that workers feared would cost jobs and strain their skills. Because of that, the Industrial Workers of the World organized a multilingual strike committee representing dozens of nationalities. The nearly six-month strike ultimately failed to win its demands but became a landmark moment in American labor history.
Built in 1932 overlooking the Great Falls, Hinchliffe Stadium became home to the New York Black Yankees and New York Cubans during the segregation era. Eleven future Hall of Famers played on its field, including Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, and Oscar Charleston. Additionally, Paterson native Larry Doby got his start here before breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier in the American League. The stadium closed in 1997 but reopened in 2023 after a major restoration, becoming the first Negro League site named a National Historic Landmark.
Paterson’s history reflects Alexander Hamilton’s industrial ambitions, waves of immigrant labor, and a hard-fought place in the story of American baseball. From the roar of the Great Falls to the crack of the bat at Hinchliffe Stadium, the city’s story continues to shape its neighborhoods today.
Return to Paterson Homepage