New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-03
PATERSON'S CELEBRATION.
PROUD OF HER, HUNDRED YEARS.

for several days Informed OF tho programme
for the three days religious and civic exercises.
community born In 1909 present interesting fea-
tres t tho student OF American political and indus
thai history. hundred years ago the young Repule
uc Just recovering breath after tie struggle that
vrenched 1t free from the mother conntrys rule. and
thrown almost naked on its resources, having
established Its own form OF government was taking
thought how IL to be clothed. equipped armed and
made Industrial member OF the family OF nations.
producing It's own wares well rs growing food for
itself and Others Foremost among the fathers Of
American industry and protection. who urged the prin
ciple OF building up American manufactures, and who
took practical steps to carry 1t into effect, Alex
ander Hamilton, who formed company. incorporated
BIZ act Of jersey Legislature OF November 90, 1901
aid styled "The Society for Establishing Cseful Manu-
facturess Its capital stock was put at 800 900; II
was enabled 10 hold 81 900 900 in real estate and tho
franchise included tho right to control wafer power
huld dapos and dams charge tolls provide for navga
cation, etc.
Hamilton and his associates, when they organized
ths company had the Passaic Falls chiefly in mind
the best site industrial community and although
NJ meeting held in New Brunswick proposals were
revei pursuant notice, from the owners OF number
OF other waterpowers In the state there was little delay
in reaching the decision 10 buy laOd nj the great cata
ract Of the Passaio river, TO harness It's forces the
wheels OF human craft, and build a cotton mill the
BEGINNING OF q manufacturing town. III July, 1904
the society purchased 7GO lying about the falls
then designated by tire Indian name Of Totowa, under
which the region for miles around was known. The
land was part Of the "Acquachanonk Patent" tract
Including the present cities Of Paterson and Passic.
and considerable Of territory besides, and bought IN
1855 from the Board Of East Jersey Propnetors
sstng Of William Penn and others, who in turn had
purchased It from the trustees Of SIR George Oartcrets
estate inter his death in 1850. AcquacknOnk Landing
was the name Of the then important trading place for
vessels on the Passsio River part Of what is now
Pussaic City; and TINT town accordingly claims set
element much older than PateIson's. the little sister
CITY OF "The Lyons Of America having celebrated her
2Ooh anniversary some years ago.
The first white settler In the present boundaries OF
Paterson was probably Simeon Van Wrinkle about
l71o. lie was son OF one OF the patentees and his
farm house stood about where Parksve. now reaches
the nver at the opposite extremity Of the city from
where Hamilton and his society planted their enter
Prise. When the societys purchase was made, the
little settlement a typical farming community,
whose members almost entirely OF Dutch birth
psrcntage and 1t is this stock that makes UP much Of
fsterson's elements Of thrift and prosperity to-day
The first road through the region covered By the
city was made In 1907. The years OF the Revolution
that section closely identified with the weary vgils
OF George Washington and his patriots. although no
battle was fought on its soil. The great commander
had his headquarters. IN the fall OF 1880, at that part
Of Totowu now called Preakness, and he often slept
under the hospablo roof Of GENERAL Abraham Gcdwns
stone manson, stin standing. For many years later
It the Panaio Hotel and 1t is now q mis-
sion fallen There several houses Of ante
Revolutionary date IN Paterson tho oldest is said 10 he
the Dorenus homestead In Water-st, part Of which.
was built about 1760 By GcrrebraDdt Van Houtcn. In
l7ol the year before the founding OF the city, the set
tlement is said by tradition to have contained ten
dwellings and church.
cN,t % -Irh Ipmi'
society brought Che noise OF wheel spindle ard shuttle
As q compliment TO GovcrnJr William Paterson. whose
pen signed the enabling the place received its
name. To bring into play The power Of tue lals,
estimated by c. r. Croves then Surveyor of NeT-fOrh
at 247 undeisaot wheels, a channel was blasted
through the rock and the rceway made that still turns
three tiers Of factories Us different levels:
although industry, dsdaining the neighbcrhood Of
this antiquatcd motive power, ISIS overspread all
parts OF the town With steam ana electric factories.
The society built a cotton-mil and without waiting
for the completion of the yaoeway, produced from
machinery by the first cotton yarn spun
by mechanical device In New-Jersey. The wooden
structure was known as the "Bull Mll.' from the
slow and patient beast that turned is primitive wheels.
This succeeded, In 1874. by a stone min 9Ox40
feet, four stories HIGH in what is now Mill ST., and
II was the first cotton. factory by winter power
IN the United states Of the Hudson River, md
the second the continent At It's busiest period
the society's mill employed shout l"o persons,
and with this force small In the measure OF
present times, II ran than tepfod many
spndcs as all the Republic had possessed three
years earlier.
In ITOG financial disaster overlook the enterprise
and the society decided IN give mp manufacturing on
Its own account and become merely landlord and
owrcr OF water-power. This period Of depression
saw the population Of the village REDUCED from some
$50 to AZ souls. The society, Of which Elisha
ynhu
Clark about 1900 Mr. Clark from Paisley,
Scotland. lie operated a machine shop and suble
part Of the space 10 John Pnrke, who made candle
wicks and coarse cotton yarns. In 1907 the factory
was burned and soon aftcrward the blocks Of brown
" ,ne were used BY John Colt In building mansion
NV the City Hall, on Westinghouse Patcrson's
Municipal Building. though shabby and soon to 30
succeeded BY a $3.50. 900 structure on another site
Is thus a historic aud cherished building.
John Parkc put up a mill OF his own, made add-
uons-one Of which, built 1901, is part Of the
Phoenix Manufacturing Company's present silk.mils-
became the merchant prince OF the town. Cotton
was hing then, in Americas infant manufacturing
prosperity. and Paterson during the first part Of this
century and for many years. the cotton spinning
metropolis OF the Nation. The War Of 1912 gave
tina, trade q strong impetus. In 1915 there were
eleven cotton factories In Paterson; In 1881. City
one. running 90 900 spindes; In l545 the number
reduced by the great panic Of eight years before
was still thrty-seven. The census OF 1880 showed
only seventeen but they 232O0O spindcs. or
five times many when Paterson WIS the first
cotton spinning town In the country.
Other branches Of industry had gradually been
established. In 1914 John Colt spun the first yarns
and tw1ne from American grown fax. Samuel
Colt & Company had started rolling and nall mill
In 1911 Thomas Rogers, Connecticut Yankee
csme in 1872, and established a machine shop. In
1891 the firm Of Rogers. Ketchum & Grosvenor was
formed, ana In 1881 IL turned OIt the Sandusky for
the Mad River and Lake Eric Railroad Of Ohio; the
first locomotive built IN Paterson. In this little
machine Mr. Rogers introduced his own invention OF
the counterbaisnced driving wheel swinburnc Smith
d Company, firm headed by William Swinbrne,
VINO had been Mr.. Rogers pottcrnmaker and right
hand man In building the sandusky. we~ second,
Win an engine for the Sic In 154s, md the New
Jersey Locomotive and Machine Company. the