Strangely enough, our visit to the Passaic Falls in mid-October 2013 happened during the US Federal Government shutdown (a result of political grandstanding between teh two major parties). Passaic Falls and the US Federal Government Shutdown in 2013 All the federally-run facilities were closed due to the Federal Shutdown during our October 2013 visit, which our daughter found out about its affects the hard way Thus, it was recently turned into the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in 2011, meaning that it was now part of the US National Parks System. These relics provided the reason for the restoration and preservation of the Great Falls of Paterson. The city was even called “Silk City” given its role in powering the textile industry at the time.ĭuring our visit, we saw restored and aged remnants of the industry that was once here (even without seeing the rest of the relics further downstream). Building fronted by a sign indicating that the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park was part of the National Parks System Regarding the significance of Alexander Hamilton, apparently he had a strong desire to develop Paterson into an industrial city in an attempt to fulfill a vision of making America economically independent from the British.Įventually, this desire and political backing resulted in Paterson becoming an early adopter of industrial might. We also noticed other historical relics further downstream that we didn’t have time to visit. The history here was evident as we spotted a statue of Alexander Hamilton (who was Secretary of the Treasury at the time) as well as historical buildings around the falls. The History of Passaic Falls Statue of Alexander Hamilton at the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park It was one of those rare instances where an urban waterfall like this expanded our minds, taught us a little more about American history, and demonstrated the resiliency of Nature despite man’s efforts to exploit it. Such contraptions would eventually transform the United States from a colonial frontier into what it would ultimately become today. Indeed, it was the Passaic Falls that was the venue for harnessing its hydro power to drive machinery. Nevertheless, after visiting this most unlikely of places to find an impressive 77ft high 260ft wide waterfall, we learned that this place was also at the forefront of the American Industrial Revolution. Passaic Falls (or the Paterson Great Falls) Passaic Falls (also known as the Paterson Great Falls) was perhaps the most unusually-situated waterfall we could recall.Īfter all, it was smack in the middle of a lot of urban developments that were close enough to New York City that we even entertained coming here by taking public transportation from the subways in New York City to the PATH in New Jersey.
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