Paterson is a city located in Passaic County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 149,222, making it New Jersey's third largest city. It is the county seat of Passaic County. Paterson is known as the Silk City for its dominant role in silk production during the latter 19th century.
Paterson is located at 40°54'56" North, 74°9'47" West (40.915498, -74.162927) in the Piedmont region between the Appalachian foothills and the Coastal Plain.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.6 km2 (8.7 mi2). 21.9 km2 (8.4 mi2) of it is land and 0.8 km2 (0.3 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 3.32% water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 149,222 people, 44,710 households, and 33,353 families residing in the city. With a population density of 6,826.4/km2 (17,675.4/mi2), Paterson is the second most densely populated large city (i.e., with a population of 100,000 or more) in the United States, only after New York City. However, this figure is somewhat misleading, since Newark's population density, if its airport and seaport lands are excluded, is significantly higher than Paterson's if they are included. These exceptions make Newark's density slightly higher than that of Paterson, which does not have any such facilities.
There are 47,169 housing units at an average density of 2,157.8/km2 (5,587.2/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 30.77% White, 32.90% African American, 0.60% Native American, 1.90% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 27.60% from other races, and 6.17% from two or more races. 50.11% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 44,710 households out of which 40.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% are married couples living together, 26.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% are non-families. 20.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.25 and the average family size is 3.71.
In the city the population is spread out with 29.8% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 30 years. For every 100 females there are 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $32,778, and the median income for a family is $35,420. Males have a median income of $27,911 versus $22,733 for females. The per capita income for the city is $13,257. 22.2% of the population and 19.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 29.0% of those under the age of 18 and 19.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
In 1791, Alexander Hamilton helped found the Society for the Establishment of Useful Manufactures (S.U.M.), which helped encourage the harnessing of energy from the Great Falls of the Passaic, to secure economic independence from British manufacturers. Paterson, which was founded by the society, became the cradle of the industrial revolution in America. Paterson was named for William Paterson, Governor of New Jersey, statesman, and signer of the Constitution.
French architect, engineer, and city planner Pierre L'Enfant, who developed the plans for Washington, D.C., was the first superintendent for the S.U.M. project. He devised a plan, which would harness the power of the Great Falls through a channel in the rock and an aqueduct. However, the society's directors felt he was taking too long and was over budget. He was replaced by Peter Colt, who used a less-complicated reservoir system to get the water flowing to factories in 1794. Eventually, Colt's system developed some problems and a scheme resembling L'Enfant's original plan was used after 1846.
The industries developed in Paterson were powered by the 77-foot high Great Falls, and a system of water raceways that harnessed the power of the falls. The city began growing around the falls and until 1914 the mills were powered by the waterfalls. The district originally included dozens of mill buildings and other manufacturing structures associated with the textile industry and later, the firearms, silk, and railroad locomotive manufacturing industries. In the latter half of the 1800s, silk production became the dominant industry and formed the basis of Paterson's most prosperous period, earning it the nickname "Silk City." In 1835, Samuel Colt began producing firearms in Paterson, although within a few years he moved his business to Hartford, Connecticut. Later in the 19th century, Paterson was the site of early experiments with submarines by inventor John Holland. Two of Holland's early models -- one found at the bottom of the Passaic River -- are on display in the Paterson Museum, housed in a former mill near the Passaic Falls.
The city was a mecca for immigrant laborers who worked in its factories as well. Paterson was also the site of historic labor unrest that focused on anti-child labor legislation, and the six-month long 1913 Paterson silk strike that demanded the eight-hour day and better working conditions, but was defeated by the employers with workers forced to return under pre-strike conditions. Factory workers labored long hours for low wages under dangerous conditions and lived in crowded tenement buildings around the mills. The factories then moved south where there were no labor unions and later overseas.
In 1932, Paterson opened Hinchliffe Stadium, a 7,500-seat stadium named in honor of John V. Hinchliffe, a former Paterson mayor. Hinchliffe originally served as the site for high school and semi-professional athletic events. From 1933 to 1945, Hinchliffe became the home of the New York Black Yankees of the Negro National League, as well as the venue for many football games, track and field events, boxing matches and shows, including those done by Abbott and Costello. In the 1970s, Paterson Public Schools acquired the stadium and utilized it for public school events until the 1997. Currently, Hinchliffe stadium is in a state of disrepair. However, Hinchliffe is one of only two Negro League stadiums left standing in the United States.
World War II helped a little, when Paterson played an important part in the aircraft engine industry. By the end of WWII however there was a decline in urban areas and Paterson was no exception. Since the 1970s the city has been plagued with high unemployment rates. By 1980, Paterson was one of the most distressed cities in the United States. The city no longer has a single movie theater or a motor vehicles office, its major department stores have closed, and the social indices of despair--childhood AIDS, unemployment, homelessness, illiteracy, and graduation rates--all moved in the wrong direction during the unrivaled prosperity of the 1990s economic boom. The failing schools have since been taken over by the state.
Once a premier shopping and leisure destination of northern New Jersey, competition from the malls in neighboring towns like Wayne and Paramus have forced the big-chain stores out of Paterson's downtown. The biggest industries are now the small businesses because the factories have moved overseas. However the city still, as always, attracts many immigrants. Many of these immigrants have revived the city's economy especially through small businesses.
Source:
PatersonNewJersey.com
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