Welcome to Paterson Great Falls National Historic Park, the birthplace of American industry.
In 1778, then Lt. Col. Alexander Hamilton visited these falls with a small party that included Gen. George Washington and Major Gen. Lafayette.
The Marquis de Lafayette was a French aristocrat and one of the richest men in France. At the tender age of 19 years, he came to America to offer his assistance to the rebellion against the British crown. Despite his youth and inexperience he was appointed Major Gen. in the Continental Army . Ultimately he became one of the most important figures of the American Revolution. He was a close confidant of Washington and was regarded as a son by the Commander-in-Chief. His ability on the battlfield was only exceeded by the role he played in bringing the French to the side of the American cause.
Hamilton conversely was what then was called "a bastard child" and an orphan of little means. He became an aide to Washington and served with distinction but with little notoriety during the American Revolution. This trip to Great Falls inspired the young Hamilton to envision a great industrial city rising around the falls, utilizing them as a power source.
This little picnic besides these falls consisted of three of the most important figures in American history.
It was after America gained its independence that Hamilton had his impact on the new nation. In 1791, as Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton gathered a group of investors to create the "Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures" (S.U.M.), with the goal of realizing his vision of an idustrialized America.
The S.U.M. hired Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the planner of Washington, D.C., to design the raceway systems that would divert water from the falls, to the planned mills and factories below.
This cache was intentionally placed away from the falls for two reasons. First to keep it away from the crowds viewing the falls, but also to highlight a section of the park that is neglected by most visitors. But be sure not to miss the impressive falls which are just across the street.
You will be approaching the cache on a path that parallels an ancient raceway. A look at the width and depth shows the massive amount of water that was diverted for power. As you reach ground zero you will be standing on a bridge above another raceway. Facing the cache, a short distance in front of and below you is a wheelhouse that was built in 1840 to provide power to the Ivanhoe Paper Mill, which formerly occupied most of the land in front of you.
Beyond the wheelhouse note the brick facades of the factories that rose up around the falls. Most of these date to the 19th Century. The buildings in this district once housed manufacturers such as Samuel Colt's firearms company and Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works, once one of the world's preeminent manufacturers of locomotive engines. By the late 1800's this district became one of the world's largest producers of silk, earning Paterson the nickname "Silk City". Today the factories are largely gone and these old buildings now house condominiums, small buisnesses and museums.
If you find 20 of the 30 Best of the Lower Hudson caches you can obtain a free Pathtag. Be sure to note the code word found in the logbook to obtain your Pathtag. Click on the banner at the top of this page for more information about this series and how to obtain your pathtag.
Note: placed with permission of the park superintendent.