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Paterson, Silk, and the Great Depression
At the height of the Great Depression, industrial cities such as Paterson saw a sharp decline in production and manufacturing. This decline led to an increase in labor issues and union participation, representing the complexity of labor during the time.
Titan of Industry
Paterson’s potential for industry was first recognized by Alexander Hamilton. While travelling with the continental army, he picnicked upon the Great Falls cliffside and saw a bright industrial future. In 1791, Hamilton and other investors started the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures (S.U.M.) to help promote industrial development. They created a hydropower system that would harness the power of the Passaic River and would lease sites along the raceway for factories. One year later, Hamilton and S.U.M. founded the city of Paterson.
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Although Paterson had factories that made weapons, beer, and even steam locomotives, one industry stood above the rest: silk. By the late 1800s, Paterson had become a major center for silk production. By the 1880s, the city was producing about half of all finished silk product made in the United States–so much silk that it would come to be known as “The Silk City.”
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Silk manufacturing required specialized knowledge, and Paterson’s mills drew workers from across the globe. Skilled silk weavers came from countries like Italy and Germany, bringing techniques learned in Europe. Later, immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe joined the workforce. Many worked long hours as loom operators, dyers, and finishers.
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Immigrant labor fueled Paterson’s rapid industrial expansion. Entire neighborhoods formed around the mills, where immigrant families built communities rooted in shared language, culture, and work.
To learn more about Paterson's Silk industry visit: Silk City - The Paterson Museum
Silk workers tending to their looms
(Image courtesy of the American Labor Museum)
Group of women working at textile mill
(Image courtesy of the National Park Service)
Dye House in Paterson, NJ
(Image courtesy of the National Park Service)
Woven picture of Betsy Ross, Anderson Brothers Silk Company of Paterson, NJ
(Image courtesy of Digital Public Library of America)
Commemorative Bookmark @ American Centennial, made by BB Tilt & Son of NY and Paterson, NJ
(Image courtesy of Digital Public Library of America)
Doherty & Wadsworth Co. floral print dress silk sample (Image courtesy of National Museum of American History)
The Silk Strike of 1913, a Prelude
Because Paterson was such a busy industrial city, labor disputes were common. Workers often faced long hours, low pay, and unsafe conditions. Tensions grew when factory owners introduced a new system that required workers to operate more looms at once.
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On January 27, 1913, silk weavers at the Henry Doherty plant walked off the job to protest the new four-loom system. Under this system, one worker had to manage three or four looms instead of the usual two. This increased profits for owners but meant more work, more danger, and little or no extra pay for workers.
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The walkout quickly grew into a larger movement. Other textile workers across Paterson joined the strike, and by the end of February more than 20,000 workers were on strike, with striking lasting nearly six months.
Well-known labor leaders supported the workers. Members of the International Workers of the World (I.W.W.), including Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Carlo Tresca, and Bill Haywood, held rallies and meetings to support the strike.
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Although the strike did not succeed, it inspired workers across the country to fight for better conditions. Labor activism continued in Paterson, especially during the Great Depression.
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Silk workers gather outside the Botto House, which is now the home of the American Labor Museum
(Image courtesy of the American Labor Museum)
Two young girls join the Paterson silk strike in hopes of establishing child labor laws (Image courtesy of PBS)
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn (Image courtesy of Library of Congress)
Bill Dudley Haywood, a.k.a. "Big Bill" (Image courtesy of Library of Congress)
Carlo Tresca (Image courtesy of Spartacus Educational)
To learn more about the Silk Strike of 1913 visit: The Paterson Silk Strike of 1913 | American Experience | Official Site | PBS
The Great Depression and the New Deal
On March 4th, 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was inaugurated as the 32nd president of the United States of America. He was immediately tasked with solving the country’s worst economic crisis, The Great Depression. His answer to the Depression was the New Deal, a series of economic and social reforms that aimed to save American banks, decrease widespread unemployment, and bring a sense of economic stability back to the once prosperous nation.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt holds a press conference in 1935 (Image courtesy of Library of Congress)
Public Works and Hinchliffe Stadium
​​One key New Deal program was the Public Works Administration (PWA). At a time when few buildings were being constructed, the PWA funded large public projects such as schools, hospitals, bridges, and stadiums.
These projects provided jobs and created long-lasting community spaces. Hinchliffe Stadium was built in 1932, and was later renovated as a Public Works Project (PWP). With PWA funding, construction to improve the stadium brought needed employment to the city of Paterson. The city’s industrial production was quite low and had been declining ever since its peak in the 1880s. This was because many business owners began moving their mills and production hubs to the south, where there was far cheaper labor to be found.
"Sweeping Changes Are Expected After March 4th", Morris, Carthage Evening Press, Feb 23, 1933
Labor issues and the NRA
After stabilizing the banking system, Roosevelt turned his attention to labor. Many American workers still earned low wages and worked in dangerous conditions. To address this, the government created the National Recovery Administration (NRA) in 1933.
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The NRA set rules for fair wages, working hours, and competition between businesses. One major policy produced by the NRA was the Code of Fair Competition for the Cotton Garment Industry. This code addressed child labor, minimum wages, and unsafe work practices.
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Despite some positive changes, the code caused problems for some silk workers by setting a minimum wage of $13 per week. While this helped some workers, others—like silk dyers in Paterson who already earned $18 per week—saw their wages reduced.
Poster created for NRA members (Image courtesy of Library of Congress)
Reprint of original Code of Fair Competition for the Cotton Garment Industry. (Image courtesy of Archive.org)
Hinchliffe for a Common Cause​
In response to the newly proposed code, Paterson silk workers planned a general strike. On October 2, 1933, merely one year after the stadium opened, Paterson silk workers used Hinchliffe Stadium as a place to organize. Newspaper outlets reported that upwards of 10,000 people attended this event. All seats in the stadium were full, and participants had to fill in wherever they could. Some participants packed on to the field, and others found space on the hill that overlooked the stadium.
Paterson laborers were once again joined by recognizable union figures. They packed the seats and listened to speeches from important union figures; a brass band played music in the background, and thunderous applauses and cheers of workers from diverse backgrounds could be heard.
Participants in the stands and of the strike would eventually march in Washington D.C., but the code of Fair Competition would ultimately pass. However, labor movements in the cotton-textile industry would resurrect in Paterson just one year later.
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The Morning Call, October 3, 1933, Page 1
The Morning Call, October 3, 1933, Page 1
18 year old Marianna Costa (second from left) and other textile workers march in Washington (Image courtesy of Library of Congress)
Interview with Marianna Costa recalling the silk strike of 1933 (Courtesy of Library of Congress)
Hinchliffe and the Textile Workers Strike of 1934
One year after the Code of Fair Competition passed, a large general strike in the cotton-textile industry began. This movement was nation-wide, and workers participated throughout New England, Mid Atlantic, and Southern states. In total, over 500,000 workers in the U.S. cotton-textile industry went on strike.
The Textile Workers Strike of 1934 occurred in response to unfulfilled promises made by the NRA. Representatives of the NRA claimed that their legislation would improve wages, but this improvement never really came to fruition. Though a minimum wage was established, employers and mill owners began decreasing the amount of hours employees could work.
Workers also felt that the NRA failed to meet their labor force’s need for representation in government. Rather than prioritizing the opinion of the worker, NRA legislators typically worked hand in hand with business owners and other prominent representatives.
With a new cause, Paterson silk workers again gathered at Hinchliffe Stadium to organize. Only this time, their gathering was part of a broader national movement. Several rallies, demonstrations, and celebrations would occur at the stadium as the strike went on. ​
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Though the reasons, context, and general reach of the 1934 strike was much different to Paterson's strike in 1933, one thing remained the same. When Patersonians needed a place to come together and fight for a common cause, they gathered at Hinchliffe Stadium. And though that stadium was built for sports, it thrived and continues to thrive as a space for the Paterson community, regardless if a ball is involved.
The Morning Call, September 4, 1934, page 2
The Morning Call, December 4, 1934, page 2
To watch real footage of a labor rally at Hinchliffe Stadium visit: Textile strike--outtakes. 1934-09-03. - Fox Movietone News Collection - UofSC Digital Collections​