Bruce F. Vento: “Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3498, which establishes the Great Falls Historic District in Paterson, NJ was introduced by…”

“Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3498, which establishes the Great Falls Historic District in Paterson, NJ was introduced by congressman Herb Klein on November 10, 1993, and was favorably reported to the House of Representatives by the Committee on Natural Resources on March 23, 1994. Paterson, NJ, near the Great Falls of the Passaic River, was one of the country's first manufacturing centers. Impressed by the potential of the Great Falls as an energy source, and committed to demonstrating the profitability of manufacturing in America rather than depending on foreign goods, Alexander Hamilton had founded the Society of Useful Manufacturers [SUM] in 1791 to implement planning and growth in Paterson, NJ. With the simultaneous development of the raceway system to harness the river's power, Paterson became an early site of industrial development, generating such products as the Colt revolver, the Rogers steam locomotive, Wright Aeronautic engines and the first practical submarine.”