Matthew Samgour
Professor Merkel
Science
25 March 2013
The Great Falls Since I live nearby, I decided to do a self-guided tour of the Great Falls in Paterson, NJ and took my younger nephews along. I decided to opt out of going somewhere else with a guided tour because I pass the Great Falls frequently and thought that the trip would have more significance because this national park is near and I would like to learn about a park I can relate to. In 1791, Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the treasure proposed a plan for the industrial community that would allow them to increase production of necessary articles, such as cotton goods. Alexander Hamilton chose the land that surrounded the Great Falls for the manufacturing settlement he proposed. The falls which are seventy-seven feet, and the surround terrain were considered essential for the utilization of water power. Alexander Hamilton knew of the falls because he had seen it while serving under George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Since artificial reservoirs can be formed at one of the many ponds or lakes at the headwaters of the stream which was appealing because that was a way to retain water during dry seasons. Another factor that was taken into consideration was that it was so near to both New York and Pennsylvania markets and tidewater. This was the first U.S attempt to harness the entire power of a major river.

The Great Falls has been considered a National park since 1970, which is when Mary E. Kramer wanted to block a riverside highway that would have gone in between the mill district near the Great Falls. Therefore the Great Falls was listed as a National historic landmark by the late president, Gerald Ford in 1976. During October of 2004 the Governor of New Jersey, James E. McGreevey and DEP Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell came to Paterson. During this trip, they announced the Great Falls historic district as one of three new state parks.
I learned during this trip more than I expected to learn, I learned that Paterson was the center of the industry because of the water. Since electricity replaced