Great Falls Great Food Great Stories

Great Falls Great Food Great Stories is a project that connects the history of the Great Falls to contemporary life in Paterson. The Great Falls are at the center of Paterson and American history, and food is a central part of our lives and cultures, in Paterson and beyond.

A collaboration of the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, the Hamilton Partnership for Paterson, and Paterson restaurants and businesses, Great Falls Great Food Great Stories brings the park into the city. Nine “storyfronts” that share stories of Paterson, food, and the Falls are installed around Market and South Main Streets. Look out for them and for signage and special placemats in participating neighborhood restaurants.

Alexander Hamilton’s 1778 picnic at the Great Falls of the Passaic wasn’t just a peaceful break from the fighting of the Revolutionary War—it also planted the seeds of an idea. While some envisioned the new United States as a nation of independent farmers, Hamilton thought that America’s story should start with a new city, one that would stimulate industry and innovation. He welcomed the “diversity of talents” that immigrants would bring to the workforce.

Paterson went on to attract people from around the world, who came to the city to work and make a better life for themselves and for their families. They would develop many of the industries and inventions that put Paterson on the map.

 People in Paterson have always worked hard to put food on the table—and they have always enjoyed the landscape of the Great Falls. They have strived to preserve their heritage while adopting new cultures and customs. Their story is the same today. The businesses, foods, and languages may have changed, but the dream is the same. 

A project by Team Paterson for the Hamilton Partnership for Paterson: Friends of the Paterson National Park. Produced with the support of the New Jersey Council on the Humanities.

 Great Falls Great Food Great Stories was created by Team Paterson: Manuel Miranda, Mariana Mogilevich, Valeria Mogilevich, with Yuyeon Cho, Sarah Harrs, Fred Pirlot. Based on a proposal as part of the 2015 Van Alen Institute/National Parks Service Competition National Parks Now, which also included Frances Medina, June Williamson, and Willy Wong.