Palestine Way: How 35 Syrian-owned silk mills transformed Paterson, NJ

From Mount Lebanon’s Silk Crash to Paterson’s Mills

When the silk trade crashed in Mount Lebanon in the 1890s, thousands looked to America for hope. They found it in Paterson, New Jersey, where the mighty 77-foot Great Falls powered a booming silk industry.

Soon after, Syrian, Lebanese, and Palestinian immigrants owned 35 silk mills in the city. Many started as peddlers, walking America’s back roads with cases of thread and lace.

Others came through chain migration, with Presbyterian ministers like Rev. Wolcott bringing workers from Beirut.

As a result, 90% of migrants from the same regions stuck together, building what would grow into America’s largest Palestinian community.

Today, Palestine Way stands as living proof of their lasting impact on Paterson’s cultural landscape.

Mount Lebanon’s Silk Crash Sent Thousands to America

The silk business in Mount Lebanon fell apart in the 1890s, destroying an industry that made up 60% of the area’s money. Workers and farmers lost their jobs and income.

French factories in Lyons once paid good prices for silk, but the market crashed as the century ended. Towns across Greater Syria lost between 15% and 50% of their people.

Families who worked in silk for generations left as local markets failed and poverty spread through the Eastern Mediterranean.

Presbyterian Missionaries Helped Workers Get Jobs in America

Rev. W.A. Wolcott and other American Presbyterian missionaries in Beirut got hundreds of workers jobs in Lawrence, Massachusetts textile mills.

Their schools taught locals about “Amirka” as a place of chance, giving families the courage to move across the world. This created a pattern where 90% of people from certain villages moved to just three American towns.

Missionaries also set up ways for workers to send money back home.

Paterson’s Big Falls Drew the First Arab Immigrants

Syrian, Lebanese, and Palestinian families started coming to Paterson around 1890, drawn by its famous textile industry.

The 77-foot Great Falls of the Passaic River powered dozens of mill buildings through clever water channels built in 1792. Alexander Hamilton picked this spot to create America’s first planned factory city.

The mills made everything from cotton cloth to Colt guns, but silk became the big money-maker.

Peddling Gave Newcomers Their First American Money

About 40% of early Syrian, Lebanese, and Palestinian immigrants worked as peddlers when they first got to America. They walked country roads selling thread, lace, razor blades, and small goods.

Big merchants in New York gave newcomers items to sell and sent them out along railroad lines. This work let immigrants earn money while learning English.

Many saved up to later open stores or buy mill equipment in Paterson.

Arab Mill Owners Built Paterson’s "Silk City" Name

By 1900, Syrians owned about 35 silk mills in Paterson, showing their business skills and textile know-how. They brought centuries of silk trade experience from Mount Lebanon to New Jersey.

These mill owners knew how to get raw silk, process it right, and make products Americans wanted to buy. Their success helped Paterson become known across the country as “Silk City.

Churches Became the Center of Growing Arab Communities

As families settled down, they built churches like the ones they had back home.

By 1924, historian Philip Hitti counted 34 Maronite churches, 21 Greek Catholic churches, 24 Antiochian Greek Orthodox churches, and 31 Syrian Greek Orthodox churches across Syrian-American communities.

These churches kept records, hosted gatherings, helped newcomers find housing and jobs, and taught children about their heritage.

Silk-Making Skills From the Old Country Changed Paterson’s Factories

Syrian workers brought valuable know-how about silk growing, spinning, weaving, and dyeing from centuries of textile work in their homeland.

Mill complexes got better at making high-quality silk products thanks to these skilled immigrants. Syrian mill owners ran some of Paterson’s biggest silk dye works and weaving operations by 1910.

Their skills helped American-made silk compete with imports.

Women Workers Kept Family Money Coming In

Syrian women and children worked alongside men in the textile mills, with women making up most of the Syrian garment workers in many factories.

They brought skills in lace-making, embroidery, and detailed needlework that made Paterson’s products better.

Women joined labor movements too, including the big 1913 Paterson silk strike that involved more than 20,000 workers. Families often combined mill wages with small business income.

Family Businesses Grew Beyond Silk

Syrian shop owners opened grocery stores, restaurants, and service businesses that served both their community and other Paterson residents.

They started import companies that brought foods, spices, and goods from the Middle East to New Jersey.

Syrian merchants created credit systems and business partnerships that helped more immigrants come over and get started. As businesses did well, families moved from crowded apartments to better neighborhoods.

The Second Generation Bridged Two Worlds

Children of Syrian immigrants went to American schools while keeping Arabic language and traditions alive at home and church.

The second generation started moving beyond mill work to become teachers, doctors, lawyers, and community leaders. Some married into Italian, Irish, and other immigrant families, creating new mixed cultural identities.

Young Syrian Americans joined the military during World War I.

Main Street Becomes the Foundation for “Little Ramallah”

By the 1920s, the Syrian, Lebanese, and Palestinian community had built the economic and cultural groundwork for what would grow into America’s largest Palestinian community.

Their businesses along Main Street created the commercial district later renamed “Palestine Way” to honor their contributions.

This early settlement pattern set the stage for more Middle Eastern immigration after 1965, when new waves of Jordanians and Palestinians came to Paterson.

The pioneering immigrants of the 1890s-1920s created the blueprint for today’s vibrant “Little Ramallah” neighborhood.

Visiting Palestine Way in Paterson, New Jersey

Palestine Way runs along Main Street between Gould Avenue and Buffalo Avenue in South Paterson. The street was renamed in 2022 to honor the Palestinian community that’s been here since the 1890s.

You’ll find Palestinian-owned shops like Jerusalem Pharmacy, Nablus Sweets, and Ramallah Meat Market in this area called Little Ramallah. Arabic signs and cultural displays line the street.

Each May, the Annual Palestine Day festival brings cultural performances and vendors to celebrate the community’s history.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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