Paterson's Industrial Age - Hardcoverby Richard Polton (Author) During the 19th century, Paterson, New Jersey, grew from an idea of Alexander Hamilton into a manufacturing and commercial powerhouse. Paterson was a city characterized as "an arm of iron in a sleeve of silk." A major producer of locomotives and the largest source of silk products in the nation became a fast growing center of business and commerce. The architecture of the period displays a confidence in the city's long term