Silk was first manufactured in Paterson in 1840, but did not prosper until after the Civil War, when high tariffs on imported silk products helped American producers compete with their European rivals.

Silk manufacturing was a big business before the days of synthetics. Silk, the "queen of fibers," dominated high fashion and the luxury trade, but women at all economic levels wanted their "best dresses" to be silk.

Paterson had many advantages for the silk trade.

It had abundant water supplies for power and processing and good transportation facilities.

It also was close to New York City, the center of the fashion industry.

Most importantly, Paterson had a supply of workers who understood the peculiar characteristics of the delicate silk fiber.

By the 1880s, the city was producing almost half of the silk manufactured in the United States and had earned a nationwide reputation as "Silk City."