I was intrigued by the Paterson, NJ connection. The Great Falls there are second only to Niagara in the East and an obvious source of power.

The raceway and power system, constructed from 1792 to 1864, was the first major water power system in the United States. The project, conceived by Alexander Hamilton in 1791 and designed by Pierre Charles L'Enfant, engineer-planner of the Capitol, and Peter Colt is the basis of the oldest American community integrating water power, industrial development, and urban planning.
http://www.asme.org/about-asme/history/landmarks/topics-m-z/mechanical-power-production-water/-28-great-falls-raceway-and-power-system-(1792)
Paterson's other claim to fame...

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