Around Haledon: Immigration and Labor (Images of America)

By: Angelica M. Santomauro and Evelyn M. Hershey

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Synopsis: By 1908, when Haledon became independent from Manchester Township, thousands of southern and eastern European immigrants settled in the borough and its surrounding area. Immigrants found work in textile mills, machine shops, and other industries located in proximity to the city of Paterson and the Passaic River and its mighty Great Falls. Land promoters spurred home building in Haledon, a streetcar suburb. In 1913, nearly 25,000 workers went on strike, demanding an eight-hour workday. During the six-month strike, Haledon became the workers' haven for free speech and assembly as they demanded safer workplaces, a living wage, and an end to child labor. Archival photographs, documents, and postcards from 1890 to 1930 share the story of workers and immigrants who fought for the workplace benefits widely enjoyed by Americans today.