In the Summer of 2024, I entered the zoo on a Sunday late afternoon and it was a nice visit as the zoo was quiet in a Friday afternoon near closing time. The animals were still outside, most being fed before they were taken inside for the evening (this is why so many animal pictures show them eating). Still I got a chance to walk around and enjoy the zoo.

The welcome sign of the Cape May Zoo

In Summer of 2022, I visited the zoo in late September on a very gloomy rainy day, which I do not recommend for visitors. The animals like the humans took cover in their sheds and would not come out until the sun peaked out at the end of my visit. It still is an interesting zoo.

The entrance of the Cape May Zoo

I have to admit that it is a little dated in that the philosophy of zoos continues to change and I think the zoo could use another updating to give the animals some more room and better stimulation in their respected areas. They just need more room to move around. The nice part of the Cape May Zoo is that there is room to move around. The larger animals do have more room here to spread out and live.

The entrance to the zoo and park

The Barnyard animals are in the first part of the zoo. There were pens for Potbellied Pigs and Dairy Cows and they were very content when I visited eating and smiling at the visitors.

The Potbellied Pig sign

The potbellied pigs

The pigs have a good time

The Dairy Cows eating when I was visiting

The Goat pens

The Goat pens at the end of the day

The Animal Safari Animals were towards the back of the park:

The entrance to the back of the zoo with the exotic animals

Inside the Safari walkway around this section of the zoo

This pristine zoo and park features more than 550 inhabitants representing 250 species. Over 200 acres of beautiful, natural wooded areas and open space. Winding trails for hikers, bikers, joggers and wildlife watchers. Picnic areas and a huge playground make the park and zoo your perfect place for a family adventure (Cape May County Zoo and Park).

The Peacocks walk around the park and do their own thing

I finally got to revisit the zoo in 2022 and it was a much more pleasant experience to come to the zoo in the warm sunshine. It gives both me and the animals a different perspective. The place was also mobbed. It was Firemen’s Convention weekend, and the zoo was busy with families visiting the animals displays and taking pictures.

The Giraffe pens during the feeding

There were all sorts to tour guides working that day and docents explaining the animals and their habitats to the visitors. The sad part is that the animals look so bored. The giraffes I thought looked the most bored of all. There is not much land for them to room around and they get to see this area over and over. They have plenty of room to stretch out but not like in the wild.

Walking through the pathways in the African Safari

The weather was nice that afternoon but a little hot and that made the animals so sleepy. Most of them were sleeping when I visited the larger animals in their pens. The heat must have gotten to them like many of the humans on the benches around the park.

Inside the African Safari

The small displays of reptiles, birds and the smaller monkey family were nice as those displays challenge both the animals and people to really look at the life of these animals. One of the displays that was interesting was the Red Panda display. The docent was talking about like the in the wild for these animals and how they have to breed them captivity as there are not many of the left.

The Zebra pens and these guys are active

The zebras grazing at the zoo

What I also like about the museum is that they have a very nice gift shop with all sorts of stuffed animals and tee-shirts and a very cheery staff that is willing to help you. They also have a very engaging carousel that takes the kids and their older kid parents who enjoy the music and the ride as much as their kids do.

The Watusi eating at the zoo

The Barred Owl sign

The Barred Owl in its home at the zoo

It is a really well maintained zoo where I can tell that the staff really cares and take very good care of the residents here.

The Safari Cafe at the end of the Safari pathway so that you can relax and have something to eat.

Cape May Park & Zoo History:

(History of Cape May Parks & Zoo; Parks System)

The Cape May County Park Central is located two miles north of the heart of Cape May Court House and occupies both the right and left side of Route 9. This site was originally a southern plantation of the Matthews family.

The sign that welcomes you to the zoo

Back in 1763, on Daniel Hand’s plantation in Middletown (now called Cape May Court House), the State Assembly petitioned erecting a courthouse and jail. The petition was granted and the cost was limited to 300 pounds. In 1764, Daniel Hand gave one acre to the county for the purpose of building a courthouse.

During the dame time, just north of the courthouse’s land, was the Matthew’s plantation. The main plantation was located below the lake and tributary waters. Just north of the tributary and small lake, the Matthews had an orchard that was set aside as a family cemetery and for the slaves of the plantation. This site still remains and is part of the park today. For a short period of time during the 1700s-1800s, this site was also used to bury the poor.

In “The 1942 Park Land Acquisition,” approximately forty acres of the Matthews plantation donated to the count to be used as a park and meeting place. Most of the land was wooded but some was lakes and tributary waters and also the cemetery. At this time, very little was done to the land. Later, a building used as a laundry at Crest Haven was moved from that location and converted into a maintenance and supply building with a comfort station and a six grill brick barbecue pit was constructed. It was during this time that the 4-H department, after holding its fair in Cold Springs or the riding club grounds, decided to ask permission to hold the fair at the county park.

The county road department and employees of Crest Haven cleared a section of the grounds of trees and brush, then seeded the ground for grass. This made a clearing for tents and booths, plus a horse ring to be used by the 4-H fair. The telephone company donated light fixtures and wire. Several years later, Pepsi-Cola donated a booth to be sued for refreshments. This was the extent of the county park for many years.

The County of Cape May was approved by referendum in November 1962. The State of New Jersey enabled an act for a park commission of nine residents of the county, which was established on February 5, 1963. The commissioners would serve terms of 1 to 5 years without compensation. A director was appointed in January 1966 and a solicitor was appointed in 1967.

The primary function of the park commission is to plan, acquire, develop, maintain and administer park land and the recreational facilities, thereon, which provide values for the benefit of the entire county. The Park Commission assumed complete responsibility of the County Park Systems on January 1, 1967. The County Park Facilities in 1967 were the same as they had been since the stat of the park! Facilities included maintenance and supply building with a comfort station, a band stand, 3 shelters, 1 six grill barbecue pit and a drinking fountain.

The Cape May Zoo layout

Parks facility developments under the commission in the year 1967 were: 2 ten car parking lots, 6 group and organization barbecue pits, 40 picnic tables, 13 picnic grills and 1 playground. In 1968, they added 1 manual pump with shelter, 2 shelter, 2 ten care parking lots, another playground, 10 picnic tables, 6 picnic grills, 2 shuffleboard courts, 3 horse pitching courts, 3 swinging par benches and 8 regular park benches. Also, they added 1 volleyball court, 1 badminton court, 1 croquet court plus a camping area for Boy Scouts and Girl Scout and a foot bridge.

In 1969, a large amount of recreation facilities were added along with some park equipment to better serve the park users. On the recreation additions: 1 horseshoe pitching court, 3 quoit pitching courts, 1 deck tennis court, 1 aerial tennis court, 1 archery range, 1 boccie court, 1 tether ball court, 1 tether tennis court, 1 hopscotch court, a natural trail, 3 swinging park benches, 2 entrance gates, 4 foot bridges, 5 parking lots and 24 shelter picnic tables. All available to the public to use. Also, during this period, the residence of Charles W. Allen was purchases and made into an office fro the Cape May County Park Commission.

It has been close to seventy years since the parks beginning but the facility is still expanding and remains open to the public year round.

History of the Cape May County Zoo:

(History of Cape May Parks & Zoo; Parks System)

The Cape May County Zoo was created in 1978 within the Cape May County Park. The dedication was on May 6, 1978.

At the opening of the zoo, it consisted of an African lion, primates (spider monkeys), various barnyards animals and New Jersey wildlife animals. In the early 1980’s, the zoo gradually incorporated into its displays more exotic animals such as black bears, bison, antelope, primates and birds. All exhibits were constructed by park personnel.

The Snow Leopard Exhibition at the Zoo

Beginning in 1986, a zoo renaissance began. Donations were solicited and major reconstruction was underway. Some of the projects that were completed consisted of a complete perimeter fence, a new lion exhibit, a Bengal tiger exhibit, a cougar exhibit, a giraffe and camel exhibit, a reptile house and a construction of a medical building and diet preparation building. In 1989, the zoo became AZA accredited and has remained an accredited zoo to this date.

Throughout the 1990’s, renovations and new exhibits continued with the construction of an African Savannah, which consisted of 57 acres that display giraffes, zebras, antelopes and ostriches. Reconstruction of a reptile house replaced the original reptile house that was destroyed by fire in 1998, also a “World of Birds” walk through Aviary was constructed.

From the zoo’s beginnings in 1978, the animal population was around 70 animals and today the zoo consists of 550 animals representing 250 species.

The Cape May County Zoo is home to 13 flamingos from Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch.

The zoo has recently improved traffic flow, parking and beautified the entrance to the zoo. The zoo is undergoing restroom renovations along with other amenities and necessities.

The Cape May Zoological Society added a train and added an animal themed carousel late in the summer of 2008. The Cape May County Zoo celebrated its 40th birthday in 2018.

Disclaimer: The information of the history of the Cape May County Park & Zoo was taken directly from the Park’s website and I give them full credit for the information. Please call ahead for weather and seasonal conditions to the park. In 2022, the day I visited it was raining and the animals just like the humans ran for cover. In 2024 when I visited again, the zoo was busy at the end of the day on a sunny day.

The Giraffes milling around after a long day

The Wildwood Historical Society George F. Boyer Museum 3907 Pacific Avenue Wildwood, NJ 08260

The Wildwood Historical Society George F. Boyer Museum

3907 Pacific Avenue

Wildwood, NJ 08260

(609) 523-0277

http://www.z.com

Open: Sunday-Saturday-9:00am-2:00pm/Check with the museum in the off season

Fee: Free but they do ask for a donation

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46931-d1862508-Reviews-George_F_Boyer_Historical_Museum-Wildwood_Cape_May_County_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The Wildwood Historical Society at 3907 Pacific Avenue

I visited the Wildwood Historical Society George F. Boyer Museum (See review on TripAdvisor) when I was visiting Wildwood, NJ for a convention. It was a gloomy morning, and the museum is open from 9:00am-2:00pm. It is the perfect place to visit on a rainy day at the beach. When I revisited the museum in the summer of 2023, the museum was crowded with members of the fire service and their families visiting after the convention meetings.

The Front Gallery

The central gallery on the Wildwood businesses.

The back gallery of the museum

The museum is a treasure trove of artifacts of the history of the three towns, North Wildwood, Wildwood and Wildwood Crest. The history covers the original inhabitants when the Native Americans lived and fished in the area, the rise as a resort community especially its heyday in the 1950’s and 60’s as a solid middle class resort town and an extensive history of the police, fire department and schools as well as the town and its council people.

The Military display

The Fire display at the museum.

The fisherman’s display at the museum.

The doctor’s office display at the museum.

Each room of the museum is stacked with information, artifacts in case lines and the walls are lined with books, manuscripts and albums. The school history shows how integration worked even as far back as the turn of the last century and the development of the school system. There were books of graduation pictures, sporting events and band involvement.

The high school and public-school display.

There is a very interesting display of firefighting pictures especially of the amusement fires of the past and the rebuilding of the parks and piers. Take time to look at the artifacts in the hallways and pictures of the development of the parks. There are interesting pieces saved from the old parks.

The Dracula’s Castle display before the big fire at the park.

The Dracula’s Castle display

The Amusement Park and Dracula’s Castle display at the museum.

The artifacts from Dracula’s Castle

The display by Dracula’s Castle

There is even a section of restaurant menus and dishware from the well-known establishments of the past and many pictures of the hotels and motels of the ages. It showed how it went from a Victorian resort to the modern times of the sixties theme motels with art deco architecture. There was a real change after the war to a more middle-class customer who was depending on the automobile instead of the train system.

Popular businesses of the past

The Wildwood businesses of the past.

Artifacts from businesses from Wildwood’s past from restaurants to hotels.

There is also a large section on the old amusement piers with pictures and artifacts from the old “Dracula’s Castle” park that burned down in the early 2000’s. There are signs, old tickets, small ride cars and prizes from the games from the piers. There is extensive detail to the display, and you have to look at all the pictures of the amusements at various points of history.

The Amusement gallery by Dracula’s Castle

The Amusement Park display of artifacts in fun and interesting. The museum admits they were lucky to save these items.

The “Dracula’s Castle Fire” was one of the biggest in Wildwood history.

Plan about two hours as you will lose track of time when looking at all the pictures and displays. It is a little packed in here but there is so much to see and take time to watch their videos which are fascinating and informative on the history of the town of Wildwood.

Artifacts and pictures from the old amusement parks that were once part of Wildwood’s glory.

Who was George F. Boyer:

George F. Boyer was born in Philadelphia in 1904. He came to Wildwood around 1932 and earned his living as a butcher, a merchant and a fireman. His real local fame, however, came from his role as the City of Wildwood’s first and only official historian. While serving with Wildwood fire department in 1959, he came across the stump of a tree (now known as the “W” tree) in the old city hall.

Running down the origin of the tree, sparked a tsunami of information as he talked to local residents and researched and collected old records. One thing led to another and in January of 1962, Boyer was appointed in the city’s newly established historical commission and became the first president of the Wildwood Historical Society.

The Wildwood music and ‘Doo Wop’ display.

Tireless in his efforts to collect and preserve local artifacts, Boyer spoke to school and church groups as well as civic organizations, urging them to “act now. To gather those irreplaceable links with the past and preserve them for generations to come.”

A model of Wildwood in the Business Gallery at the museum.

Founded by Boyer, Wildwood’s first historical museum opened in 1963, on the second floor of the Municipal Building in October 1976, the City of Wildwood honored Boyer for his “long and devoted service” by renaming the museum, the George F. Boyer Historical Museum.

The museum sits proudly in Downtown Wildwood.

He passed away a month later but his legacy lives on. The museum, now located at 3907 Pacific Avenue, continues to welcome visitors and locals alike, just as it did a half century ago under Boyer’s care.

Household items of the past.

The non-profit museum is made possible thanks to volunteers who dedicate time to our cause. We always need volunteers. To learn about volunteering, drop in during our open hours, call us or fill the contact form on the website.

The Wildwood Boardwalk and amusements today.

Disclaimer: This information was taken directly from the History of the Wildwood Historical Museum website, and I give them full credit for the information. Remember that the museum has limited hours and the resort is seasonal so please call the above number for the times and dates when the museum is open.

Paterson Great Falls-National Historical Park 72 McBride Avenue Paterson, NJ 07501

Paterson Great Falls-National Historical Park

72 McBride Avenue

Paterson, NJ 07501

(973-523-0370

http://www.nps.gov/pagr

http://www.nationalparks.org

Open: Sunday-Saturday 6:00am-8:30pm

Fee: Free

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46718-d2587276-Reviews-Paterson_Great_Falls_National_Historical_Park-Paterson_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

A trip to Paterson, NJ to see the Great Falls is an experience. Surrounded by the old mill buildings that once powered the Silk Industry that made Paterson world renowned, the Falls has been turned into a part of the National Park Service.

The renovation has now been completed that includes new landscaping and a large parking lot. The surrounding park is as impressive as the Falls.

The information sign by the falls

When walking the park, it is breathtaking to see how the Passaic River approaches the drop and then the water hitting the bottom of the cliffs. It is an impressive site of the how the Ice Age still plays a role in ‘Mother Nature’ in current times.

Take time to walk through the park and travel over the bridges and through the landscaped parks to see the Falls through all angles. It is a spectacular park that does not get the credit it deserves. Paterson, NJ still has its issues but it does have a lot of gems too.

History of the Falls-The Formation and early history:

Geologically, the falls were formed at the end of the last Ice Age approximately 13,000 years ago. Formerly the Passaic River had followed a shorter course through the Watchung Mountains near present-day Summit. As the glacier receded, the river’s previous course was blocked by a newly formed moraine. A large lake, called Glacial Lake Passaic, formed behind the Watchung’s.

The Falls in the Summer

As the ice receded, the river found a new circuitous route around the north end of the Watchungs, carving the spectacular falls through the underlying basalt, which was formed approximately 200 millions years ago. The Falls later became the site of a habitation for Lenape Native Americans, who called this homeland, ‘Acquackanonk’ and later for Dutch settlers in the 1690’s (Wiki).

History of Powering a Free Economy:

The history and power of the Falls

The Great Fall of the Passaic River drove the imagination of a young Alexander Hamilton to harness the power of water to manufacturer goods in the United States. The story of Paterson and the Great Falls is on of national importance. Here in 1792, Hamilton founded America’s first planned city of industry and innovation, helping to spur what would become the world’s largest and most productive economy (US Parks.org).

After the Revolutionary War, Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, knew this country needed to be economically independent. He led the founding of Paterson and the Society for Establishing Useful Manufacturers (S.U.M.), New Jersey’s first corporation.

The statue of Alexander Hamilton by the Falls

Alexander Hamilton

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Hamilton

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexander-Hamilton-United-States-statesman

The S.U.M. constructed America’s first multitiered waterpower system to attract entrepreneurs and workers who would manufacture goods and develop new inventions. A system of water channels or raceways, the most significant power system of the day, diverted water from the Passaic River above the falls to mills along its route (US Parks.org).

The old Power Plant at the Paterson Falls

Paterson became the manufacturing hub for locomotives, textiles, silk finishing and dyeing, machines tools, paper, sailcloth, twine and airplane engines. By the mid-1800’s, the city was home to the largest producers of locomotives in this country and nearly half of the nation’s silk trade, earning Paterson the nickname “Silk City”. Paterson is also the birthplace of the Colt Revolver and the prototype for the first operable submarine (US Parks.org).

The formation of the Falls

The S.U.M. fulfilled the vision of its founder for more than 150 years, moving the United States from an agrarian, slave-based economy to one based in industry and freedom. Paterson attracted successive waves of immigrant entrepreneurs, skilled craftsmen and workers, the ‘diversity of talents’ Hamilton had hoped would be drawn to America. Immigrants still settle here to pursue their ‘American Dream’ and to weave their threads into the storied fabric of Silk City (US Parks.org).

Visiting Paterson Great Falls:

Welcome to America’s first planned city of industry and innovation. Begin your visit at Overlook Park. View the iconic Great Falls and a monument to Paterson’s founder, Alexander Hamilton. Cross McBride Avenue to the Welcome Center where you can visit the facilities, purchase a gift and learn about tours and programs.

The beauty of the Falls

To get a close look at the river that powered Paterson to prominence, follow the path behind the hydroelectric plant over the Passaic footbridge to Mary Ellen Kramer Park. From there you can peek into Hinchliffe Stadium, one of the few remaining stadiums that hosted Negro League Baseball.

Come back across the river, follow the short loop trail along Upper Raceway Park, ending at the Ivanhoe Wheelhouse. Walk across Spruce Street and visit the Paterson Museum, a park partner.

Exhibits include textile machinery, the first Colt firearms, steam locomotives and the first prototype of a submarine.

Regularly scheduled guided tours of the park are available during the summer season. From fall through late spring, reservations are required for all guided tours. You may also download a self-guided tour or smartphone app from our partner, the Hamilton Partnership at http://www.millmile.org.

Accessibility: We strive to make our facilities services and programs accessible to all. For information go to a visitor center, ask a ranger, call or check our website.

Firearms: For firearms regulations, check the park website.

More information:

Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park

72 McBride Avenue

Paterson, NJ 07501

http://www.nps.gov/pagr

To learn more about the national parks, visit http://www.nps.gov.

Disclaimer: This information was taken from the National Parks Foundation pamphlet and I give the parks system full credit for the information. Please check out their blogs and website on the falls for more information on visiting the park. The parking lot is currently going through a renovation so call in advance of visiting the falls.

The American Labor Museum/Botto House Museum National Landmark 83 Norwood Street Haledon, NJ 07508

The American Labor Museum/Botto House Museum National Landmark

83 Norwood Avenue

Haledon, NJ 07508

Phone: (973) 595-7953/7291

Email: labormuseum@gmail.com

http://www.labormuseum.org

https://labormuseum.net/

https://labormuseum.net/?p=about-us

Open: Wednesday-Saturday-1:00pm-4:00pm/Sunday-Tuesday-Closed/All other times are by appointment. Closed major holidays but Open on Labor Day.

Fee: Free

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46485-d15087067-Reviews-The_American_Labor_Museum_Botto_House_National_Landmark-Haledon_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The Botto House at 83 Norwood Avenue

I recently visited The American Labor Museum/Botto House National Landmark for the afternoon and learned a lot about the American Labor Union formations and the rights we now take for granted.

A group of us took the tour of the Botto House and learned of its history and its place in the Paterson Silk Strikes of 1913. The first floor which serves as the meeting room has pictures of the Paterson Silk Strike which lasted just over five months and since the Mayor of Paterson at the time would not let the strikers meet, the Botto’s agreed to let the strikers meet at their home which at the time was in a isolated section of Haledon.

The history of the Silk Strike in Paterson

The Mayor of Haledon was sympathetic to the Union cause and let them meet in the town. Their house was situated in the middle of a field so that the strikers could gather around the home and listen to speakers.

The Botto House during the Paterson Silk Strikes

From their balcony, speakers could talk to the strikers and keep everyone abreast of the situation. Here people gathered and picnicked together and worked together to get their rights heard.

From the main display room, you will tour the home of Pietro and Maria Botto. First stop is the kitchen where Mrs. Botto ran her household. She made extra money selling food to the strikers and arranging meals for Mr. Botto’s co-workers. The family family did what it could to make money for the family.

Mrs. Botto’s kitchen

The sink area

Here she made meals for her family, did her jarring and preserving and the washing was done. Then a tour of the dining room, bedroom and the palour area where the family met and greeted people. The upstairs was formerly two apartments that were built to help ‘pay the bills’.

The Botto House Kitchen

The upstairs is now the display space where a display on the Dock Workers Union is currently being shown. We got to stand on the second floor balcony where so many speeches were made.

The backyard area

We took the back stairs to the backyard where the family had the grape arbor, root cellar where the preserves were kept and the boccie ball court. It seemed the family was very social at the time and self-sufficient.

The root cellar and Vineyard

Things turned bad for the family when both Mr. And Mrs. Botto both passed away two years after the strike. The strike could have taken its toll on the family or the fact that Mr. Botto could not find a job after the strike was over. No one knows.

It is an interesting tour of how one family opened their home to an important cause and it made a difference in the success of the strike and getting it resolved.

The history of the Botto’s:

The museum headquarters was the home of an immigrant family of industrial workers whose story is a fascinating one. In many ways, the telling of their saga is a doorway for museum visitors to step through and make connections with their own ethnic backgrounds.

The European Heritage:

Pietro and Maria Botto hailed from the region of Biella, Piedmonte, Italy. This area, at the foothills of the Alps, was a leading textile producer of linen and wool. The mountainous area was home to a fiercely independent people who, for centuries, wove cloth in their homes on looms which they owned.

The Industrial Revolution forced weavers to give upon cottage-based production to seek employment in large shops or mills. the displacement of workers by mechanized looms and weavers’ lack of economic independence caused people in Biella (as in other European textile areas where Paterson’s workforce originated) to embrace new ideas about worker rights and to be a vocal workforce wherever they roamed.

Pietro decided to leave Italy because he was made eligible for a second draft into the army at the recently united Kingdom of Italy (Italy had quadrupled its army at that time to strengthen unification and to acquire African colonies). A skilled weaver who also painted church interiors, Pietro brought his wife, Maria and daughter, Albina (born 1889) on the long voyage to America in 1892.

The Botto’s settled in crowded West Hoboken, New Jersey (today’s Union City), where they worked in silk mills for 15 years until they had saved enough money to afford a home for their growing family. The family now included three more daughters, Adelia (born 1894), Eva (born 1895) and Olga (born 1899). In 1908, the Botto’s moved to Haledon, a tiny community, growing up along the streetcar line from Paterson, where many other country folk from Biella had already settled.

The Botto’s home became a focal point for a dramatic slice of history in 1913 when the epic Paterson Silk Strike broke out. Pietro was on strike with 24,000 fellow silk workers when massive and constant arrests forced the workers to consider the independent borough of Haledon as a location for great outdoor rallies. Mayor William-Brueckmann guaranteed the safety of the workers and Pietro offered his home as a meeting place for the strikers.

The Botto’s courageous stand allowing their home to be so closely identified with the strike stemmed from a belief in the rights of the common man. During the strike, Pietro and his family played host to the social and labor leaders who were the idols of the working person at that time. After the strike, the family had to very circumspect about employment in the mills, with one of the daughters denying her family name to avoid blacklisting by an employer.

The large house and spacious hillside gardens are a tribute to the family’s combined labor. Pietro and his daughters worked 10-12 hour days, 5 1/2 days a week in the mills. The eldest daughter began mill work at age 11 and the youngest at age 13.

On Sundays, the usual day of rest, the girls helped their mother serve patrons of the resort aspect of the property. Maria ran a large household, feed boarders during the week and the scores of people on Sunday and did piecework from mills; she died in 1915 at the age of 45.

Pietro lived until 1945, a beloved father and grandfather to a growing clan.

History of the House and Land:

The house in Haledon, NJ

The total environment of the Botto House National Historic Landmark reflects the ethic origin of this family of silk workers from the Piedmonte (Biella) area of Italy and the development of housing in early streetcar suburbs. It is representative of the sensitive use of small landholdings in American urban areas by various European immigrant groups.

The Botto family purchased Block X, Lots 38, 39 and 40 in 1907 from Alexander King, a real estate speculator. King himself purchased a large parcel of land from the Cedar Cliff Land Company, a group of Paterson industrialist and business leaders who were quick to see the advantages of selling cheap land to workers in Haledon. The completion of a horse-drawn trolley line in 1872 allowed for expansion of residential and recreational areas outside of the City of Paterson, a major American industrial center.

The Botto House sign

(Information from American Labor Museum: Botto House National Landmark, a Brief History)

The Period Rooms:

The Front Hall

The front entrance hall light fixture is original to the house. One of the restoration tasks yet to be carried out is the replacement of embossed wallpaper on the walls which was made to look like the carved leather coverings in the homes of the rich.

The front hallway

The Kitchen:

The kitchen was a major center of activity in the household. The large coal and gas range dominates the room. It was used as a heating source as well as for cooking foods. A table provided the space for food preparation; a cupboard stored pots, pans and dishes; an icebox kept food items cold (the root cellar, located in the garden was also used for cold food storage) and a sink for dishes and a tub for laundry utilities indoor plumbing-certainly a recent innovation for working class households.

The kitchen

Even with the convenience of indoor plumbing and the gas range, the kitchen was the scene of virtual non-stop labor for Maria Botto and her daughters. In addition to meals prepared for the family, the Botto’s fed a noon meal to extra people during the week, there were workmen without families, who rented rooms and come from the mills for a hot dinner.

On Sundays, the Botto women prepared food for as many as 100 people who came to recreate on the property. This, of course, provided on additional income for the family.

The Botto family’s foodways reflected their home region of Biella, Piedmonte, Italy. Piedmontese cooked scorned tomato sauce, preferring wine and chicken broth to accompany such staple foods as polenta (corn meal), risotto (rice) and tortellini, a pasta. Generally, rosemary, sage, and other herbs were used in cooking and grown outside in the garden. The herbs also had medicinal uses.

The kitchen sinks

Some of the artifacts placed around the kitchen are the copper put used to cook polenta (purur), meat grinder, fish scale, orange juice squeezer, coffee grinder (from a German immigrant household), rug beater, mousetrap and wall calendars which were used by working people as decorations.

The Botto women were generally charged with kitchen duties. Maria Botto hired a German woman to do the wash. One special job was reserved for Pietro, stirring the polenta and cutting it with a string.

The Dining Room:

The dining room was another work area for the family. Here the family and the ‘boarders’ dined. Here Maria ‘picked’ silk on a frame, located in the corner of the room under the window, examining the bolts of broadsilk brought from the mill for imperfections.

The Dining room

This was another task to bring income to the household. Maria used the sewing machine to make clothes. The table reflects a setting for the family and ‘boarders’, placed with dishes, silver-plated utensils and a condiment set.

The Dining Room

The sideboard, table chairs and sewing machine are family pieces. The lighting fixtures in this room as in the rest of the house were powered by gas. As is typical in the area, paintings were hung by string from a picture rail as the walls were made of plaster.

The Sideboard

The small painting shows sheep, which provide the wool upon which textile manufacture was based, against the backdrop of the Alps. The large sketched portrait of Pietro Botto in later years was produced by his grandson and professional artist, Richard Botto. On the side of the room hang pictures of the Botto daughters in their wedding attire.

The Dishes in the sideboards

The Bedroom:

This room, which was actually the girls bedroom has been recreated to resemble where Maria and Pietro slept. The dresser is set with brushes, combs and mirrors that are from the period. The Botto’s slept in a brass bed.

The bedroom at the home

Swimsuits and other clothing hang in the wardrobe. A travelling trunk rests on the floor next to the wardrobe. Next to the window hangs a photograph of Mr. and Mrs. Guala of Biella, Italy. Next to the wardrobe hangs the elaborately framed photograph of Adalgiso Valle of Paterson, NJ, a jacquard card cutter.

The Bedroom

The Parlor:

The most formal room in the house, the parlor was used for guests, weddings and wakes. Dominating is the oak mantle with its columns and mirror top. It surrounds a fireplace where, in the winter, a gas heater was attached to a pipe behind the hearth. The clock had to be wound every day and chimes on the half-hour.

The parlor

The photographs on the shelf are Maria’s sisters in Italy (right) and the three eldest Botto daughters (left). Members of the Bocchio family of Biello, Italy are pictured in the photograph to the left of the mantle.

The Parlor and decorations

The furnishings in the house

Other Rooms:

The area making up the library on the first floor was a sitting room and bedroom for the family. The Botto daughters rented the two apartments upstairs when they first married and started their families and other non-family members served as renters through the years. The bathroom on the first floor is the approximate size of the original but today has modern fixtures and is not meant to be part of the restoration.

(From the American Labor Museum/Botto House National Landmark)

The Labor Day display of the Union history:

Labor display

Labor Display

History of Paterson:

The City of Paterson was founded in 1792 as America’s first planned industrial city. Alexander Hamilton, Elias Boudinot and other members of The Society for the Establishment of Useful Manufactures chose the Great Falls of the Passaic River as the ideal site for a manufacturing center. The Falls provided water power, while the river provided transportation upstream and down.

During the 19th Century, Paterson flourished. It became known as “Silk City” and “The City” with an Arm of Iron in a Sleeve of Silk for the silk mills and locomotive works that made their homes here. Immigrants flocked to the city at first from England, Switzerland. Germany and France and later from Southern and Eastern Europe. Many found jobs in the mills and a few took their place among the captions of industry.

(Mill Worker…Mill Owner-Botto House Museum)

The gift shops

Disclaimer: This information was taken directly from The American Labor Museum/Botto House National Landmark pamphlets. This museum is one of the few historical sites dealing with the Labor Unions in the United States and plays a huge role in workers rights today.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: