While Trenton's days as a world-leading manufacturing powerhouse are over, a thriving manufacturing base remains in place.
Manufacturing in Trenton may have taken a beating over the last few generations, but that sector of the city's economy is far from dead.
That was the vital message behind Maker's Day, a collaboration among dozens of Trenton's thriving companies as well as the city's school district and public library and Mercer County Community College, and other partners.
Middle school and high school students were invited to the Roebling Wire Works one Friday afternoon last month to view demonstrations and exhibitions, and to participate in such hands-on activities as making dresses for girls in Africa and creating their own designs on a 3D printer.
It was a day for entertainment and fun, but its intent was quite serious: to shine a spotlight on manufacturers that call Trenton their home base, to emphasize that entry-level jobs can pay a decent wage, and to let the city's residents know that many of the companies highlighted at the event are hiring.
Iron, steel, rubber and pottery: Trenton began to flex its industrial muscles in the 19th Century, when the construction of canals and railroads facilitated the transportation of goods.
'Maker's Day' highlights Trenton's manufacturing base
Waves of immigrant workers from Europe helped drive the expansion, as New Jersey's capital continued its transformation from an agrarian to an industrial powerhouse.
Perhaps most famously, the Trenton Iron Company manufactured wrought iron beams for the dome of the U.S. Capitol Building and the Treasury Building in Washington, while John A. Roebling's Sons Co. produced the wire rope for such iconic spans as the Brooklyn Bridge, the George Washington Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Over the years, though, the abundance of cheaper foreign competition and the shift of population from urban to suburban regions took their toll.
Trenton's industrial decline began in the 1920s and accelerated in the 1960s and 1970s. But although government long ago surpassed manufacturing as the city's No. 1 economic driver, pockets of manufacturing continue to thrive in the city against fierce odds.
Among the companies generating interest at Maker's Day were Tektite Industries on North Clinton Avenue, which produces flashlights, replacement bulbs, dive lights, signaling lights and strobes; and Hutchinson Industries, which has turned out vehicle parts for more than a century and a half, including important components for military use.
If you ask representatives of Trenton's 69 manufacturing companies, they'll tell you the glory days are far from over.
But they'll also acknowledge that misconceptions are preventing talented and enthusiastic students from seeking out careers in this sector of the economy.
All the more reason for an event like Maker's Day. Strengthening the city's businesses strengthens us all.