The Colgate - Palmolive Company

• It is impossible to talk about Paulus Hook’s history without including the Colgate-Palmolive Company.  In 1820,  William Colgate establish a starch factory in Jersey City. This was only a few short years after opening his first starch, soap, and candle business on Dutch Street in New York City, in 1804.

• By 1906 Colgate sold over 800 product lines, most of which were manufactured in Paulus Hook, Jersey City.  In the 1900’s, every family in Paulus Hook either had a family member or knew someone that worked at the Colgate Factory.

• In 1908, Colgate was incorporated by William Colgate’s five grandsons. To commemorate this event, the first Colgate Clock was placed on top of the Colgate Factory.  It was the world’s largest clock at the time, with a diameter of 38 feet. It was shaped in an octagon, to represent the classic shape of Colgate’s soap.

• The second Colgate Clock was installed in 1924.  The minute hand was placed on top of a truck and was part of a parade that took place in front of City Hall. The second clock now stands in Colgate Park.