Newark, New Jersey's largest city, was founded in 1666 by a small band of Puritans from Connecticut. It grew to be a major manufacturing center for leather articles, carriages, beer, thread, Celluloid, jewelry, and literally thousands of other items. With the development of the Passaic River region, Newark also became a transportation hub. The Morris Canal, major highways, and train lines cut through the city, and the Newark airport in the meadows became, for a time, the world's busiest. People from every corner of the world came to the town seeking jobs, education, entertainment, and friends. They established ethnic neighborhoods, churches, synagogues, stores, and theaters, where their native languages were spoken.