File:Price Electric Company, the employees were assembling relays..jpg

Summary

This photo was taken in the early 1950's at the old factory on the north side of High School Hill. At the time, it was operated by the Price Electric Company and the employees were assembling relays.

According to Jackie Ebersole, here's the history of the factory, which is still in operation today:

"It was originally named The Hosiery Building. Ladies stockings, then a series of uses; among them: sewing sponsored by Singer Sewing Machines of Frederick Maryland, run by Addy Harner; the Polan & Katz Co. of Baltimore that made the umbrella's (1938-1948) or longer, then Price Electric was there in the early 1950s.

My mother and brother both worked there and then were transfered to Frederick. There were stretchy baby clothes (manufactured there) and maybe another sewing operation. Mr. Stanley Hartz opened Megusta Mills in 1971 hiring all the women who had been working for the previous sewing operation. Just jackets, suits and sport coats were made there. The pants and vests of the suits were made in Woodsboro, jackets were also made in Union Bridge and Frederick. Separate pressing operations were at Albrecht Street in Frederick. In the beginning of his operation, all cutting and fitting was done on Highland Street in Frederick and delivered to the individual plants. Finished garments were returned to Highland Street for shipment.

Mr. Hartz later moved all operations to the American Optical Building on Shol's Lane near the Airport. The factory in Brunswick had been doubled in length during Mr. Hartz's ownership. I think it was around 1982 when everyone went to Frederick. The building here was empty for a good while, but a cabinet shop has been there for a good while now and does beautiful work.

(Photo courtesy of the Brunswick Heritage Museum)

Gina Shinal Kilgour: My friend Patsy Fleetwood told me once that she and her mother Frances Axline worked there when Patsy was a teen/young woman (when it was the sewing shop). One day the ladies decided they were going to strike. Patsy and her mother didn't know if they should join or not, so they were just kind of sitting there awkwardly. The other women noticed and angrily stomped over and grabbed the electrical cord at the base of both their sewing machines and yanked them out, destroying them. They said, "YOU'RE NOT WORKIN'. WE'RE ON STRIKE." She said she and her mother beat feet...those women were about to get violent!

Maria Carter: My mom Carmen Donnovan Kaetzel, born in Brunswick, worked at Price Electric when very young.

Linda Kidwiler Henson: Mr. Hartz bought the swing factory from Mr. Marks. They made stretch material shorts and tops for ladies