Page:Brunswick 100 Years of Memories.pdf/110

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Reube n Harris on, and George Albert. Potom ac Edison becam e import ant for supply ing the needed services. S - Town Ordina nce - Directories

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THE FACTORY 5th Aven ue and "D" Street 1938-39 Brown 's Hosier y (A Philad elphia business). Beulah Hoffman was office worker and Evelyn Wrigh t George, Elizabeth F. Myers and Ess~e Frye worke d at the machines. The factory closed m 1940 becaus e the employ ees were interes ted in joining a union, but the owner said "NO!" There is no further inform ation on the factory unl-il 1946 when an umbre lla factory opened under the auspic es of Polan Katz. There is a possibility that Mr. H. N. Wernt z might have had some influence in bringin g that busine ss to Brunsw ick becaus e he told all prospe ctive employ ees to go see Leo, who was manag er of Polan Katz Umbre lla Factory. 1952-54 The Price Electric Compa ny occupi ed the buildin g for makin g car radio transistors. 1955-71 Curtis Holdin g Compa ny made terry cloth childre n's pajama s in pink, yellow and pale blue. The seamst resses used home-like sewing machines. Towar d the end of the busine ss operation in Brunsw ick they made tank tops and turtleneck shirts. 1971 In Decem ber of that year, H. L. Hartz bough t the factory and they finishe d coats and vests that were cut in Frederick. These pieces were finished for different depart ment stores and that store's label was sewn into each article of clothing. 1985 The busine ss closed in April of that year; the town owned the buildin g and rented it to Charles Carlso n for a cabine t and woodw orking business in 1988.

During the 1938-39 era of Brown 's Hosier y Factory, some nylon hosiery that was being made was shippe d in to this factory for shapin g, labeling, and boxing. The boxes were assemb led at the plant.

FEETE - FACTORY AND FUNE RAL HOM E From 1890 until 1980, C.H. Feete and Brothe r, furnitu re maker and undert aker, was a family business. The variou s owner s have been Charlie Feete, Lee Feete, Elva Brubak er Feete, and Leigh Raine Feete. Furnitu re manuf acture usually accom panied funeral establishments, which constructed their own caskets and coffins. At this factory all kinds of furnitu re were made. Onlv one extant item from the Feete busine ss is known : a buffet owned by Mrs. Kitty Trundl e Powell of Walkersville, a former Brunswick residen t. The Feete furnitu re factory was built of wood with corrug ated metal coverin g, and it filled the corner lot where the presen t apartm ent is located . (The apartm ent was built of materi al from the furniture factory.) The builde rs raised the furnitu re on a rope-pulled elevator and moved it diagonally across the street on an overhe ad track to the finishing factory, which filled in the area where Chesap eake and Potom ac buildin g now stands . In that buildin g, anothe r hand-o perate d elevato r moved furnitu re among three floors as needed . Anoth er buildin g, on a knoll on the north side of Petersv ille Road, could be entere d from either side. Here two horse-d rawn hearse s were stored. The brass lantern trimmi ngs were always highly polishe d. Up "B" Street (past the late Patty Wenne r's house) was located the coffin factory. This long buildin g was of bank-b arn constru ction, having a different-level entran ce on each end. The viewin g room was beside the Feete' s dwelling, at one time in a separa te buildin g. The prepar ation of bodies was done in a room connec ted to the viewin g room. The founda tion so visible at the bottom of "C" Street and Petersville Road was once part of a long, two-st ory buildin g that housed the white horses that pulled the hearse . The upper floor was used for storage of coffins, caskets , and other items., This business became the John T. Williams Funeral Home when it was bough t in 1980. Since Mr. William s' death in 1982, his widow Barbara, has conduc ted the busine ss. W-MM M

S - Helen Cooper Carter

- Evelyn Wright George W -BLC

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