On Sunday, April 17, at 2:30 p.m. Tom Beisler and Tom Haggerty, trustees of the Union Township Historical Society, will give a lecture on the history of manufacturing in the town—augmented by a newly created slideshow, “Made in Union”—at the Caldwell Parsonage, 909 Caldwell Avenue, Union.
Their presentation will focus on the people and products of businesses that once made—or still make—their homes in Union, such as: Headley’s Cider Mill; Headley ship mast hoops; Tuscan Dairy; Peerless Beverage Company; Ce De Candy, Inc.; Wm. Kratt Company, which made harmonicas and pitch pipes; Pyro Plastics Corporation, which made toy ray guns; Gemex watch bands; John J. Reid Varnishes; International Paint Company; Potter Aeronautical Corporation, whose flow meters were used for fuel in the U.S. space program’s first rockets in the 1950’s; Elastic Stop® Nut Corporation, which made self-locking fasteners used, among others, by our military in WW II ; National Woodworking Corporation; and Permutit water softeners.
The program will be part of the meeting of the Union Township Historical Society, which will begin at 2 pm. Non-members are cordially invited to attend. Refreshments will be served, including Smarties candies, which are “made in Union”! Admission is free; donations for the preservation of the Parsonage are greatly appreciated.
For more information, call 908-687-0048 or visit the UTHS website, uniontwphistoricalsociety.webs.com/.
(above) Capture from video clip featuring Mr. McFeely of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood at the Wm. Kratt Company, demonstrating how harmonicas were made at the factory on Johnson Place in Union. Go to this link to see the clip: youtube.com/ watch?v=2Wmrz8BM-4M&feature=share
