AS A GENERATION ENDS- WHAT NEW BEGINNINGS AWAIT THE EMPLOYEES? WHERE DO YOU GO IN A SMALL TOWN OF 14,000 ON A GOOD DAY? THIS IS RURAL COUNTRY- FARMS- OPEN SPACES-EVERY ONE KNOWS YOU!
My heart bleeds every time I think of this happening. But life must go on, so I am left with an empty feeling although it has been 13 1/2 years since I transferred to NOVA. My roots are here. As I said before, I grew up here. Most I worked with are gone, faded into my memory. Today, some of them will come to life again in the form of old black and white pictures. So now I will continue- down memory lane of present and past employees. THE TILE PLANT!
STEVE FREER-NOT SURE WHAT HE IS DOING NOW-BUT THIS
PICTURE IS IN THE MAINTENANCE DEPT. OUTSIDE OF MACHINE SHOP.
LAURA BURT- ANOTHER PERSON FROM ELDRED PA.
HERE SHE IS IN THE MOUNTING ROOM.
FAITH PERKINS- IN THE KILN DEPARTMENT
NOW WE START THE BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO'S, ALL THESE PEOPLE FOR THE MOST PART ARE GONE- SOME RETIRED A LONG TIME AGO- OTHERS HAVE SINCE PASSED ON. I REMEMBER THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE THERE WHEN I STARTED IN 1967.
IT WAS DIFFERENT THEN-ALMOST 400 PEOPLE WORKED THERE- AND I WAS YOUNG.
BUT IT IS JUST LIKE YESTERDAY- SO A BIG SHOUT OUT TO KATHY WILCOX FOR PROVIDING THESE TIME CAPSULE PICTURES. THANK YOU!
EILEEN BELL- WHEN I CAME HERE SHE WAS VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNION-SHE WORKED IN THE MOUNTING ROOM AND I ALWAYS CALLED HER AFFECTION LY DING DONG- IT WAS A JOKE JUST BETWEEN HER AND ME. LOVED HER.
DON ADAMS- LATER BECAME PRESIDENT OF UNION- WORKED IN MAINTENANCE-WE BECAME VERY GOOD FRIENDS- I WAS HIS VICE PRESIDENT AT THE TIME-HE ALSO WAS VERY BIG IN THE AMERICAN LEGION- A VET HIMSELF- I HAD A LOT OF RESPECT FOR HIM. HE ALWAYS-ALWAYS GAVE BLOOD.
JOHN JONES- HEAD OF ALL MAINT & MACHINE SHOP- ENGINEERING- DALE LITTLEFIELD- GRADUATED AHEAD OF ME IN HIGH SCHOOL BY A FEW YEARS-LATER WOULD BE MAINT. SUPERVISOR AND AL HINZ- LATER WOULD BECOME PLANT MANAGER AND PROMOTED ME TO SUPERVISOR.
BILLIE JEAN TROWBRIDGE- A NAME FROM THE PAST- I BELIEVE SHE MARRIED BILL NICHOLS, ALSO WORKED HERE- THEY LEFT AND MOVED AWAY. I REMEMBER THEM BOTH LIKE YESTERDAY. BILL ON THE PACK O MATIC IN SHIPPING!
JACKIE THOMPSON AND JOANNE GROSS- WE ALWAYS DRESSED UP FOR HALLOWEEN- THEY WERE ALWAYS FUNNY. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WITH THEM-THEY LEFT A LONG TIME AGO. THIS WAS TAKEN IN THE MOUNTING ROOM OFFICE-WHERE I LATER WOULD WORK OUT OF.
I AM NOT SURE WHO THIS IS- BUT I REMEMBER HIM- THIS WAS THE OLD KILN FIREMAN'S OFFICE- I DO NOT EVEN KNOW IF IT STILL IS THERE OR NOT. THERE WERE THREE TUNNEL KILNS- A HUNDRED AND SOME FEET LONG-AND THE INSTRUMENTS TO EACH ONE IS ON THE WALL.
THIS IS REALLY A MEMORY JOGGER FOR ME- THESE ARE THE GUYS I WORKED WITH FOR THE FIRST 10 YEARS-1967 TO 1977 BEFORE I BID OUT AND WENT TO THE SHIPPING DEPARTMENT.I AM IN THE BACK ROW- 4TH FROM THE RIGHT. WE WERE BEING HONORED FOR WORKING 14 STRAIGHT YEARS WITHOUT A LOST TIME ACCIDENT. ALL THESE PEOPLE EXCEPT ONE HAVE RETIRED AND OR PASSED AWAY.
I CAN TELL YOU STORIES THAT WOULD MAKE YOU BLUSH AND BEND OVER WITH LAUGHTER WITH THIS CREW. THESE ARE THE GUYS I GREW UP WITH RIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL. THE GUYS OF BODY PREP- RIP
ANDY MORGAN-SHE STILL WORKED THERE WHEN I LEFT-A SWEET GIRL
KITT SHAY-LATER PRESIDENT OF UNION- DUANE LOOP- MAXINE LITTLE- IMOGENE CORBIN? AND NOT SURE OF LAST LADY ? I BELIEVE THIS WAS TAKEN IN CREDIT ROOM OFFICE?
A VERY THIN HAROLD DUTTON ON TABLE FIVE OR TABLE 6- WITH BESSIE SHURBURNE TO THE RIGHT- THESE LADIES WERE THE HIGHEST PAID PEOPLE IN THE PLANT- HAND MOUNTING EVERYTHING AND THEY WERE FAST! HAROLD WAS A TILE CARRIER THE ENTIRE TIME I KNEW HIM- HE HAS SINCE RETIRED SINCE I LEFT.
MARY MARTELLO- SECRETARY OF THE UNION FOR MANY YEARS- WORKED IN THE MOUNTING ROOM. HAS RETIRED MANY YEARS AGO.
THE GIRLS OF SECOND SHIFT-ALL DRESSED UP FOR HALLOWEEN- JOANNE GROSS SITTING ON AL HINZ LAP WITH CARLO CRAWFORD TO THE LEFT WITH THE HAT ON. AS FOR THE REST- YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE! LOL
HELEN TYLER-FROM ELDRED
DIANE REED-TABLE FIVE-MTG ROOM
ETHEL STARK- 40 PLUS YEARS RETIRED A LONG TIME AGO
JOAN NAGLE- MTG ROOM OFFICE- SHE WAS A GREAT GAL-DIED OF LIVER CANCER
RIP JOANNIE- YOU WERE A FUNNY ONE WITH THAT BOSTON ACCENT!
PAUL SWIFT- MANUFACTURING SUPERINTENDENT-HIS FATHER DON SWIFT WAS BEFORE HIM IN SUPERVISION- I WOULD SAY BETWEEN THEM- 75 OR 80 YEARS OR MORE OF SERVICE.
REVA CUNNICUT-ED BENNETT- EILEEN EATON AND RAY LAWTON- A LONG TIME AGO! ALL GONE AS FAR AS I KNOW.
THIS WAS TAKEN IN THE CAFETERIA
ETHEL BISSEL ON OLD NUMBER SEVEN-MASTER SET MACHINE
EILEEN BELL-MOUNTING ROOM-ALWAYS A SMILE!
FRANK STEPHEN-PRESS ROOM MAINTENANCE-THE OLD HAND PRESS
AL HINZ-PLANT MANAGER-ED BENNETT- RON SMITH-MACHINE SHOP
IN THE CAFETERIA- NOT SURE WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
FRANCIS HIRT-ROGER STARK-LAVERNE WALKER AND LOUIE SNYDER- CREDIT UNION OFFICER'S IN THE CREDIT UNION OFFICE.
A VERY YOUNG WALLY WHIPPLE- IN THE KILN OFFICE
DELORES SEAMON IN THE KILN OFFICE- A SWEETHEART!
FREDDIE WILLIAMS- GRADUATED BEHIND ME- IN THE FOREGROUND-DO NOT KNOW THE OTHER MANS NAME ALTHOUGH I RECOGNIZE HIM.
DAVE-ARLENE-JIM-FRANK-DON-HERBIE-STAN-AND JOE
DAVE IS THE BIG GUY IN MIDDLE-THEN GO TO RIGHT AND AROUND THE TABLE. WE USE TO HAVE AN AWARDS BANQUET AT THE CASTLE FOR 5-10-15-20-25-30-35-40-45 AND UP EVERY YEAR. THAT WAS A CLASS ACT!
CHARLOTTE ELLIOT AND PLANT MANAGER MIKE HARWOOD
MAXINE LITTLE-MOUNTING ROOM.
JACKIE CURTIS(UNION PRESIDENT) BOB NELSON(KILN FIREMAN) AND JOHN JONES
ROGER STARK- PRESS ROOM- MAKING CORNERS- ONE INCH AND TWO INCH
FRONT ROW CHRIS WENDEL-DICK STIVES-DALE LITTLEFIELD
BACK ROW RICK WILLIAMS-DAN MARVIN AND JOHN AUSTIN
ALL GONE- MOVED ON OR PASSED AWAY.
SHARON MORRIS AND MARK BARTA MAKING A SIGN FOR COOPERATE CUP!
CORPORATE CUP- 1990 22 YEARS AGO!
EVIE BHE- DESIGN DEPARTMENT-MURALS
BEFORE WATER JET!
MARCI FOSTER-TABLE FIVE - HAND MOUNTED SKETCH
DALE LITTLEFIELD- BUILDING WATER JET ROOM WITH AL HINZ WATCHING-
VIRGIL (SMITTY) SMITH-LAB WHEN I STARTED
Thank you to Kathy Wilcox for providing the pictures back through time- I understand that as we get closer to closure- there will be more. I hope you understand that this is almost one hundred years we see here-not necessarily the people- but the place- the factory- the HOME to thousands of people over those years. There were so many more who came before and they blazed the trail so to speak as Olean tile was a major -steady employer for 99 1/2 years. that my friends is a very long time.
SO I WILL END WITH BUT ONE MORE PICTURE THAT KATHY SENT ME THROUGH AN EMAIL- ONE THAT I WILL CHERISH AND KEEP- ONE THAT REMINDS ME OF ALL THOSE YEARS AGO. I DO NOT KNOW WHO TOOK IT OR WHY- BUT IT SHOWED UP WHEN SHE WAS COLLECTING THE PICTURES.
THOMAS D. FITZSIMMONS-1967 TO 1999-EMPLOYED
TRANSFERRED 1999 TO PRESENT NORTHERN VA.
AMERICAN OLEAN TILE-DAL TILE
OLEAN TILE PLANT
TILE PLANT
1912 2012
THOMAS D. FITZSIMMONS JUNE 5TH 1967- TRANSFERRED JUNE 10TH 1999
CURRENTLY CHANTILLY VA. STORE # 222 2012 DAL TILE
"YOU ALL ARE IN MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS!"
Great to see pictures of the Tile Plant and especially the ones with my Dad, Al Hinz in them. Thanks for posting these.
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