Scranton Lace

April 2013 ''Established in 1890 and incorporated in 1897, the Scranton Lace Company was once one of the premier producers of a variety of textiles ranging from tablecloths, napkins, yarn, lace, laminates, and many others. During World War II they provided parachutes, tarpaulins, and camouflage netting to the allies. Scranton Lace is an enormous complex that once employed 1,400 people and boasted its own gym, barbershop, theater, four lane bowling alley, and an infirmary for its employees. Risky investments and advances in technology led to a slow decline in the textile mill's prominence. In their final days the staff had dwindled to fifty (given the size of the buildings, one wonders how often they even crossed paths) and had average annual sales of about six million. In 2002 they finally shut their doors, and thus an era of prosperity and pride for many of their employees ended as well.''