On several occasions, I have written about manufacturing businesses that seem out of place with the neighborhood surroundings. Edge International on Martin Street, Hitchcock Press on Hitchcock Street, Holyoke Silk, and Noma Electric on Oak Street are some examples. Another notable addition to the list is the Clark Manufacturing Company at 79 Merrick Avenue, our topic for today.
Alvan Stewart Clark was born on February 15, 1868, in Easthampton, Massachusetts. At the age of 22, he moved to Springfield, where he was employed by C.B. Wire Works. In the early 1900s, he relocated to Smith's Ferry, which was then part of Northampton. He attempted to make a living selling insurance, a venture that lasted only briefly.
In 1904, Alvan S. Clark started his own business, named the Clark Manufacturing Company. The business started its operations in a space secured at Appleton and Bigelow Streets. Mr. Clark resided at 10 1/2 Carlton Street at the time. The business manufactured dandy rolls, wood felt rolls, cylinder molds, and brass wire cloth for the paper industry. Mr. Clark himself was a machinist.
On June 15, 1911, Mr. Clark purchased real estate on Merrick Avenue from Theresa I. Corser and Lillian H. Ellison. He would reside on the property and operate his business there.
On April 29, 1919, the business was incorporated under its existing name.
In 1920, he received a permit to construct a one-story building on the property for manufacturing purposes.
In 1929, Alvan Clark announced the Clark high-speed cylinder mould. The machine tested under manufacturing conditions will run 50 feet a minute faster than ordinary cylinder moulds and produce a better sheet of paper. One of the machines was operational at the North End Paper Company in Fulton, New York. The machine was highly proficient with high-grade papers and tissues. Mr. Clark had been working on improving the cylinder mould machine for 38 years.
In 1932, he contributed to the topic of the "High Speed Cylinder Mould for Tissues" at the 13th annual convention of the American Pulp and Paper Mill Superintendents' Association held in Buffalo, New York. 600 paper and pulp mills were represented.
In 1942, Alvan Clark retired, having been in the business since 1891. His son, Robert S. Clark, became President and Treasurer of the company. City Directories show that the shop continued at least until 1964. The corporation continued to file annual reports with the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through calendar year 2014. The corporation was dissolved in 2017. The property on Merrick Street remained in his family until 2019.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Registry of Deeds, Hampden County, Springfield, Massachusetts
Price & Lee, City of Holyoke (Massachusetts) City Directories
Assessors' Office, City of Holyoke, Massachusetts
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