McCallum--> Propper-McCallum Hosiery Company (1930-1941)

In Late January 1930, the McCallum Hosiery Company was acquired by the Proper Silk Hosiery Mills Inc. The new owner operated several mills on Long Island and was one of the country’s major hosiery producers. The merger of the two companies would increase its national ranking in the silk hosiery field.

The announcement indicated that there would be no major personnel changes at either company. Offices and showrooms would be centralized at the Propper Mills in Long Island City, New York. The key officers of the newly merged company were all from the Propper firm. The Chairman of the Board was George Bliss McCallum. The newly named firm was Propper-McCallum Silk Hosiery Inc.

In 1930, the new company shut down the Holyoke plant, but continued to own the real estate and leased other parts of the building.

In 1933, the Northampton and Florence mills were also shut down, resulting in the release of 700 workers. It was the Great Depression, and the company had plenty of stock on hand due to poor sales.

However, there were plans to reopen the Holyoke plant, which had been shuttered for three years. The company planned to consolidate the Elmhurst, Long Island and Florence silk-throwing plants into the Holyoke factory. The plant reopened in mid-August 1933. As the Holyoke facility specialized in silk winding rather than garment production, it was less susceptible to shutdowns. 

In 1935, 110 employees of the plant were laid off for three months in mid-year. The factory reopened in August. Storm clouds were on the horizon as Propper-McCallum Hosiery Company reported a loss of $238 thousand for the 1935 operating period. Earnings did not improve, and the company filed for bankruptcy in 1937. By July 1937, the court approved a plan of repayment to creditors, assuring 500 workers would remain employed.

In November 1941, the company decided to close the Holyoke factory and relocate the silk winding operation to Florence. This ended the silk hosiery manufacturer’s ties to Holyoke. 

The factory building in Holyoke was sold to Jackson Realty Inc., the real estate wing of the Pratt & Austin Paper Company. The paper company took over the space previously occupied by McCallum-Propper. 

Citations:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.

Ancestry.com (paid subscription): including Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories