The Unrivaled Hosiery Mill was one of many apparel factories that operated in the Lykens Valley area in the first three quarters of the twentieth century. A brief history of the company’s Elizabethville operation was provided in the Elizabethville Sesquicentennial Book, p. 98:
UNRIVALED HOSIERY MILL. In July 1925, J. B. Lesher and his son Lee Lesher, of Williamstown, bought the Valley Shoe Company building on the corner of Spruce and Church Streets and in October began making hosiery with fifteen employees. Paul Schreiner was manager of the mill which discontinued business in July 1932.
The purchase of the shoe factory was noted in the Harrisburg Telegraph, August 16, 1925.
SHOE FACTORY IN ELIZABETH IS BOUGHT BY MILL
Hosiery Firm Takes Over Property at Price of $9,500
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According to the Elizabethville Echo of September 10, 1925, the Lesher’s had planned to open the factory September 15, 1925:
HOSIERY MILL STARTS SEPTEMBER 15TH
The Unrivaled Hosiery Mill expects to begin operation on the 1th of September.
Applications for work will be received from 6 to 9 o’clock P.M. in the office of the Valley Shoe Plant on Friday, September 11th.
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But, a delay was required and explained in the Elizabethville Echo of September 17, 1925:
THE UNRIVALED HOSIERY MILL regret the necessity of delaying the opening of their plant in Elizabethville.
Miss Lesher, who will be in charge of the local plant, underwent an operation at the Williams Valley Hospital, Williamstown, and the opening of the mill here will be postponed until October 19th.
The Company is pleased with the encouragement received and very much regret the delay caused by this unforeseen circumstance.
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A new manager, Richard J. Whitcomb, arrived from Mahanoy City, where he was operating the Mahanoy Knit Goods Company, according to the Elizabethville Echo of March 18, 1926.
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On August 26, 1926, two items pertaining to the plant appeared in the Elizabethville Echo:
A new roof is being placed on the Lesher Hosiery Mill, formerly the Valley Shoe Company.
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MILL EMPLOYEE PICNIC
Last Thursday about forty employees of the Unrivaled Hosiery Mill of town [Elizabethville], and their friends enjoyed a day outing and picnic in Stony Park, Williamstown. The eats and days outing was provided by their employers, and the days program included games and contests.
At present the local mill employs more than twenty ladies, with about sixty machines in operation and is enjoying a continuous expansion of their business.
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The departure of the manager, Richard J. Whitcomb, was noted in an article in the Elizabethville Echo, September 23, 1926, which told of a farewell party held by the employees.
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In early 1927, Mr. and Mrs. John B. Lesher went on a round-the world cruise. Two reports on their trip came back to Elizabethville and were reported in the Elizabethville Echo on March 17, 1927 and March 31, 1927:
WILLIAMSTOWN PEOPLE IN TEMBLER ZONE
Last Thursday, relatives of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Lesher of Williamstown, received a cablegram from Japan, from the Leshers, informing them of their safety in the recent Japan earthquake zone. Mr. Paul Schreiner, local manager of the Unrivaled Hosiery Mill at this place, of which Mr. Lesher is the owner, received a similar cablegram, Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Lesher are on a tour of the world and at the time of the recent quake were spending some time in Kobe, Japan. The tourist party of which the Leshers are members were visiting spots of interest in the city at the time the temblers were felt, and the party speedily repaired to the ship, anchored in the harbor and there impending dangers. It was in the Kobe region that the most serious damage is said to have occurred.
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LESHERS TOURING INDIA
Word has just been received that Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Lesher, General Manager of the Unrivaled Hosiery Mill Co., Inc., town [Elizabethville], are now touring India. Mr. Lesher and his wife left the latter part of January on the S.S. California, on a trip around the world.
They were in Japan at the time of the earthquake there, and although they were not allowed to land in China, they were close enough to see maneuvers of some of the ships along the coast.
From India they expect to go to Egypt, the Holy Land, thence to Italy, France, Belgium and England and will arrive home the latter part of May.
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On September 27, 1928, the Elizabethville Echo reported the following:
FACTORY WILL INCREASE OUTPUT
During the recent weeks, fifteen new knitting machines have been installed in the Unrivaled Hosiery Mill, Spruce Street, town [Elizabethville]. This is in line with the firm’s program for expansion, headed by Mr. J. B. Lesher. The machines are of Scott and Williams manufacturer, and will provide employment for perhaps six women.
According to Mr. Paul Schreiner, local manager, the business outlook now is better than at any time during the past year. The firm been receiving so large a number of orders that the installation of the machined was necessitated by their plans for expansion, and increasing the output of the local factory. At present the plant has installed and is operating 75 machines, and officials are desirous of bringing the total number of machines to 120, provided they can secure labor.
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On June 14, 1929, the Elizabethville Echo reported the following:
WILL ADD MORE MACHINES FOR FACTORY
Following a decision last week, owners of the Unrivaled Hosiery Mill, of this place [Elizabethville], decided to install thirty additional knitting machines to the local plant. At present, thirty-five hands are employed and with the additional machines, ten more hands will be added. Although some of the employees have been working on part time, it is expected the entire factory will go on full time within the week.
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A brief classified notice appeared in the Elizabethville Echo on September 5, 1929:
WANTED – Two boys to cut threads before and after school. UNRIVALED HOSIERY MILL
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The Great Depression of 1929.
A fall in stock market prices began on September 4, 1929, and the crash occurred through October, 1929. Nothing was found about what happened at the hosiery mill until the Elizabethville Echo on July 21, 1932, reported that the Elizabethville factory was closing indefinitely and the machines were moving to the Lesher hosiery plant in Williamstown.
MOVED FACTORY MACHINES TO WILLIAMSTOWN DURING WEEK
Elizabethville lost one of its industries during the past week, when machines of the Unrivaled Hosiery Mill, owned by J. B. Lesher, were moved to his factory at Wiliamstown last week.
According to Mr. Paul Schreiner, manager of the local factory, the plant here will be closed indefinitely. A small number of the machines have not been removed from the plant, which was purchased by Mr. Lesher from the defunct Valley Shoe Company several years ago.
A number of local employees have made transportation arrangements and will be employed at Williamstown in the future. The factory employed mostly female labor, and its machines numbered close to fifty.
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