Hanover Factories talk at the Mansion

Map of downtown Hanover, PA; with locations of Early Factories identified (2019 S. H. Smith illustration)

Posted by Stephen H. SmithNovember 6, 2019 All Posts, Businesses, Manufacturing, Maps, Pennsylvania, Roads, Talks, Top 50 York County Factories in 1899, Various Locations, York County

Hanover Factories talk at the Mansion

Join me next Tuesday evening at the Mansion of the Hanover Area Historical Society for my newest presentation exploring forty early Hanover Factories. I’ll examine neat facts concerning these 19th Century Hanover factories; while bringing the story of several of them into the 20th Century.

Warehime Myers Mansion, of the Hanover Area Historical Society, 305 Baltimore Street in Hanover, PA (Photo from Hanover Area Historical Society web site: hahs.us)

This Hanover Area Historical Society Martin-Leese History Lecture is scheduled on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 at 7:00 PM. The lecture is held at the Warehime Myers Mansion, 305 Baltimore Street, Hanover, PA. Parking is behind the Mansion. Lecture is FREE, no reservations required.

In 1899, the Hanover Match Company was the largest factory employer in Hanover and 13th largest employer in York County. Pennsylvania classified 479 businesses within York County as factories; for the year 1899. Within the county, Hanover had the second highest concentration; at 40 factories.

I initially intended to present on the top five factories in Hanover; however curiosity got the better of me. A brief exploration of the whole list of forty 19th Century Hanover Factories snowballed into an expanded research project; owing to an unusually high number of neat finds.

The illustration at the beginning of this post is a map of downtown Hanover; with locations of Early Factories identified. For example, factory #9, located just south of the Square, was established in 1823; making it the nation’s oldest manufacturer of dress and work gloves.

Look for #31; located just southeast of the Square along Baltimore Street. That is the location of the Bakery owned and operated by Mrs. Anna E. Wege from 1885 until 1917. The following ad is from 1915:

Ad for A. E. Wege’s Bakery, 108 Baltimore Street, Hanover, PA (Source: “Hanover 1815-1915” publication at York County History Center)

The 108 Baltimore Street bakery of Mrs. Anna E. Wege advertised “Fresh Bread, Rolls, Cakes, Buns and Pretzels Daily.” Her grandchildren decided to focus solely on pretzels; launching the Wege Pretzel Company of Hanover at that location.