{"id":9042,"date":"2019-01-25T14:58:24","date_gmt":"2019-01-25T19:58:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/e-gen.info\/?page_id=9042"},"modified":"2019-01-25T15:55:46","modified_gmt":"2019-01-25T20:55:46","slug":"woolrich-closes-its-clinton-county-mill","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/e-gen.info\/?page_id=9042","title":{"rendered":"Woolrich Closes its Clinton County Mill"},"content":{"rendered":"

by
\nLarry Pearce
\n1\/24\/19<\/span><\/p>\n

(Click on photos to enlarge\/Use back arrow to return)\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

I was very excited recently to initiate two new genealogy concepts: \u201cCousins\u2019 Corner,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0an In Memoriam page honoring folks who have helped me in my research over the years; and a map-based collection of virtual touring guides – \u201cSome Cemeteries Containing Family,\u201d\u00a0 <\/span><\/a>\u201cLocating Family Sites in Western PA & OH,\u201d<\/a> and \u201cHistorical Places of Interest in North Park, Allegheny Co, PA.\u201d<\/a> During the online search for information on those articles I just happened to stumble upon a story by WNEP-TV headlined \u201cWoolrich Closing Clinton County Woolen Mill.\u201d<\/a> My first thought was, \u201cOh no, that can\u2019t be true.\u201d Over the 18 years of this website, I\u2019ve re-written and revised the post \u201cThe Pearce Blanket: Keeping the World\u00a0 Warm\u201d<\/a>\u00a0several times, feeling like, as a descendant of Richard & Susan Pearce, I have a real investment in the old family woolen mill that dates back to 1804. I would suggest taking a moment to read about the history that my great-great uncles Alfred (1816-1895) and John (1831-1893) Pearce made, starting in Harmony, PA, building blankets for Civil War soldiers in 1864, continuing with a move to Greenville in 1885, and ending in Latrobe when the factory burned up north in 1901. From there the Pearces provided blankets for department stores, the Rolling Rock Beer delivery draft horses, the Department of Defense, and many other American enterprises before selling to Woolrich in 1928.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Historical Pearce Blanket brochures
(from descendant Gary Pearce)<\/p><\/div>\n

It was understood that the Pearce label could be used until the turn of the century. By the early 1960\u2019s, much of the Latrobe equipment and some of the employees had been moved to the Woolrich plant in Clinton County. Susan and I would stop in the company store, just off I-80, on our way to her uncle\u2019s in Rochester, NY, to see what was new. It\u2019s not far from my alma mater, Penn State. The last time we were there, they had an exhibit of the famous Pearce Blanket. Now, I don\u2019t know what will become of the mill and store.\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

One can always buy Woolrich products at other stores or online [see 1,000 of their products at Amazon.com<\/a>], and vintage Pearce Blankets are always available through E-bay.com,<\/a> but what about the 40 loyal employees and the beautiful real estate? The purpose of this article is two-fold: to mourn the loss of what once were family businesses –\u00a0 <\/span>Pearce, Woolrich, and Brayton; and, to keep you informed of what seems to be happening to many American manufacturers.<\/span><\/p>\n

First, just a brief history of the Woolrich brand:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

First location of the John Rich “factory”<\/p><\/div>\n