Re: Founder connections

Posted by Mike On 2010/12/9 9:30:10

Wonder if over exposure to X-Rays was the cause of that bone cancer?

Anyways, Packard Electric grew to have several "plants" around the warren area. Was one on N River road (which intersects with larchmont, the corner of the two of which the main plant(s) was on.) and one in Cortland, down the road from my shop.

Also, was one on Thomas Rd. in Warren behind the cemetery on 169. Stimulus funds were lent recently to help a local company that employs a decent amount of people partially renovate and move into there from their 3 warehouses that were too small and spread out into one big one. They're one of my customers and when i'm working there i love digging in the areas that haven't been touched yet and have abandoned Delphi stuff there. (Like a peg board with a transmission wiring harness for each type of then-current gm tranny).

There was a GE Light Bulb plant in operation for ever in the North manufacturing district of Warren, by Dana street and some more steel companies, north on park avenue of down town before you hit river road. It's closed now, but I wonder if that was the original light bulb plant you speak off? It was active until a handful of years ago, and lots of people still worked there when i was a kid. My parents always referred to it as the bulb plant so your description piqued my interest. It's a giant red brick monstrosity, so it could be from the 30's easily.

As a kid we would always go sled riding at Packard Park. Larger kids played ball there, but when i was small we played up the river a bit in Perkins Park. My high school graduation was in the Packard Music Hall, and I've seen the nutcracker there a few times (which is honestly a great showing).

It's crazy you grow up around all this stuff but you never really realize the history behind all of it. The Packard name is still entrenched in Warren even after all these years. As JHH mentioned, all of the Delphi plants and the light bulb plants are closed as far as i can recall. There were a couple with small crews working but they're pretty much done now.