My family owned Boyle Machine and Supply Company where I worked during school vacations. Boyle furnished mill supplies and equipment to all of the tanneries and one of my jobs was delivering supplies in Boyle’s truck. In this documentary I saw a Boyle embossing machine guard, a Boyle rotary spray machine, and a self-cleaning nylon conveyor that transported newly sprayed hides through a dryer. My dad actually invented the conveyer and secured a patent on his invention. As a kid. I made blocking sleeves used on the staking machines. I also built the horses on which the hides were stacked to then be rolled on to the next department for further processing. I’ll bet that for one reason or another, I’ve been in every leather factory in the city. One summer, I even worked as a lumper at Morrill Leather, a sheepskin factory just off Main Street. I met so many decent, hard working men during my exposure to the leather industry. When I finished my education and military service, the electronics industry was emerging as the leather industry in the area was declining. My career thus was in electronics.
@saywhatyouwillpodcast
Жыл бұрын
Great memory Bill. Our family had a business that serviced all the machines, and we built some too. It was Hampton Machine in NH. I, too, was in just about every tannery in the day. We closed up shop in 1998, and I went into the tech sector and work in ecom now.
@christineharding2011
4 жыл бұрын
My great grandfather worked in the Peabody leather factory his entire life. Basically straight off the boat. He worked into his early seventies. Great upload, I can't wait to show my children. Thank you!
@DerekBarney
4 жыл бұрын
There's part 2 that follows
@christineharding2011
4 жыл бұрын
@@DerekBarney Thank you. This was fantastic, thanks again for uploading it.
@WendyKennedy-e4l
Жыл бұрын
My father worked in the leather factories as did my grandfather.
@DerekBarney
Жыл бұрын
It was a different time for sure.
@TheHiredGun187
2 ай бұрын
Both sides of my family are from Malden area. But I didn't grow up here. My dad was US Navy and we moved around Florida alot. From Key West to Jacksonville. I spent the first 29 years of my life in Florida. Moved back to MA in 2000. I find videos like this interesting because if I didn't have to go down there...I probably would have grown up in places like Peabody and Woburn.
@andreabaldiviez4995
3 ай бұрын
My grandfather is the old Greek man with heavy accent at the 5 minute mark. George Georges, PBS interviewed him for Union week. He worked as a child in the Eastman Gelatin factory area, earning 0.5 cent per 20 skins. Grew up to become vice President of the Leather Tannery Union with a 6th grade education. He fought for electric fans to be used while working in the summer. He once helped a fellow worker meet other workers to get their votes. Then my grandfather took him to eat and have a beer. The bartender wouldn’t serve his friend because he was black. (Approx. 1933) My grandfather pushed the beers back and said “if you don’t serve my friend, you don’t serve me!” My grandmother had panoramic pictures of union hall, hundreds of people in the 3’ long pic.
@ellenr7214
4 жыл бұрын
Wow, what memories! I remember walking from school as a preteen child (you could be safe anywhere then) through Peabody Square up Foster Street to my godmothers house across from the Bleachery. In the Square there were always trucks carrying blue skins dripping chrome and other things on to the streets. The smell was always strong but that’s just the way it was. I remember the whistles, you always knew it was noon time.
@DerekBarney
3 жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it. Chronicle Boston just did a piece the other night and there's only one tannery left. Travel Leather. I found out there's a museum in Peabody and we may have some things we are doing donate next year.
@shawnmcmahon1454
3 жыл бұрын
That cute young man at the beginning is me.
@DerekBarney
3 жыл бұрын
no way! that's awesome!
@salesteam8781
3 жыл бұрын
I worked at REX leather with the Regis boys, early to mid seventies, alot of my friends from high school also. to many great memories to mention
@salesteam8781
3 жыл бұрын
Joe cavalon who owned JEC leather was my neighbor
@dcole8910
7 жыл бұрын
What year was this documentary filmed? Nice upload!
@DerekBarney
7 жыл бұрын
Not sure, it aired on local PBS in early 2000's.
@shellycollorone3703
4 жыл бұрын
Looks like 80's from cars, I was at Bonnie 's
@saugusguy
Жыл бұрын
1989
@stevengallant6363
Ай бұрын
2:40
@paulocorreia333
3 жыл бұрын
I Worked at Salem suede leather
@shawnmcginnity1725
5 жыл бұрын
My grandfather worked in a leather factory
@shellycollorone3703
4 жыл бұрын
I was at Bonnie 's
@Benicio_Fols
4 жыл бұрын
I live there
@susanhart9923
4 жыл бұрын
Me
@NguageTrains
Жыл бұрын
My stepdads godfather spent his life working in leather factories. My biological father fought many of the fires as a firefighter for the city of Salem, Salem also had a number of leather shops. When Peabody had the leather shop fires, they’d call for mutual aid and Salem being a neighboring community they would respond. I have a large model railroad o scale, my stepdad had built one for me and we modeled half Peabody half Salem. I had a model leather shop and a siding of boxcars pretending to deliver the Hyde’s. My stepdad said I remember those Boston and Maine boxcars it looks like the real thing. In the summer I’d drive by those factories and they’d open the boxcars doors and the stench would kill a field of daisy’s. As a young person I appreciate what my ancestors did to make a living with their hard work they made sure we as their children didn’t have to work in those jobs. However I believe with the elimination of those factories it hurt America and made us more dependent on foreign countries for products
@DerekBarney
Жыл бұрын
Great memory. Regarding that stench, we used to say, "Smells like money." ;)
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