In November 1946, this building, located on South Dow Street, was occupied by Poirier and McLane. This company made plywood boxes for the war effort and continued here for a short time after World War II, manufacturing plywood shipping boxes. Today, Jamestown Container Companies, continues to make boxes in this location. Submitted photo

FALCONER — At the Historian’s office in the Town of Ellicott, are a number of photographs of the Village of Falconer and the area. Many of the photographs are copies from Fred Mattison. Most of the photographs were taken in late November 1946. This photograph was a mystery as to what the company was and what it did.

A little research has uncovered some information, but there is more to be done. If anyone can add to this information, please contact the town historian. Many of our readers may recognize the building in the photograph. It still stands on South Dow Street between Main Street and Allen Street. Today it is occupied by Jamestown Container Companies. From the photograph and the date we know that Poirier and McLane was there in 1946. It is from newspaper articles from which much of this information was gleaned.

Poirier and McLane were general contractors with offices in New York City. There were probably some employees who were experienced in working with wood, including plywood. During World War II there was a need for boxes for shipping and storing various materials. Poirier and McLane started a factory in Yonkers, to manufacture plywood boxes. By1944, the company started production of boxes in Jamestown using the building on South Dow Street. There was at least one plywood manufacturer in this area, and thus the supply was available here and a work force that had experience with wood was here. C. Earle Norquist introduced the company officials to Jamestown and undoubtedly was instrumental in convincing Poirier and McLane to start production here. Nelson Meadows was the chief engineer from the New York City office and William Decker was in charge of the local operation. They commented that they were manufacturing plywood boxes “similar to those Norquists make.”

The company was very productive from 1945 through 1948 and reopened again in 1951 for about a year. The buildings they occupied were the old Odsonia Worsted Mills buildings which had been last occupied by the Cleveland Worsted Mills. The product was boxes for the U.S. Army and Navy.

It seems that they made a variety of boxes over time. Some were lined with metal. There was also a report of making at least parts for Army footlockers. The number of employees fluctuated over the years. An article in August of 1945 reported that they employed 200 people and for the past 9 months had made metal-lined powder boxes. Production at the plant must have been increasing because in November of 1945, they requested an increase of power to the plant.

In September of 1945 layoffs happened for about 285 employees as the plant was converted from manufacturing boxes for shells during wartime to its normal peacetime business of manufacturing shipping boxes.

In 1946, 50 of the workers voted down the proposal to unionize with the United Steel Workers of America (CIO). Again in June 1948 a proposal for 300 workers to unionize with the AFL Carpenters and Joiners of America was to be voted on. That was the year that the company ended production in Jamestown, except for the short time in 1951.

In March of 1956, Jamestown Container Corp. was incorporated by Glenn M. Janowsky, Theodore E. Copella, and Robert E. Buchner. The new company was to occupy the ground floor of the Poirier and McLane Corp. building on South Dow Street.

In June 1961, Jamestown Container expanded to use more of the buildings that were on South Dow Street. This successful company has expanded to include plants in other locations but in 2018 they are still operating the South Dow Street facility as one of their plants.