In 1912, Helburn-Thompson Co. built their Sunshine Tannery at 18 Goodhue Street in Salem, Massachusetts. Within a decade, the factory was forced to expand twice to meet high demand. The tannery specialized in fine leather goods and were known for their manufacturing of women's gloves.
Similar to most businesses in Salem, Helburn-Thompson Co. lost a significant amount of its employees to enlistment and the draft during World War II. In September 1942, the company began sending a monthly newsletter to employees, including those deployed oversees. The newsletter wrote "We hope our scandal sheet has made the job pleasanter for you guys and that this has helped to keep up your morale...we are all hoping it wont be long now." The bulletins contain news from each of the company's departments, local news, and updates from employees serving in the military. The messages included were often light-hearted with little talk of the seriousness of war, focusing instead on practical jokes around the factory and comedic poetry. Many soldiers responded to receiving the newsletter, crediting it with lifting their spirits.
The final issue, in August 1945, concluded with "This letter is now going out of business. You folks will be either home or on your way home before you get this final issue. Three years ago this month we started the idea and it was in September 1942 that we gut the first volume away. Ths is number thirty six, and we feel sure from your letters that the job was worth while...it seems hardly enough to just say "Thank You" for a job well done, but we'll all say it to you again when you come back home."
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#SalemTogether Posts:
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Digitized Archives:
Dr. Edna McGlynn World War II Letters Collection
Salem Teachers College during World War II
Yearbooks
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