Singer
In
1868 the Singer Manufacturing Company built a cabinet factory in South Bend,
taking advantage of the large area of hardwood trees to make cabinet cases for
their sewing machines. At first they settled along the river in the East Race
area, between Madison and St. Joseph Streets, and Niles Avenue. but in 1901
they moved to the western part of the city, between Western Avenue and the railroad
tracks, Walnut Street and Olive Street. At that time they had the largest cabinet
factory in the world and employed over 3000 people. Many Poles and Hungarians
worked here. Many of the Polish lived in the area on both sides of Western Avenue
from Sample Street to Washington Blvd. and roughly from Chapin Street to west
of Meade Street. The company continued to make cabinets in South Bend until
increased competition and old factory buildings created financial troubles.
In 1954 the company left South Bend and in the 1960's after a fire, several
of the buildings were torn down for urban renewal projects.
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