As a youngster I often heard my Father
and Grandfather talk about "The Zinc Works". It never
really occurred to me to really question them about the locality
or what it produced. I do know that many immigrants of Irish Birth
were employed there. Coming from the Old Sod with little or no formal
education. Remember that Irish Catholics were forbidden to attend
school, among other things Ireland was ruled by the minions of the
Royal Family in London. The newcomers, mostly farm boys had rudimentary
industrial skills. With a scintilla of learning they were offered
the most meaning less jobs. Coming to a section of the nation that
was part of the industrial revolution, they were ill fit to partake
of he more skilled occupations. However they were able to overcome
the prejudices against them, went on to feed their families and
help them gain an education.
My Grandfather was employed there and my Father made a few pennies
collecting lunches from neighborhood wives and delivering them to
the workers at The Zinc Works. Remember this was long before Ziploc,
refrigeration, thermos bottles and frozen jell to keep food cold.
The lunch box had on top a container with a large opening and cover
for liquids, below a place to keep sandwiches. The liquid container
was filled with tea or soup. Sandwiches were placed in the lower
part of the pail with perhaps hard boiled eggs and if available
a piece of fruit. All this was done just before lunch, now it was
up to the delivery boy to get those lunch pails quickly to the workers.
For which he would usually receive a small remuneration.
Over the years I have been trying to get answers about the so
called Zinc Works. Most of my requests fell on deaf ears. It was
only when I contacted The Newark Public Library that y knowledge
about the facility opened up. Thanks to Mr. Charles Cummings and
his able assistant April Kane who supplied me with much of the insight
that I needed.
It seems that the Zinc Works was in reality the New Jersey Zinc
and Iron Company. It was located on many acres of land bounded by
Brill and Chapel Streets, the Passaic River and the Morris Canal
and it employed about Four Hundred people in its operations. Raw
ore from Sussex was transported to the plant by train or barges
on the canal or River. The virgin zinc material was then converted,
by smelting into useful metals and oxides. In addition iron ore
was reduced to pig iron for use in making iron castings. It apparently
functioned around the clock six days a week. Perhaps unhealthy by
today's standards it certainly gave much needed work to many inhabitants
of down Neck. With a yearly output of several millions of dollars
worth of zinc and iron products per year, it was a very successful
business.
|
