New era potato chips? Yes, i am shouting!

[oladub]

Those are still around? They used to be made by Dancley or something like that and were advertised as "alkali"

My grandparents made, sort of, the mistake of investing their money in building a nice "spec" house in 1929 in time for the crash. it was one of the first homes on the street. To make ends meet, they moved back into their old flat and rented out the new house to Nicolai Dancey. I think that was their only option. He was from down south. He started making potato chips in the basement and moved employees in. They rotated working in the basement in shifts and sleeping in the beds. That was the beginning of New Era. As New Era expanded, it moved into a new facility on Shoemaker which, I think, later became Wolverine Potato Chips. I think Lay's eventually bought up New Era and sold Lay's.

My grandmother said she spent a lot of time removing thick grease from all the walls and ceilings of the house but was grateful that Mr. Dancy always paid his rent on time. It helped get the family through the depression. I have made contact with a grandson of Mr. Dancy now living in Florida to tell him this part of his family story. I grew up my first years living upstairs in that English Village neighborhood house.