Syracuse, NY - In 1888, two Baldwinsville families started the New Process Raw Hide Co. to produce rawhide boats and canoes using their patented “new process.” Within a year, they laminated rawhide gears for use in electric trolleys. In 1904, the company moved its headquarters to Plum Street in Syracuse and in 1912 was renamed the New Process Gear Co. Over the years, the business shifted to the design of automotive gears from rawhide to brass, steel and cast iron. In 1960 New Process Gear moved to DeWitt and became a division of New Venture Gear where at one time they had a total of 3,400 employees. Over the years, the former New Process Gear Factory buildings in Syracuse were transformed into lofts and small business locations in an area now known as Franklin Square. The tower remains as a reminder of the citys’ industrial past. (Taken with instagram)
