Scavenger Hunt location: Arnolds Office Furniture
Historical location: Summerill Tubing Company
Did you know?
Did you know that parts of the Spirit of St. Louis, the plane that Charles Lindbergh flew over the Atlantic Ocean, were manufactured right here in Bridgeport, PA?
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh was an American aviator and military officer. He made his claim to fame from May 20-21 of 1927, when he completed the first nonstop flight from New York to Paris via his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis. This was an incredible distance for the time of 3,600 miles, and he flew alone for over 33 hours. Below is a photo taken of an article on the front page of the Times Herald on May 23, 1927, showcasing his impressive accomplishment.
Bridgeport Makes History
While this was interesting news, the most exciting part for the Bridgeport Founders’ Day Committee was leraning that the Summerill Tubing Company, a manufacturing business located in Bridgeport, where Arnolds sits today, made parts used in Lindbergh’s plane. They made the complete framework of the undercarriage chassis as well as the tail skid. Afterwards, the tubing was shipped to Ryan Airlines in San Diego for assembly. Then, the plane was flown to New York, which is where Lindbergh began his journey to Paris across the Atlantic Ocean.
Summerill Tubing Company
What is the Summerill Tubing Company? Founded in 1899 in Philadelphia, the Summerill Tubing Company is a manufacturer of high precision tubes created for the aerospace, transportation, and petrochemical industries. They bought the Protectus Paint Company in Bridgeport in 1910, moved to Pittsburgh in 1946, and it is quite possible that they are still around today. There is a company located in Scottdale, PA that operates under the name of “Summerill High Precision Tube.” If we’re able to follow the trail accurately, in 2019, the company was acquired by Sandvik, a high-tech engineering group. If this is indeed the same company, they’ve been in business for over 100 years.
Sources:
https://hsmcpa.org/index.php/component/k2/item/268-summerill-tubing-company
https://hsmcpa.org/index.php/component/k2/item/269-summerill-tubing-company-part-2
