So far, I’ve found very little information about the Eureka Yarn Company, which at one point was located in the Cable Building at 611-621 Broadway, New York. The Cable Building was built in 1894 and still exists to this day – it’s really nifty looking and has a fascinating history!
The company appears to have existed from at least 1950 through late 1964. It appears that they moved to Denville, New Jersey in late 1964 and I’ve found no further mention of the company, or advertisements for the company, after that 1964 move.
The company may actually date to 1919 but I’m just not sure. There’s a “Eureka Yarn Company” with an address of 22 East 16th, listed in Polk’s (Trow’s) New York Copartnership and Corporation Directory, Boroughs of Manhattan and Bronx, Volume 66, 1919 that *might* be the same company.
In 1915, there’s an advertisement for Woodward, Baldwin & Company (43 and 45 Worth Street, New York), “selling agents for Eureka Cotton Mills”. I do not know if this “Eureka Cotton Mills” is related to Eureka Yarn Company but I suspect they may not be as “Eureka Cotton Mills” is located in Chester, S.C. (President of company is Leroy Springs).
In 1919-1920, there is a “Eureka Knitting Mills, Manufacturers of Silk Sweaters” owned by Harry Fischer located on 1004 Fresh Pond Road near Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn, New York but I do not know if they are related to Eureka Yarn Company. (From case filed with the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Kings County, Appellate Division, Second Department, case on appeal.)
I have only one yarn sample card for this company, which you’ll find at the bottom of this page. It’s quite … colorful! I haven’t found any other yarn samples or mailers for this company posted by anyone else online (so far).
Advertisements
1950
Handweaver & Craftsman magazine, April 1950, Volume 1, Issue 1
Handweaver & Craftsman magazine, Summer 1950, Volume 1, Issue 2 (ad ran through Fall 1952)
1952
Craft Horizons July 1952, Volume 12, Number 4; September 1952, Volume 12, Number 5; November 1952, Volume 12, Number 6; March 1953, Volume 13, Number 2; May 1953, Volume 13, Number 3; September 1953; November 1953, Volume 13, Number 6; January 1954, Volume 14, Number 1; March 1954, Volume 14, Number 2; May 1954, Volume 14, Number 3; July 1954, Volume 14, Number 4
1954
Craft Horizons magazine, September/October 1954, Volume 14, Number 5; November 1954, Volume 14, Number 6; January 1955, Volume 15, Number 1; March 1955, Volume 15, Number 2
1958
Handweaver & Craftsman Winter 1958-1959, Volume 10, Issue 1. It lists their address as 109 West 24th Street, New York, so I presume by 1958, the company moved from their Broadway address.
1962
Handweaver & Craftsman, Spring 1962, Volume 13, Issue 2; Summer 1962, Volume 13, Issue 3; Fall 1962, Volume 13, Issue 4
1963
Handweaver & Craftsman, Winter 1963, Volume 14, Issue 1; Spring 1963, Volume 14, Issue 2; Summer 1963, Volume 14, Issue 3
Handweaver & Craftsman, Fall 1963, Volume 14, Issue 4
1964 – Eureka Yarn Company, Inc. moves to Denville, New Jersey
Handweaver & Craftsman, Winter 1964, Volume 15, Issue 1. This is the last issue that Eureka Yarn Company advertised in this magazine and is also the last mention of this company that I have found so far.
Eureka Yarn Company, Inc. Yarn Samples Sheet
This dates to between 1946 (Lurex wasn’t invented until 1946) and 1957. I suspect this is more likely from the very late 1940s, but I’m dating this to the mid 1950s primarily because most everything else in the thread/yarn samples stash I acquired last month (September 2022) is confidently dated to the mid 1950s. This is the only thing from Eureka Yarn Company in the stash. The paper is pretty fragile but the threads/yarns are still in very good condition. The pieces of tape holding the samples to the paper are obviously very yellowed and some of them are no longer sticky but most are still adhered to the paper. I didn’t want to risk damaging the paper or typewritten text by trying to lift the tape but I’m able to read most of the text.
In orders, the samples attached are: Rayon boucle; cotton nub yarn; fancy rayon twist; rayon ratinae; beige, spun rayon ratinae; 20/2-ply, highest quality, “combed” cotton yarn; rayon ratinae; No. 3 guimp; nylon blend; flat tinsel; cotton nub yarn; cocoa-color, rayon ratinae; cotton shantung, Comb’s; green, cotton ratinae, wrapped with aluminum foil (sample missing); worsted yarns wrapped in Lurex
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