I hear you. I googled “hardware capital” and found it was New Britain, CT.
I wonder what they have going on there now.
Look, I’m not *that* old, I’m 56 (almost!) and I remember being taught in school that the 2 biggest industries in NYC were printing and garment manufactury.
And I was working in the garment district, back in the bad old days, and I well remember the guys pushing the racks of garments through the streets. Not samples, product.
It is sad that this seems to have ended.
I don’t know (trying to shorthand here) I was also taught in school that civilization brought about the division of labor and ultimately the increase of leisure time.
But I’m not sure it’s all coming together as anticipated, let me just put it that way.
Maybe it never could.
I don’t think we can cheat the principle that the more honest labor in an economy, the better it is for the people. Money is a medium. It isn’t the thing that people eat, or dress in, or make houses out of. Chasing after an ever increasing retirement per se seems to me a pipe dream. I don’t want to be doing that. I want to do something useful until the day I push up daisies. And then I want to push up the prettiest daisies I can.
You nailed it. Maybe you recognize some of the names:
Stanley Tools
Corbin Locks
North & Judd
Landers, Frary & Clark
...those are the ones I remember most; generations of Polish immigrants could find work in a factory, buy a home and raise a family. Many tool & die shops dotted every corner....mostly doing work for Pratt & Whitney.
At this point, poor New Britain is a wasteland....as there is nothing much left to support the city. Sad.