Flames of Red Feathers
In reading Irene Winnick's paper on Friendly Acres and researching some of the local businesses she mentions, I was amazed to see how many of these places had burned down - in some cases more than once. Not because "everything is made of wood out there" as my mother keeps reminding me, but because the safety procedures and security controls which are inherent in all modern businesses were still rudimentary even in the mid 20th century.The Red Feather factory mentioned in Irene Winnick's paper on Friendly Acres, or Red Feather Products Inc, just like Frank's Tannery were businesses located by the shoreline, or by the creeks for good reason: they used volatile chemicals and needed a water outlet, and also used water in their own production processes for rinsing and cooling. But despite access to water, both businesses burned down.
