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Cherry Sundae, a carrot-haired car-hop, helped a Pittsfield business attract new clients in the 1940s.
May’s Auto Parts and May’s Engineering enjoyed a decades-long run as Pittsfield businesses. William Hyatt May Sr. (d. 1907) opened a machine shop in 1918. He had worked for his father at May & Chapel, a partnership with Addison M. Chapel (1841-1908). Their firm had opened in 1865, advertising in The Berkshire County Eagle: “The subscribers have leased the Shop in the basement of the New Steam Planing Mills of T.G. Atwood, 112 North Street and are prepared to do all kinds of work in their line. Particular attention paid to forging.”
One of the larger of that firm’s clients was putting in shafting and iron work in the new Birmingham Brothers woolen mill in Dalton in 1868. Two years later, the company relocated to part of Edson Bonney’s foundry lot on Fenn Street and put up a new machine shop. They later leased the foundry as well. In 1870, they installed line shafting for the John T. Power & Co. mill in Becket. The partners patented an improved fire alarm system in 1879.
A notice in the Pittsfield Sun in 1891 said: “William H. May for many years of the firm May & Chapel, has started in business on Clapp Avenue, and is prepared to do all manner of work connected with a General Repair and Machine Shop. Orders left at Robbins, Gamwell & Co’s, will receive immediate attention. Telephone call 107-3.” This was William H. May Jr. (1869-1934). This was a year after the May & Chapel foundry lease had expired and Chapel had retired.
Advertising in The Berkshire Eagle offered such skills as boiler repairs and mowing machine mending.
May’s Machine Shop evolved into May’s Auto Parts in 1929. May’s Engineering division split off; in 1940 it contracted with New Haven’s High Standard Manufacturing to provide specialized tooling for that company’s British contract for machine guns. Employment at the time was 127 hands and day-and-night operation, until VJ Day in August 1945. Later defense work continued.
May was married to Martha L. Woodward (1868-1935), who by her will in 1935, left the machinery and tools split unequally among three sons. Stock in the business was disbursed to all eight children.
Woodward J. May (1897-1981) was married to Hallene Scott (1899-1985). Woodward received U.S. Patent No. 2,486,858 for a “Heavy-Duty Container Opener.” The device was “An opener for a container having a cupped head including a relatively flat body and an unstanding flange fitting within the top of the container body ….” He assigned rights to May Auto Parts.
Franklin B. May (1903-1982) went to work for his father when the machine shop started, eventually becoming vice president and superintendent of May’s Engineering and vice president of May’s Auto Parts. He was married to the former Margaret Artz (1906-2001), who worked for the Boston Store and Plotzski’s Department Store. May (and the business) retired in 1974.
Ira T. May (1906-1971) was president of May Appliance Center. He was married to the former Mildred D. Rice (1906-1992). A teacher, she also worked for May Appliance Center from 1964 until her husband’s death.
The May machine shop at 12 Adam St. boasted in 1923: “Have first class facilities for hardening and grinding all kinds of steel.”
You’ve been patient to learn how Cherry Sundae entered into all this.
May Engineering in 1948 began an unusual advertising campaign in The Eagle, each week running a three-panel comic strip, “Cherry Sundae,” relating the romantic misadventures of a “a beautiful little car-hop with bright, curly red hair” and “a magnetic personality.” She cared for her wheelchair-confined Gramp, awaited the return of her boyfriend Gregg, who was completing his military service. She rebuffed the relentless pursuit of a wolf named Jarret.
The comic strip promotional idea came from A&M Advertising, whose principals, R.W. “Mac” and Aee McAlister, were headquartered in Texas. They hired artist Pete Tumlinson to draw two years’ worth of “Cherry Sundae” strips (and a third year by Paul McFadden when Tumlinson left to draw adventures of “Kid Colt, Outlaw” for Timely Comics — now Marvel).
The McAlisters lined up some 75 clients nationally over several years. Customers were sent all the strips, to be run whenever they chose — so starting times varied. Syndication began in October 1946, but it didn’t show up in the Berkshire Eagle until July 2, 1948. May Engineering attached a banner advertisement for its heating, air condition and refrigeration services and its appliances. Some text accompanied the comic: “This town is not only known for ‘good lookers’ but also for the May Engineering Company — headquarters for one of the best air condition, refrigeration and heating services in the city … We also carry a Complete stock of appliances for your home.”
After May Engineering closed, Bland Electric Supply relocated to the Adams and First Street building. That business was founded by Samuel Cutler and partner Jess Gitelson and is still going.
Bernard A. Drew is a regular Eagle contributor.
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