Ideal Chevrolet, Inc. was incorporated on April 14, 1970. It was located on 461 Fulton Street. It closed on September 27, 1995. It was formerly Brune Motors. It is currently the Woodbridge at Farmingdale Apartments.
Source:
“Ideal Chevrolet, Inc.” Farmingdale. http://bestbusinessny.com/company/232466/ideal-chevrolet-inc.html
The Idle Hour Tennis Club was formed in 1908. The group consisted of Ethel Meyer Boettcher, Ruth Powell White, Mabel Mintran Dunkerke, Estelle Dunkerke Tyndall, Allan Hill, Bess Hill, Tom Dunkerke, Eugene Mintram, Irving Chappel, Garry Vorhees, Mabel Bishee Jones, and Fred Meyers. Martin Meyer gave permission to build a tennis court on his property on the northeast corner of Melville Road and Main Street.
The members originally performed Court maintenance. Membership began with a maximum of 25 which eventually increased to 50. The Club held dances, picnics, and fundraisers. They Club held social meetings at homes of the members until 1916, where they voted to hold meetings at the Royal Arcanum Hall. These meetings lasted for about right or nine years before being moved to various other locales in Farmingdale.
In 1952, the land was sold to build homes.
Source:
Carman Jr., Willis B. “Minute of History: Idle Hour Tennis Club.” Farmingdale Observer. August 1, 2008
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Independent Silk Dyeing Company was located at 921 Conklin Street. It broke ground in April of 1915. The President was F. C. Wettlaufer, R. A. Weber was Treasurer, and future Mayor Rudolph H. Weber was the Secretary. The first goods were processed in September of that year. When the business began, they only dyed skeins, which meant the silk was all dyed in the yard and then sent to weaving mills for manufacture into various types of dress material. It also dyed for the children’s ribbon trade.
In 1915, the company employed about thirty people. By 1938, that total was over 200 employees. Rudolph A. Weber was the manager until his death in 1920. Following his death, his son Rudolph H. Weber became general manager, then treasurer, and eventually president in 1953.
In 1926, it began to transform from a skein dyeing operation to a piece dyeing and finishing plant. In 1938, the plant specialized in dyeing all-silk and silk and rayon mixtures for the underwear industry; it specialized in cloth used exclusively in the manufacture of ladies’ underwear. In 1947, new equipment for woven nylon and nylon mixtures was added. It went out of business in the 1950s.
The company’s later names were: Jayne Textile, Kenmark Textile, and Susquehanna Textile. Jayne Textile Printing Corporation began conducting screen and textile printing in 1972.
Sources:
Junior Historical Society of Farmingdale. Farmingdale's Story: Farms to Flight. The Society, 1956
Silk, Volume 10. R. H. McCready, 1917
‘Silk Dyeing on Long Island”. Long Island Forum. May 1938
Shakalis, Connie. Historical Vignettes from the Farmingdale-Bethpage Historical Society
Farmingdale Individual Laundry was began by William Rathgeber Sr. and his sons. The family were the pioneers of wet wash laundry. In 1924, the company installed machinery for flat ironing and mangling.
Source:
“Local Laundry Co. Adds Mangling Tool.” Farmingdale Post. June 7, 1924