Kupfer Glass

The Kupfers are doubly connected to the Doherty family.
 Mary (Mamie) Doherty married Emil and Sarah married Gus.
 Both were daughters of Maria Doherty Connelly
.

The Wayne Independent, March 3, 1921 - "The Kupfer Cut glass company has discontinued their business at Honesdale and have completed shipping the frames and machinery to Brooklyn where Emil Kupfer has a similar factory and the business of the two will be co-operated into one.

The concern started at Honesdale about five years ago and two years later the shoe factory building on Thirteenth Street (and East St.) was purchased by Mr. Kupfer and a glass factory started. The company was successful and when the general slump in business came a few months ago about fifty hands were employed. Since then it was decided to move the plant to Brooklyn. William Kupfer, who managed the local factory expects to go to the city in about a week and his family will join him a short time later."

Further information gleaned from Walter Barbe's The Glass Industry in Wayne County, Pennsylvania 1807 -Present - Emil Kupfer was born in Wilkes-Barre. He was associated with the glass industry, including importing, in Brooklyn. Emil purchased the Union Cut Glass Factory in 1915. The Kupfer plant used Dorflinger blanks and when that company closed in 1921, this, as well as change of consumer tastes, probably cut into business. Kupfer's also had a plant in Clearfield, PA (western part of state).

Additional information - Emil's parents lived an itinerant life. Amand and Maria emigrated from Baden, Germany. They were married in St. Louis and their first two children were born there. Then one each in Lincoln, MO, Indianapolis, Wilkes-Barre, Philadelphia and Cambria City. The two youngest were born in Honesdale (1889 & 1891). The row houses on East Street, just north of the factory building, were workers' houses.



Glass photos compliments of Maura McCarthy, a Kupfer descendant.

Kupfer Factories