Sayre Lingerie Building

The Sayre Lingerie also known as the Blue Swan started out manufacturing in Sayre under the Foreman and Clark Company. W.A. Foreman decided to open a new plant in Sayre in 1923.

By January of 1924, Foreman and Clark Company leased the Wheelock Building located on the corner of South Elmer Avenue and West. Lockhart Street. Currently, Celebrations Black Diamond Café is occupying the building. Foreman also rented floors in the building directly across the street. Foreman and Clark employed 11 individuals to learn about he operation of the machines.

In 1926, Foreman and Clark’s employee numbers expanded to 250 employees and required more space. Foreman had a 125,000 factory constructed on South Elmer Avenue. The factory official open on South Elmer Avenue in 1927. The employee expanded to 500. Today the building stands and is used as an incubator for small business start ups.

By 1930, Foreman and Clark shuttered their Sayre factory. Sanford and Stanley McKay re-opened the factory under Belle Knitting. By the 1940s, Blue Swan Mills name was adopted. The McKay family ran the factory until 1960.

In 1961, the Blue Swan Mills was sold to Donald Simmons, Sr., William Kaplan, and Richard Sachs. The trio chose to keep the factory going by establishing Sayre Lingerie. Due to high competition, the Sayre Lingerie would close it’s doors in 1991.

By 1997, the Sayre Incubator was created and purchased the Blue Swain Mills/Sayre Lingerie Building. The center was renamed The Enterprise Center and the goal was to promote small start up business to come to Sayre.

Clint & Holly Kellar of HT Lure Co. purchased the Enterprise Center. The Kellars HT Lure Co. was at the time producing over six million fishing lures each year While HT Lure Co. only occupies part of the Sayre Lingerie building, the rest continues to an incubator for small start ups.