Hurlburt and Sweet Family Photograph Collection

Frank E. Hurlburt was born in Darien Center, NY, in 1873. His father was a private detective. The family spent several years in Buffalo prior to moving to Fairport, then Rochester. At 15, Frank went to sea as a cook on a lake freighter for three years. He followed this by becoming a brakeman for the Erie Railroad, from which he moved to the same work for the New York Central Railroad. Later, he joined the New York Central's police force in Buffalo before moving back to Rochester in 1909. Ultimately, he became the New York Central police captain in Rochester, with his jurisdiction extending to Syracuse. His colorful career, as documented in a lengthy Arch Merrill interview, included chasing railroad car burglars, guarding visiting royalty and greeting every circus train entering town. A life member of the Elks Club, he left behind his wife, Florence, two daughters and five sons at his passing on November 2, 1944.

The Rochester Folding Box Company was founded in 1895 under the leadership of A. B. Cowles. It purchased the former Post Express newspaper printing plant and focused on producing cigarette boxes, for which Cowles held a patent on production machinery. By 1915, the company had moved to Commercial Street. In that year, Harry Stevenson became general manager. Stevenson pushed the company to develop nwew product lines focused on shipping cartons and containers, along with building a new plant on Boxart Street between 1917 and 1919. Under Stevenson's 30+ years as manager, the company flourished. A merger with large, Chicago-based Eddy Paper Corporation occured in 1938, but Rochester Folding Box retained its own identity as a subsidiary. Eddy Paper was purchased by Weyerhauser Timber in February of 1957. Weyerhauser initially operated the plant under its established name; Rochester Folding Box was fully merged into Weyerhauser as the Boxboard and Folding Carton Division in 1961. While Rochester Folding Box ceased to exist at this time, the Boxart Street factory continues operating (as of 2023) under the control of International Paper.