Founded in 1907, Sylvania Electric Products produced critical electrical components during World War II, including vacuum tubes for proximity fuzes, a key military device that improved the precision of artillery shells. Its workforce was composed primarily of women, prompting Colliers to call Emporium “Girls Town USA.” The former Sylvania Club here was the home of one of the company's original investors, lumber baron Henry Auchu. The factory operated on Poplar St. until 1990.