ROLLING DOWN THE LINE. Workers on the inspection line at what was then called the U.S. Rubber Co. plant in Eau Claire in August 1947. Known variously as the Gillette, U.S. Rubber, and Uniroyal Goodrich plant, the factory produced tires from 1917 to 1992. (Chippewa Valley Museum)

I moved to Eau Claire seven years too late to experience the heyday of the Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Co. plant. When I came in 1999, the vast factory had already been reborn and rebranded as Banbury Place. As an intern at the Leader-Telegram newspaper, I soon learned about the importance the tire plant had in the community, both when it was in operation (lots of good-paying jobs, a persistent aroma of rubber) and after it was shuttered (financial hardship, a scramble to reimagine the local economy).

Uniroyal has been on my mind lately for a handful of reasons. For one, in early February I attended the annual Banbury Art Crawl, where I experienced some of the many small businesses that have sprung up inside the former factory. For another, I’m excited to see the upcoming documentary (and hear the accompanying podcast) about the factory, When Rubber Hit the Road, which was created by a couple of my good friends, B.J. Hollars and Steve Dayton. (Read more about that on page 22 of our Feb. 22 issue or online right here.)

Yet the main reason Uniroyal has been on my mind has been more dire: As you undoubtedly know, the Chippewa Valley is now reeling from the impending closure of HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s hospitals and numerous Prevea clinics. The parallels with Uniroyal are obvious: The community feels blindsided and betrayed, and a nearly identical number of employees – about 1,400 – stand to lose their jobs, just as they did in the early 1990s.

And yet the situations aren’t exactly comparable: Perhaps most importantly, this time it’s not just jobs being lost, but medical care for many thousands of patients – from expectant mothers to those undergoing cancer treatment – who find themselves on unsteady ground. Amid the gloom, however, it’s vital to remember that our community has demonstrated remarkable flexibility and resourcefulness when faced with serious economic challenges – and can do so again.