Michael Koryta, "Showers Sale 50 Years Ago Marked the End of an Era," Bloomington (Monroe County, Indiana) Herald-Times, May 16, 2005, pp. A1+. NOTE: The item below was abstracted by Randi Richardson from an original that was accompanied by two large photographs. The Showers furniture business was established in 1868. It became the largest furniture manufacturer in the world and, through the years, was crucial to the local economy. In May 1955, the company president, Richard Dillon, announced the sale of part of the operation to Storkline Furniture. A day later, the remaining 50 percent of the organization was sold to Nurre Companies, Inc., a mirror manufacturer started by Showers in 1912. Storkline reportedly promised to continue to employ local residents. Instead, layoffs began, and three years later the factory closed. Abandoned for years, much of the factory was subsequently destroyed by fire. The remaining portion has been renovated and is now Bloomington's City Hall.