Tom's family moved to Reading, Pennsylvania where Tom continued to work in pretzel bakeries, eventually he—with his brother Correll—opened their own pretzel bakery in 1936 called Sturgis Brothers.

However, Tom had to close down Sturgis Brothers due to the drafts for World War II.

The business is still in operation today, run by Tom's grandson, Bruce Sturgis.

The house was built from stones taken from the streets and from the surrounding timber forest; it had windows to fire muskets to prevent against Native American attacks.

The Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery is on the list of National Register of Historic Places.