The Stetson Shoe factory
back in the day
Above: Expert craftsmen working in the blessed sunshine at the Stetson Shoe factory, Main Street, South Weymouth, Massachusetts – 1920
Banister Shoes
Stetson Shoes
Above: Master Cordwainers at their workbenches in the Banister Shoes manufactory and in the Stetson Shoe factory.
A cordwainer crafts shoes from new materials. The word comes from, "A worker in cordovan leather." A cobbler repairs shoes. Shoe factories were built to be long and narrow so that each craftsman had direct access to a window for perfect lighting. Women worked in shoe factories, too, as stitchers, primarily. Very few images exist, sadly,
though their roles in the shoe industry were critical. Imagine shoes without stitching or hand-detailing!
For a thorough report on women in the shoemaking trade, please see:
Women in Industry: The Manufacture of Boots and Shoes; Edith Abbott,
Stetson Boots for Men:
1910-1920
To learn more about the E.H. Stetson Shoe Company, please visit the: