All the shoes were made by hand until the business purchased a machine in March of 1869. In that year, the factory employed 25 men and 15 women and was reported to have made 200 shoes per day. During this time, Frederick Drew, Irving Drew’s father, worked as a foreman for Mr. Bell. Bell went into the wholesale shoe business with partners W.H. Ware and Joseph Vincent, but by 1874 had left the profession to go into the insurance business. |
The Portsmouth Shoe Company, located at 127 West Front Street, was
organized in March 1893 under the name The Portsmouth Turned Shoe Company
and for a time made only infants' and turned shoes. Because of demand for
a more complete line McKay's and Welts were added and so the product line
in 1889 consisted of Ladies', Misses, children's and Little Gents' $1.00
McKay's, Turns, and Welts in fine and medium grade.March 12, 1898 the company was completely reorganized changing the name to The Portsmouth Shoe Company with the directors being: F. V. Knauss (President), George Appel (Treasurer), C. F. Kendall (Secretery), B. F. Richardson (Vice President) and W. J. Shumate. The capacity of the factory was 800 pairs daily. |
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Portsmouth Brodt Shoe Co. In 1912. The Brodt Shoe Company
purchased the Portsmouth Shoe Company building and plans to enlarge the
building.THE BRODT SHOE COMPANY was formed on 1912-10-28 in Ohio. The company presdient was George H. Brodt. |
Drew Selby building used from 1877 to 1881 with a floor space of 4,500
square feet and a output of 100 to 200 pairs of shoes daily.. |
Drew Selby building used from 1881 to 1891 located at Third and Gay
Streets with a floor space of 15,000 feet and a capacity of from 300 to
900 pairs per day. Drew Selby building used from 1881 to 1891 located at Third and Gay Streets with a floor space of 15,000 feet and a capacity of from 300 to 900 pairs per day. |
1144 people standing in this picture of the 12000 employees in April
1889 At the time the factory was being enlarged to provide over an acre of
additional floor space and employment was expected to grow to around 2000
people. This building was started in 1891 on the square bounded by Gallia,
7th, Findlay and John Streets. |
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W. W. Gates, George D. Selby, P. E. Selby, Irving Drew, and J. M.
Graham
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The Star Shoe Company was organized January 16, 1894. The directors
were A. Titus, M. D. (President); J. J. Radin (Secretery and Treasurer),
S. O. Titus (General Manager), Chris. Uhl (Vice President) and Irvin Drew.
The factory and main offices were located 107 and 109 West Front street.
The product of the factory was Misses' and Children's fine and medium
grades in McKay, sewed and Goodyear turns, which were gradually being
improved in quality and the annul increase in output. from 100 pair in the
fall of 1894 to 950 in the spring of 1898. |
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 This new factory was one of the most modern in plan, equipment and facilities at the time. With the five stories there is 37,500 square feet of floor space giving a capacity of 2000 pairs of shoes daily. The building was furnished with electric power, light and heat, and had complete telephone service, together with automatic sprinkles and means of fire protection. 350 skilled men and women were employed daily. Local outlet for the shoes was the Anderson Bros' retail store on Chillicothe street and West Second. |
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 Excelsior Shoe Medal- reverse There were three versions, this one is with good luck symbols on the back. All the symbols in 1910 were considered good luck symbols. The reverse swastika was a popular Victorian era good luck symbol and a favorite symbol of Lord Baden-Powell founder of Boy Scouts. |
The Tremper Shoe Company was incorporated in June 27, 1895 and commenced
business that September at the corner of Second and Jefferson Streets. The
company made Ladies Turns, Welts and McKays. In 1889 they employed one hundred
and were considering expanding.Dr. W. D. Tremper, President; J. M. Wendelken, Vice President; Dan C. Davis, Secretery; F. B. Kehoe, Treasurer and General Manager; and John A. Ives was Superintendent.
The following hustlers represented the company: E. B. Kehoe, who introduced the Tremper shoes in Ohio and Wes Virginia; H. L. Ware, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa; F. C. Oliver, Chicago, St. Louis, MO; Kansas and Colorado; R. L. Lloyd, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.
The Padan Brothers and Company in 1888 employed 187 people
JOHN
PADAN was born in Ireland, May 10, 1823, a son of Henry Padan, a farmer
of that which he worked at in connection with farming seven years in Ireland. He
was married May 24, 1849, and the same year came to the United States, landing
in New York, Aug. 9, Sept. 17 he came to Portsmouth and has since made this his
home. He is a father of the Padan Brothers, proprietors of the Portsmouth
Shoe Factory. He started his sons in business and made their credit good by his
own risks. He is one of the oldest residents of Portsmouth and has always been
prominently identified with all her interests. His family consists of five sons
and one daughter, and is one of which any man might be proud. He holds the
confidence and respect of a large circle of acquaintances.
- History of Lower Scioto Co., Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Inter-state Publishing Co. 1884
- History of Lower Scioto Co., Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Inter-state Publishing Co. 1884
Picture
is from 1930 0r 40’s showing women working at the Williams Shoe Company. The women sit facing each other at long wooden
workbenches, sewing on Singer sewing machines.
Williams Manufacturing Company had been small specializing in low cost
foot ware but during the great depression saw many people could not afford
higher quality foot ware and began expanding.
As the discount shoe industry continued to grow the company purchased the
Old Selby Factory building in 1957. They
continued to make "cheap" shoes, until the company found it increasingly
difficult to compete with the influx of foreign made shoes and closed in
1976.
Portsmouth Irven Drew Shoe co
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