Museum the New Llano Colony



Shoe Shop
Shoemaking & Repairs, Harness Shop, Leatherwork


"Vernon Parish Democrat," July 8, 1920

"Goodyear Shoe Repairing -- Goodyear Shoe Repairing has made a reputation for itself. A dollar put into shoe repairing now will save several dollars on a new pair. Our auto collects and delivers. Phone 176"


"Vernon Parish Democrat," September 16, 1920

"Louis Roedemeister, who has been sojourning for two years in Indiana and Michigan, came in on the train Sunday evening. Although "Roede," as we call him, is an expert harness maker and repairer, he can make himself useful almost anywhere."


"Vernon Parish Democrat," November 18, 1920

"Comrades Roede and De Vine are back in the shoe shop again this morning and find plenty to do."

"The shoe shop is running again with Comrade DeBoer on the shoe car. He went on his rounds today and will probably return with a full load of old shoes for repair. We need another shoe repair man."


"Vernon Parish Democrat," December 30, 1920

"DeBoer and DeVine have finished all their shoe work that is in the shop."


"Vernon Parish Democrat," January 6, 1921

"Comrade Roedemeister is now at his real trade, making harness. Roede is a first class harness maker and is ready to do any kind of repair work on leather harness, or make new harness. Leather in the long run is the cheapest and best harness to buy, and Roede can tell you how to keep it in good shape and get the best wear out of it. A stitch in time saves nine in harness, as well as other things. Send it to Roede; he will do the work for you...

Why use rope, baling wire, and such material, when you can have a real leather harness. We are expecting to put in a tannery soon; then we can go the whole route with leather goods."


"Llano Colonist," January 27, 1921

"Van Nuland and Scharrer are unloading the car of flour and feed. DeVine stopped work at the shoe shop long enough to help unload it. Then he went back to pegging shoes with DeBoer."


"Vernon Parish Democrat," February 24, 1921

"Shoe Repairs and Harness Making -- Shoe repairing is done by the best Goodyear machines and the work is done satisfactorily.

An expert Harness Maker is in charge of the Harness making and repairing, and a trial will convince."


"Llano Colonist," April 29, 1922

"The shoe shop was the only live industry [in 1919], but the shoemaker left a little later and the shoe shop was practically closed. Now we are not only repairing shoes for ourselves and others, but have been making a strictly Colony one-piece shoe as well as sandals -- Colony-made. Also in the shoe shop we now have a first class harness shop established and we are endeavoring to get a tanner to come who will establish a tannery that we may make all of our own leather."


"Llano Colonist," December 16, 1922

"Comrades Cox, Krechmer, and Roedemeister are now making and repairing shoes in large quantities. These fellows will soon have a Colony-made dress shoe on the market that any one could be proud to own."


"Llano Colonist," December 10, 1927 (Gateway to Freedom)

"SHOE SHOP -- This is a part of the harness shop, and is equipped with a full line of machinery for repairing and making shoes. Many hundreds of dollars have been brought into the colony treasury by this department, as well as saving money on shoe repairs."

HARNESS SHOP -- In connection with the shoe shop is a repair and harness-making department. The Colony makes harness and repairs for its own use."


"Llano Colonist," December 20, 1930

"I was over to see Comrade Price in the shoe shop, still making new shoes by converting shoes that are entirely out of style into shoes that any one would be glad to wear any place and any time. Price, in his work, is like a great many other colonists, practically a genius in his line. He wishes he had a cobbler to help him as he believes he could make a large amount of the Colony shoes, especially work shoes. I, too, wish a tanner would come along who could tan all of the leather that we need as it is only a question of time when we should make all of our own leather and leather goods."


"Llano Colonist," March 19, 1932

"Taking a pair of shoes to the shoe shop to receive a pair of soles, a pair of heels and some sewing on the vamp and glueing on the counters, which will cost me exactly "I thank you boys until you are better paid" to which I'll hear, "Oh, that's all right; glad to do it"...

I saw a Singer sewing machine and asked, "What's that for?" "Why," said Robert R. Davidson, "that's the sewing machine that we make our shoe uppers on."

"Well, well. And, you're making shoes, too?"

He showed me several pairs of shoes that were excellently made and being of first class leather ought to wear a long, long time. An extra heavy pair, with soles nearly three-quarters of an inch thick and iron heels proved to be for Bill deBoer. What in the world Bill is going to do with those heavy shoes is a mystery to me.

"And, where did you learn to make shoes?"

"In Scotland, to be sure, where good shoe makers are made," replied Davidson. "I was born to the trade."

"Me, too," yelled Roede, who was hacking away on a shoe sole. "All my folks were shoe people. I just had to learn it. But I went to Africa very soon after."

"You did?" asked Davidson, "why man, I spent ten years in Africa on the Cape to Cairo Railroad in the engineering department and was well acquainted with that genius and empire builder Cecil Rhodes..."

Before leaving the shoe shop I found that Davidson and Roede had been in the same towns, had traveled over the same rough roads, knew many of the same people -- in fact they had had many points in common and now they are here in the colony working as hard as each can to show that there is such a thing as co-operation and that in union there is strength. -- Robert K. Williams"


"Llano Colonist," October 22, 1932

"Mahler was working out a problem of tanning calf-hides. Mahler has collected all the hides of heifers, bulls, goats and Chinchilla rabbits that used to be thrown away. Some of these he has worked out by painful hand processes, and the other day he produced some little goatskin vests for the younger Mahlers, that turned their friends green with envy. But now the colony needs leather, and cash is scarce.

So Mahler is trying to find the way to tan a lot of these old coats of the dumb animals. It costs three dollars for enough chemicals to work over one bull-skin, at drug store prices. If he could buy the stuff in quantities, it would be a lot cheaper. Mahler is going to make some leather, all right, all right. But if any of our readers happen to have on hand a few hundred-weight of tanning chemicals, and care to send them on here, the colony will shortly have some leather; and Roede and his shoe-shop assistants will be turning out some of the shoes that will be needed this coming wet season."


"Can We Co-operate?" by Bob Brown

Notice inside the shoe repair shop (1933-1934):

"If you want your shoes rebuilt, go to Ed Clark.
If you want your shirts mended, go to Ida Ann Bartlett.
If you want your socks washed, go to John Dougherty.
If you want work, go to Ralph Field, don't hang around here."


"Llano Colonist," January 27, 1934

"The Shoe Shop stands a little bit off the beaten path of the diarists, and the fine work of Comrade Clarke is likely to go unmentioned, but you can bank on it that he is always on the job. He says that there is nothing spectacular in his work, but today he exhibits a pair of shoes with light, curved wooden soles. Of these he made several pair. Glen Burns needed a pair to work in when he wades about on the wet floor of the meat curing room; Tom Cunningham uses a pair in his duties about the barn, and Chuck Bates and Chris Jensen also want a pair each. Here's hoping that Mahler and his assistant tanners in Gila will soon furnish us with some good leather, so we won't all have to wear wooden shoes."


"Llano Colonist," September 4, 1937

"I don't think I mentioned the fact that Ed Clark is still in charge of the shoe shop. This department is kept running at least sufficiently to accommodate the Colonists in the necessary service of shoe repairing."

Clipping from the Llano Colonist.
Clipping from the "Llano Colonist."
Colony Shoe Shop
Colony Shoe Shop
The large building in the center is the Industrial building housing the store, garge, machine shop and more. South of the store (to the left) are the tailor shop, blacksmith and shoe shop.
The large building in the center is the Industrial building housing the store, garge, machine shop and more. South of the store (to the left) are the tailor shop, blacksmith and shoe shop.
Clipping from the Llano Colonist.
Clipping from the "Llano Colonist."
Clipping from the Llano Colonist.
Clipping from the "Llano Colonist."


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