Johnson Brothers Shoes

Twin brothers William C. Johnson and Richardson M. Johnson opened their Johnson Brothers Shoe factory in 1887 in Hallowell.

The original building, which faced south on Central Street, was constructed of wood with a brick foundation. The building was expanded by two wings in 1894, extending it to the railroad tracks on the west and to Second Street on the east. The factory, which produced ladies’ shoes of various styles, was very successful and was a major employer in Hallowell. The Johnson business was closed in April of 1927, and the building was occupied by the Kennebec Shoe Company from 1934 to 1953. The abandoned building was torn down in May 1955.

12,000 boots

The factory made 10,000 to 12,000 pairs of boots and 7,000 to 8,000 pairs of shoes per year with thirty to forty people.  In July 1964, new machinery was installed, which made shoemaking faster and easier.  As a result, there were 300 people employed.

The factory’s weekly payroll was $6,000, and annual sales of ladies shoes was $1,600,000. These were quality all leather shoes using “2,000 leather sides, seventy five dozens of calf skins, three to four tons of split leather, and ten to twelve tons of sole leather.”

In 1920 the Cotton Mills building also became a shoe factory. It was a thriving shoe business until 1966.

local models

Olympia Farrar #35, is shown as a young girl working in the textile mills.

Murky Lester #37, is shown at a factory sewing maching.