For more than a century, hundreds of thousands of New Englanders working in shoe factories produced countless pairs of shoes for the American public. Although they cut the leather, stitched every seam, boxed each one for distribution to retailers, and produced footwear for all, their stories remained largely unknown.
At the turn of the twentieth century, labor unions began advocating for these workers, fighting for safer working conditions and better wages. Unions kept extensive records tracking members, workplace conditions, and production practices that we now use to understand workers’ lives and the development of the footwear industry.
In Haverhill, Massachusetts, local historians and community leaders have continued documenting the stories of the region’s shoe workers. This exhibition builds on their work and uses objects, archival documents, and oral histories to present a more complete and honest account of workers’ experiences. We invite visitors to contribute additional stories that deepen our understanding of the people who made shoes for New England, the United States, and beyond. Contribute your own story in the “What’s Your Shoe Story” gallery interactive or in the digital interactive in the online exhibition.
“Saturday used to be a busy day. They’d get out of work at 1, maybe stay around and do some things. Of course, In those days Merrimac Street used to be open until 9 almost every night. No such thing as closing at 5 or 6. The street would be black with people down there….People just liked Haverhill, you know what | mean? There wasn’t another town like It.”
—Hyman N. Schalfman (1897-1980), variety store owner and newspaper agent
Gallery of Worker Stories Photographs
Hotspot Feature: Local Shoemaking
The above gallery includes photographs of the real workers who made shoe history in shoe factories across New England. Select a hotspot to see where the images in the Worker Stories section were taken.
