Holland Shoe Factory - Holland, Michigan - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

Leather shoes, not wooden shoes were made at the factory! The Holland Shoe Factory building was finished in 1901 and production started in 1902. By 1914 the factory employed 400 people and produced 3,000 pairs of shoes per day. In 1939, The Holland Shoe Company merged with the Racine Shoe Company of Racine, Wisconsin to form the Holland-Racine Shoe Company. During World War II the factory supplied the U. S. Navy with 240,000 pairs of shoes. The factory was closed in 1967.
The plaque reads: Holland Shoe Factory
Utilizing the abundant supply of shoe leather tanned at the Cappon & Bertsch Tannery, the Holland Shoe Factory went into production on this site in 1902. Within a year, the factory had become one of the busiest in Holland, employing 200 people and producing 1,000 pairs of shoes a day. By 1914, these numbers had increased to 400 employees and 3,000 pairs of shoes daily.
In 1939, the Holland Shoe Factory merged with the Racine Shoe Company from Wisconsin, forming the Holland-Racine Shoe Company. During World War Two, the company joined the war effort by supplying the US Navy with 240,000 pairs of shoes. In 1964, the Holland-Racine Shoe Company was sold to a St. Louis firm. In February of 1967, it was announced that the plant would close. Competition from low cost imports had taken its toll on Holland-Racine, as well as many other shoe manufacturers across the country.

Group that erected the marker: City of Holland Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Northeast corner of 16th Street and Kollen Park Drive Holland, MI USA 49423 URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

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Date Logged Log   08/06/2018 theHostas visited it