Shoe CollageScheduled for Saturday, June 4 and July 9, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

Utica, N.Y. -- Utica shoes! Who knew? Many people do not realize that Utica once had a thriving shoe manufacturing industry, producing as many as two thousand pairs of shoes a day. The factories were located within a few blocks of each other near the current train station.  Find out more on a walking tour of Utica’s historic shoe district with the Oneida County History Center Saturday, June 4, and July 9, 2022.  The tours start from the History Center table inside the REA wing at the Oneida County Public Market at 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

The first shoe factory in Utica was opened in 1837 by John Cantwell. He had a shop at 3 Catharine Street, where he employed over a dozen employees making “the finest shoes and boots in Central New York.” Shoe manufacturing became mechanized when steam engines began to be used in factories. Large-scale factories flourished in the 1870s and 80s when Utica made 1,500 – 2,000 pairs of shoes each day.

Nearly all the factories here made high-quality women’s and children’s shoes. In its heyday, Utica shoes had a reputation throughout the United States and sold readily. These firms all expanded and multiplied and, by 1880, employed over two thousand people in Utica. Shortly after, however, troubles began with organized labor, whose demands were such that it became impossible to manufacture shoes at a profit in Utica. By 1893, these prosperous shoe factories had either closed their doors or moved away from the city.

The Hurd Shoe Company building still stands at 101 East Main Street; it traces its history back to 1863 when Dewitt C. Hurd came here as a salesman for the firm Case, Tallman & Co. The firm went through several name changes and eventually became the Hurd Shoe Company, the last shoe manufacturer in Utica.

The Oneida County History Center is a private 501(c) (3) not-for-profit educational institution dedicated to preserving the history, heritage, and culture of the Greater Mohawk Valley for present and future generations. Admission to this program is free for the general public; donations are encouraged. Please contact the History Center at 315-735-3642 or visit the OCHC website (www.oneidacountyhistory.org) for additional information.

Event Date: Saturday, June 4 and July 9, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m

Event Location: Tour starts from the REA Wing of Union Station, 321 Main Street, Utica, New York

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Contact:

Patrick Reynolds

Oneida County History Center

315.735.3642