W.L. Douglas Shoe Company
In 1876
William Lewis Douglas,
who became Governor of Massachusetts, borrowed $875 in order to open
his own shoe factory. One critical decision he made in establishing
the business was that he would sell the shoes he manufactured
through his own line of retail outlets, rather than shipping them to
other retailers or intermediaries. His business grew rapidly: every
few years the factory's output doubled, and by 1892 he was making
3,600 shoes per day. By the early 1900s his factory was the largest
shoe manufactory in the world. The retail side of the business also
grew: the first store opened in 1894, and by 1900 there were 55
stores nationwide.
Douglas was one of the first shoe
manufacturers to widely advertise his products. He stamped the soles
of his shoes with his own image (a use he took up after he saw P. T.
Barnum's advertising), making it one of the most recognized
likenesses of the time.
Douglas' workers were members of the
Boot and Shoe Workers' Union, which in 1899 sharply raised its dues
in order to finance improved benefits and welfare funds. The rank
and file were unhappy with this increase, and the dispute threatened
the company's ability to label its products with the union stamp.
Douglas, who had a reputation as a fair employer, worked with the
union to ensure his employees paid the higher dues.
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