Weber Brothers

The North Adams Shoe Company, also known as the Weber Brothers Shoe Company, was established in 1889. The Weber Brothers consisting of A. C. Weber, William J. Weber, Theodore L. Weber, Emmet C. Weber and Arthur J. Weber were the very capable business men and shoemakers who established this company. Their father before them was also known as a practical shoe maker. The company first started by taking over the wooden factory owned by W. G. Cady on Holden Street very near the bridge. Later this factory was moved  near the old Sampson factory and a new brick addition built. The demand being so great and business increasing so rapidly it became necessary to double the capacity of the plant by yet another large addition. From 1889-1892, the Messrs. Weber Bros. had a large jobbing business in shoes from this town and in early May of 1892 began the erection of a warehouse at the corner of Brooklyn street and Bracewell avenue. The warehouse extended 100 feet on Brooklyn street and thirty-four feet on Bracewell avenue and was be three stories in height. The Weber brothers produced a line that were solid, common sense shoes guaranteed to be the best produced for the money. They instinctively knew what were good and what were bad in shoes and what would meet the public demand and what would not.  Their trade instantly assumed considerable proportions and yearly experienced a large growth.  All shoes sent out by the company were guaranteed to be the best that could be produced for the money, in fact, one line of shoes had printed on its sole. “A Better Shoe Man Never Made”. The company shipped shoes to every major city in the United states.  Many shoe manufacturers tried but failed to copy the Weber shoes, they simply could not produce the same quality for the same money. The Weber Company had the very latest machinery and equipment and were no match for their competitors. The Weber Company enjoyed a very successful business and an excellent reputation. The firm has conducted its business so modestly and in such a quiet way, that many of the residents of North Adams hardly knew that there was such a business house in this town, yet they handled several hundred thousand dollars worth of the products of the North Adams shoe factories each year. They ship directly to the retail dealers and as they always have one or more representatives of their firm on the ground, they are able to superintend the manufacture of the goods for their trade as well as to take advantage of the market. One sales tactic was to have their salesmen bring back from the field the latest trends and styles. The Weber Company was always up-to-date and often ahead of other companies in styles and lasts. The shoe trade of the United States generally recognized the fact that if anything new in footwear appeared, the North Adams Company had it. The main office of the company was in Chicago and they had a branch office in St. Paul but with the completion of the warehouse much of the business was transacted in North Adams which had hitherto been done at other points. During six months of the year at least, the members of the firm were required to make their home in North Adams. The Weber Brothers also had a retail store at 82 Main Street.  This shoe store was considered to be the finest and most modern shoe store in Western Massachusetts. Its large and comprehensive stock and store fittings and furnishings were strictly modern. It was under the direct management of Mr. E. E. Dutton, one of the most competent shoe men to be found. The Weber Brothers from such a humble beginning, contributed much toward the support of a large number of workers in the city of North Adams. The Weber Shoe Company was an institution that North Adams could be very proud of, and justly so, for no institution contributed more to its wide reputation as a shoe center.

Map Coordinates: 42.6755405, -73.0990553 Adapted from a Story by the North Adams Historical Society.