#endicott johnson

[thegikitiki]

Made of Living Formula X-1000 Leather...

Johnsonian Shoes Ad, 1967

[the-retail-archives]

Let’s roll the clock back to 1991, with this photo of the Wilton Mall in Saratoga Springs, NY. Visible is a “Coming Soon!” sign for a new Lerner Woman store, now known as the recently departed New York & Company, as well as a store for long-departed shoe retailer, Endicott Johnson. 

[route22ny]

An Endicott-Johnson shoe store located somewhere in the Binghamton metro area in the 1940s.  Endicott-Johnson was a major employer locally, headed by the beneficent George F. Johnson, a progressive employer whose concern for his employees extended into civic programs and affordable housing.  He is still revered in the Binghamton area today, where streets and buildings bear his name. 

“Under his presidency, the company grew to eight factories in Broome County, New York, employing about 10,000. Endicott-Johnson was the first company in the shoe industry to introduce the 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek, and comprehensive medical care. Despite paying some of the highest wages in the industry, Endicott-Johnson was consistently profitable.

“Although Johnson oversaw many different factories throughout the Susquehanna Valley of Broome County, he attracted many immigrant workers to the area by offering to build homes. Although the name Johnson was given to the city in NY where George F. arrived, the city of Endicott better reflects his intimate vision for a prosperous community. This is because Johnson himself developed nearly all of the residential neighborhoods in Endicott, selling houses to the workers at a cost to himself of $1000 each.“ (source)

In the photo below, baseball legend Babe Ruth is seen shaking hands with George F. Johnson

Life and Labor in a Corporate Community:  An Online History of the Endicott-Johnson Corporation  

[thegikitiki]

Now, An Almost Indestructible Children’s Shoe!

   E-Jay (Endicott Johnson) Shoes, 1963

[ghostsinthevalleyofopportunity]

Endicott Johnson “Victory” factory (built 1921), 2015 Photo: Jason House

[route22ny]

Norwich, New York in what looks to be a picture postcard image from the 1950s.  The view is the east side of South Broad Street (NY Route 12).  Down the street we can see the colorful marquee of the Colonia Theater, which looks pretty much the same today.  The Colonia is the only movie theater in the county.  In the center is an Endicott Johnson shoe store.  EJ’s manufacturing plant was about an hour south in the Binghamton metro area; the company was a major regional employer. 

The view today is relatively unchanged, although there are fewer viable businesses along this stretch.  Major retailers Walmart and Lowes built large stores just outside the city line to the south.  Image courtesy of the Norwich YMCA.

[route22ny]

Johnson Field playground in Lestershire, New York.  Photo from the 1920s.  Lestershire was later renamed Johnson City in honor of George F. Johnson, who was the beneficent and paternal head of Endcott-Johnson, the shoe manufacturer.  A playground for the community’s children, like the one pictured here, was just one example of Johnson’s concern.  Previous posts have more insights into the relationship between George F. Johnson, Endicott-Johnson, and the Johnson City area.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_City,_New_York

[route22ny]