Benedict Shoes

The great age of some of New England's family-owned industries has been often remarked. The passing of the "Benedict's Shoe Store" in recent weeks terminates a business which has been in the hands of the Benedict family of New Canaan, Conn., for 162 years. The business was started some time prior to 1762--the date of the first ledger entry on the Company's books-by one James Benedict, who started a shoe factory at New Canaan. Soon the "cordwainers" of New Canaan became nationally known for their fine products, and sold largely to the southern trade-- even to New Orleans. In the Civil War the factory, then a century old, made shoes for the Union Army. Up to this time, shoes were all handmade, and the shoemaking machinery of today did not exist. The factory cut the parts, which were stitched together by hand, in the cottages of their employes.

In the '90's, the competition of machine-made shoes hurt this old-fashioned industry. The Benedicts did not care to make any but the best shoes, and consequently closed all but one factory, and shifted to a retail shoe business whose home, known as "Benedict's Shoe Store," became one of the local landmarks. Recently even this establishment was closed, presumably under competition with chain retail stores and other modern factors.