Entrepreneurs
Inn Keeping
Roadside inns were important during long travels across the state or country. These inns offered warm beds, hot food, and the company of fellow travelers. Many of these inns resembled houses, and were nothing like hotels we have now. They generally included a kitchen and dining room with a single long table, a parlor with comfortable chairs and couches, and a large room upstairs with beds. As the development of the railroad progressed, inns became boarding houses for residents to stay for long periods of time. Many inns also became central gathering locations for towns. |
Leather work/Shoe Maker
Shoemakers were able to work in small rooms, with few tools; unlike farmers or blacksmiths. They would measure the customer's foot, select the model of the foot, use flax thread and flexible needles to stitch together pieces of leather. In order to hold the pieces of leather together, shoemakers used wooden pegs. Toward the end of the 19th century, mass production of shoes limited shoemakers' business. Resourceful shoemakers then shifted from making shoes to selling the ones that had been mass-produced. They also kept leatherwork alive by repairing shoes, harnesses, and other leather items. |
Watch this video of a shoemaker sewing a shoe. What if we still had to sew our own shoes today? Do you think you could do it?