Poor Farmer shoes

[Possum]

I have been looking and looking and can not find if really poor farmers in the Confederate States were russet or black in color and were they rough leather side out or smooth leather side out. Could anybody help southern soldier boy out?

[Rmhisteach]

Re: Poor Famer shoes

Fredricksburg shoes- Robert Land

https://www.robertlandhistoricshoes.com

[Crockett]

Re: Poor Farmer shoes

Well, I believe that all of my poor Confederate farmer ancestors were white, neither russet nor black. They probably had farmer's tans, though, and I would guess that after years of work their skin would be rather rough, not smooth. I'm sure that their skin probably started out smooth however.

Hope this helps,

Joe Mode

[cap tassel]

Re: Poor Farmer shoes

Rocky,

What makes you think russet might be common for poor farmers? Just wondering.

[Possum]

Re: Poor Farmer shoes

Fellows,

I have had pneumonia for the past couple weeks and the medicine makes me loopy, I meant were poor white farmer's shoes russet or black in color and were their shoes usually rough side leather out or smooth side leather out. Sorry for the typo.

[Slouch]

Re: Poor Farmer shoes

farmers did not have dress regulations like the army. They wore whatever worked at a reasonable price, regardless of color, rough in/out, etc.

[nick19thind]

Re: Poor Farmer shoes

It must be said russet shoes were normally worn by slaves. There are reports of Confederate soldiers (and even slaves) receiving undyed boots and blackening them.

[Stephen Shepherd]

Re: Poor Farmer shoes

I wonder how many poor farmers could afford shoes? People went without shoes more often than we think.

Stephen Shepherd

[Emmanuel Dabney]

Re: Poor Farmer shoes

One of my areas is research of slave clothing. There are numerous instances of slaves discussing their lack of proper footwear.

I always caution against saying "No, never." However, I would say that if slave owners provided their slaves with cheap (in the way of price) shoes, I think poor whites can also afford these shoes.

Examples from Richard Eppes' antebellum diary for the price of footwear for his slaves:

Friday November 28th 1851

“Bought of James Rice & James shoe & dry goods merchants 12 pair of brogans superior quality for men price $1.50 per pair 22 pegged brogans price 95 cents per pair 4 mens boots price $2.00 per pair. 9 boys & girls…"

Monday Dec: 8th 1851

“Wrote letters to…Messrs James Rice & James to change 2 pairs of women boots for brogues 95˘ per pair…”

Tuesday Nov: 30th 1852

"[snip] Gave check on F B V amt $68.50 took [prescription symbol]….Left measures for negro shoes at Messrs Drummond & Wytch, selecting mens at $1.25 & womens brogues at $1. ditto boys & girls. Price high article inferior 9 pair of boots at $2.25 a pair, all to be sent down when packed.”

November 26th 1855

“Purchased of Drummond shoes for negroes boots $1.75, men shoes $1.50 women $1.25 prices. Bought dresses for house servants, price 20˘ per yard….Boots & negro clothing not yet paid for.”

Tuesday Dec: 8th 1857

“Whilst in Petersburg bought negro shoes of Drummond boots best quality $3 50 2sd quality $2.75 brogans $1.73. rate of prices”

Dec: 13th 1859

“Received shoes & boots from W J Drummond today

Dr Richard Eppes
Bought of W J Drummond
1859.
Dec: 10 52 pr Brogans $1.75 $91.00
4 pr Boys “ $1.37 ˝ 5.50
6 pr Womens boots $1.25 7.50
1 pr men’s “ 1.00
16 pr Boots 3.50 56.00
1 pr Kip Boots 3.00
Cash paid Frieght .37
$164.37

And those generally shoes could be had for as little as 95˘ up to generally $1.37 1/2. Boots could be had for men generally at $3.50. This is just a sampling of some of the references to shoes, not complete.

I would highly suggest that people consult the resource that Virginia Mescher has created in her ledger research. You may purchase the Historic Accounts book/CD set at http://www.raggedsoldier.com/accounts.html.

It is easy to say that people did not wear shoes, but context is needed as to when, why, and where.

[LWhite64]

Re: Poor Farmer shoes

Well also remember that some farmers could do their own leather work, my great grandfather and grandpa both could do leather work and either repaired their old brogans or made them for work, the store bought pair was for church. They also repaired the reins, etc for their mules for plowing, etc.

Lee

[SparksBird]

Re: Poor Farmer shoes

I agree what Lee has said and what Emmanuel has posted. You can't simply say that you want "farmers shoes". They didn't exactly make the "farmers model" when it came to shoes. You would simply be wearing a pair of civilian shoes. The style and type of shoe were probably based on whatever you could get. If you were a dirt-poor farmer, your shoes were probably worn until they literally fell off of your feet. As long as you could patch or repair them, they would be fine.
As a side note, from experience you find that period shoes do not last long when farming. A combination of being wet and in adverse conditions really cause period shoes to fall apart quickly. Working in stalls and around manure will really put stitching to the test. I have had times where I have gone through two pairs of shoes in a year, and that was only wearing them from 9-5 and not all day, every day. At our historic site, we do have quite a few references to shoes being repaired almost monthly. In Henry Arnold's account book, he would usually take his shoes or boots with him when he went to market. The cost for the repair was usually pretty minimal, but this can add up over time, and he wasn't a poor farmer.

Rick Musselman
Palestine #158, F & A.M.
Director of Education, Carriage Hill Farm
President, MOMCC

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: Poor Farmer shoes

In Virginia Mescher's book and CD, Historic Accounts, there are over 1000 entries for shoe purchases. Unfortunately, the descriptions leave a bit to be desired but, even with the terms used, the prices seem to be all over the map. For example, there are a pair of coarse shoes for $2.50 but then there are "men's shoes" for $2.00 -- lesser quality? smaller? We just don't know.

Interestingly, there is an entry for "Negro shoes" which we'd expect to be the lowest quality but this pair was $2.25, more than many pairs of mens' shoes.

I don't have the time to do the analysis any time soon but it would be interesting to compare shoe purchases to the economic status of the purchaser.

Michael Mescher

[bazoo]

Re: Poor Farmer shoes

Hi
There was some wooden soles shoes or slaves shoes that was strong and used as working shoes by farmers.
Thats shoes very used in France from XIX century to 1970 ( in french, galoche) where seen less commonly in the USA .
I 've seen some information about that in the North south trader march april 1987 wooden sold confederate army shoes by Craig Caba
He said there was some isued to the ANV by the Richmond dépot : "buchanan, Virginia shoes were made with wooden soles , canvas upper, and squared leathers toes . The triple lacer, ankle high pattern was reinforced with oilcloth binding"
There was an other exemple know as Major JJ McIver's shoes made locally in Darlington SC, " Conform with the ankle pattern. The square toed wooden soles had butternut wool upper with two buttons
The last exemple " plantation shoes hand made on the NC Miller estate , Pittsylvania County Virginia show sturdy construction . Thick wooden soles form the basis for the buff leather uppers wich were attached by blacksmith made iron tacks.
I've find some in virtuate museum but the links dont work

http://www.chicagohs.org/aotm/nov97/nov97fact1.html

http://www.museum.state.sc.us/culturalhistory/AfricShoe.html

I've find wooden shoes here http://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/exh...section4a.html
but i'me not totally sure that that kind of shoes where really commonly worn in USA.
By carefull you can find some of that last pattern by only that made with hand tools are accurate machine made date from about 1930's
Tegard
Bizzs Bazoo

Luc Géraudie
France

[Greg Barnett]

Re: Poor Farmer shoes

Just wanted to post a picture of poor Confederate farmer shoes. I know that these are poor Confederate farmer shoes because this is my Great great grandfather Levi W Barnett. I know that he was a Confederate soldier and I know he was a poor farmer. The photo was shortly after the war. The date of the photo is around 1867. The child in his lap is my great grandfather William Zachary who was born 3 Aug 1865, he appears about two.
I love this photo. Oh, yes, please note the shoes. The are other interesting clothing details in the photo as well. The ladies may find interest in Mary's dress.
The dog's name was Tom
Just my photographic based data.
Cheers

[J.H.Berger]

Re: Poor Farmer shoes

A good question about simple shoes!
I also wonder how common wooden shoes were in America in the 1860s especially in regions with European immigrants. Especially from Holland and Germany as wooden shoes were the typical poor people/ farmers footwear.
Does anybody have accounts on that one?