African American Shoe Makers and Repairers - Danville, KY
In Danville, Boyle County, Kentucky, there were at least nine African American shoemakers when the census was taken in 1880. Though nine was a small number, the African American shoemakers were the majority of the 14 or so shoemakers in the city. There may have also been African American shoe shiners, but they are not noted as such in the census records; shoe shinning was often a secondary job that did not get listed in the census records. The making of shoes as a business by African Americans in Danville, KY, was documented a little earlier than in many other Kentucky towns due to shoemaker Reuben Cowan being a free man in 1860. His wife and children are listed as free persons in the 1850 U.S. Census, and they were among the 13 or more free African Americans in Danville with the last name Cowan. There were also 48 slaves in Danville owned by Elisabeth Cowan, Mary Cowan, and Henry Cowan. It is not known at this time if Reuben Cowan was among the 48 slaves own by the Cowans; his name does not appear in the census until 1860. In the next census, 1870, when African Americans in Danville were free, three of them were shoemakers with the last name Cowan; there was Reuben and his two sons, Edward and Stephen Cowan, and Timothy Masterson, Sr. When the next census was taken in 1880, the Cowan shoemakers were not among those counted in Danville; Reuben and Stephen Cowan had moved to Louisville, KY, along with shoemaker Allen Cowan who may have been a relative or he may have only carried the same last name. Allen Cowan was not in the business very long in Louisville, he died of consumption in the fall of 1880. Sometime after the year 1880, Timothy Masterson, Sr. would also take his shoemaking business to Louisville. By 1910, there were few African American shoemakers left in Danville, KY, and among them were Addison C. Jenkins and his father Joshua Jenkins, and Simeon Thomas. Of note is Joshua Jenkins who made a living making and repairing shoes in Danville, KY longer than any other African American. Just prior to Joshua Jenkins death in 1931, African American Charles Scott was also a shoemaker in Danville. By 1945, Silas T. Vivion was the sole African American shoe repairer noted in the business section of the Danville city directory. Below are the names of African American shoemakers and shoe repairers in Danville, KY, from 1860-1945.
NAME | BUSINESS | LOCATION | YEAR | SOURCES | NOTES |
John Baughman (b.1849) | Shoemaker | Boyle County, KY | 1880 | U.S. Census | |
Samuel W. Brumfield (b.1827) | Shoemaker | Danville, KY | 1880 | U.S. Census | |
Anthoney Burnside (b.1830) | Shoemaker | Danville, KY | 1880 | U.S. Census | |
Alex Burton (b.1832) | Shoemaker | Danville, KY | 1880 | U.S. Census | |
William Caldwell (b.1830) | Shoemaker | Boyle County, KY | 1880 | U.S. Census | |
Roy L. Calhoun (1902-1950) | Cleaner | Shoe Shop - Danville | 1920 | U.S. Census | Died in Lexington, KY. Kentucky Death Certificate State File No. 50 396 116, Registrar's No.39 |
Allen Cowan (1844-1880) | Shoemaker | From Danville, KY. Lived in Louisville - 7th Street | 1875 | pp.167 in Caron's Directory of the City of Louisville, for 1875 | Family listed in 1860 U.S. Census as free and living in Danville, KY. Birth year estimated as 1844. |
Allen Cowan (1844-1880) | Shoemaker | From Danville, KY. Lived in Louisville -243 54th Street | 1876 | p.169 in Caron's Directory of the City of Louisville, for 1876 | |
Allen Cowan (1844-1880) | Shoemaker | From Danville, KY. Lived in Louisville - 33 Center Street | 1877 | p.159 in Caron's Directory of the City of Louisville, for 1877 | |
Allen Cowan (1844-1880) | Boot and Shoemaker | From Danville, KY. Lived in Louisville - 33 Center Street | 1878 | p.175 in Caron's Directory of the City of Louisville, for 1878 | |
Allen Cowan (1844-1880) | Shoemaker | From Danville, KY. Lived in Louisville, KY - 33 Center Street | 1880 | Kentucky Death Records | Died of consumption in Louisville, 09/09/1880. Birth year est. 1853 on Kentucky Death Record. |
Edward Cowan (b.1844) | Shoemaker | Danville, KY | 1870 | U.S. Census | Son of Reuben and Harriet Cowan. Family listed in the 1850 U.S. Census as free. |
Rueben Cowan (b.1820) | Shoemaker | Danville, KY | 1860 | U.S. Census | Family listed in the 1860 U.S. Census as free. Father of Edward and Stephen Cowan. |
Reuben Cowan (b.1820) | Shoemaker | Boyle County, KY | 1870 | U.S. Census | |
Reuben Cowan (b.1820) | Shoemaker | Moved to Louisville, KY 143 5th Street |
1875 | p.167 in Caron's Directory of the City of Louisville, for 1875 | |
Reuben Cowan (b.1820) | Shoemaker | Still lived in Louisville, KY 342 1/2 Walnut Street |
1876 | p.169 in Caron's Directory of the City of Louisville, for 1876 | |
Reuben Cowan (b.1820) | Shoe Cobbler | Danville, KY | 1880 | U.S. Census | |
Stephen Cowan (b.1849) | Shoemaker | Danville, KY | 1870 | U.S. Census | Son of Reuben and Harriet Cowan. Family listed in 1850 U.S. Census as free. |
Stephen Cowan (b.1849) | Shoemaker | Moved to Louisville, KY 33 Center Street |
1873 | p.155 in Caron's Annual Directory of the City of Louisville, for 1873 | |
Stephen Cowan (b.1849) | Shoemaker | Worked with Allen Cowan Shoemaker in Louisville at 243 5th Street | 1876 | p.169 in Caron's Directory of the City of Louisville, for 1876 | |
Anderson Gutherie (b.1820) | Shoemaker | Danville, KY | 1880 | U.S. Census | Born in Missouri. |
Addison Cheek Jenkins (1887-1965) | Cobbler | Joshua Jenkins Shoe Shop 118 West Walnut Street |
1910 | U.S. Census | Son of Joshua Jenkins and Fannie Knox. Left Danville and lived in Indianapolis, IN [source: WWI Draft Registration Card]. Find A Grave |
Joshua Jenkins (1855-1934) | Shoemaker | Danville, KY | 1900 | U.S. Census | Kentucky Death Certificate File No.24169, Registered No.139 |
Joshua Jenkins (1855-1934) | Cobbler | Owns Shop-Danville | 1910 | U.S. Census | |
Joshua Jenkins (1855-1934) | Shoemaker | Owns Shop-Danville | 1920 | U.S. Census | |
Joshua Jenkins (1855-1934) | Shoemaker | Owns Shop-Danville | 1930 | U.S. Census | |
Joshua Jenkins (1855-1934) | Shoe Repairer | Owns Shop-118 West Walnut | 1931 | p.215 in Polk's Danville (Kentucky) City Directory 1931-32 | |
Henry Mack (b.1833) | Shoemaker | Boyle County, KY | 1880 | U.S. Census | |
Timothy Masterson, Sr. (1827-1910) | Shoemaker | Boyle County, KY | 1870 | U.S. Census | Died in Louisville, KY. Find A Grave |
Timothy Masterson, Sr. (1827-1910) | Shoemaker | Boyle County, KY | 1880 | U.S. Census | |
Timothy Masterson, Sr. (1827-1910) | Shoemaker | Louisville, KY | 1884 | p.512 in Caron's Directory of the City of Louisville for 1884 | Moved to Louisville where he continued to make shoes until about 1888 according to the city directory. |
Charles Scott (b.1913) | Shoemaker | Boyle County, KY | 1930 | U.S. Census | |
Simeon Thomas (1842-1922) | Shoemaker | Boyle County, KY | 1910 | U.S. Census | Kentucky Death Certificate File No.195 Find A Grave |
Silas T. Vivion | Shoe Repairer | McGurk's Shoe Shop 114 S. 3rd Street |
1945 | p.107 in Polk's Danville (Boyle County, Kentucky) City Directory 1945 |