Ted Johanson was the owner of Falcon Shoe in Lewiston-Auburn. He discusses his journey as a businessman, including how he started the factory and how he adapted to global changes in the shoe industry. He also talks about working conditions and programs for the...
Armand was born in Pembrook, NH, and moved to the Maine at the age of 3. He discusses growing up in the Lewiston-Auburn area in the 1930s, his family history with the Bates Mill, and his life as a weaver at the Bates Mill.
Dave Rancourt started as a hand sewer in shoe factories and eventually worked his way up to owning a small business. He discusses the department of hand sewing and what it was like to manage employees there. To read the transcription, scroll past the first two...
Ed Koss was a shoemaker who worked in various factories in Central America. He recounts his job in the shoe industry, and how he went from working in Maine to running factories in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He also discusses how globalization has changed the...
Charlie Herrick worked in the Bates Mill beginning in 1970. He discusses the night shift and unions at the Bates Mill. He also talks about how the changing technology and business practices impacted the work in the mill over time.
