History

From the about us page...

His first wife converted to Catholicism on her deathbed. Following her death William converted to Catholicism and married the daughter of a wealthy Catholic landowner. They had twelve children before his second wife died. He married for the third time in 1814 in Taneytown, Maryland. His wife Mary Walters Costigan was a widow. Their son Joseph was born in 1816. By 1820-21 William and Mary Walker had decided to move west with family and friends to Somerset, Ohio. There were many families in the Somerset area from Catholic communities in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Mary Walter's brother, Jacob Walters, had previously settled in Somerset and was a shoemaker. It is believed her son Joseph Walker learned the shoemaker's trade from his uncle, Jacob Walters. In 1836 Joseph married Catherine Miller and opened a shoemaker's shop on the square in Somerset. Then: first son William H. Walker was born in 1841. William H. Walker worked for his father and expanded their business to Rushville where he opened a second shop.

William H. married Maria (Mariah) Ann Russell on Aug. 18, 1862 in Holy Trinity Church, Somerset. Two stories of the wedding are told. One states he left her the day of their wedding, and another states he left the next day. Either version is sad when you learn he left because he had joined the Union Army and was off to fight in Co.Hof the 90th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Unfortunately, William H. must have been wounded because the roster states he was "Discharged March 3, 1863 at Louisville, Ky., on surgeon's certificate of disability." About nine months later William and Maria's son Philip Grant Walker was born in 1864. He was named Philip after General Philip Sheridan, and Grant after General Ulysses S. Grant.

W. H. Walker and his brother-in-law, W. H. Russell began a business under the name Walker & Russell. Russell had also fought in the war and was mustered out with his company July 20, 1865. In Graham's History of Fairfield and Perry Counties (p. 528) we read: "In the year 1866, in partnership with his brother-in-law, W. H. Walker, their business as shoemakers and merchants began on a small capital which each had saved up from his earnings, prior to that date, and which has now [1883] so accumulated that, measured by their taxes, which are over $100 a year, certifies their success." Graham continues on page 575 in a sketch of Walker: "His success in his chosen occupation exceeds the average of business men, who start on far greater capital, and is due to that care, attention, industry, sobriety and perseverance which have distinguished both the partners."

In 1878 W. H. constructed a large building to house both shoe manufacturing and retailing facilities. In an early circa 1881 photo of this building (above) can be seen a large black boot about 16" tall sitting on a three dimensional sign with the name of the store. W. H. made three of these very large, leather boots to advertise his business. (Eventually, one went west to Dayton with family members and was lost in a flood. The second went to Springfield and the third boot as well as the sign it sat upon can be· seen yet today in the Lancaster store.)

Anyone who has driven through Somerset has driven around the General Philip H. Sheridan Memorial Monument that stands in the center of his hometown. From the Historical Society of Perry County's website we learn that in March 1904 The Honorable Tom D. Binckley introduced a bill (The Sheridan Monument Act) into the House and after approval by House and Senate it was signed into law on April 18, 1904. In July 1904 Governor Herrick appointed Hinckley, W. H. Walker, and Father Daniel J. Kennedy to a committee with the sole purpose of erecting a statue with the $10,000 that had been appropriated. They contracted with the Harrison Granite Co. of New York City in Nov. 1904, and Carl Heber was selected to be the sculptor.

In preparation for the Nov. 2, 1905 unveiling of the Sheridan Monument that would bring dignitaries from Washington and New York, the entire village of Somerset "spruced up." W. H. Walker put a new front on his building. A 6' X 4' tiled "front step" identified the building as "Walker's" and welcomed customers inside. (Note: This large piece of flooring was rescued from the Somerset building and brought to Lancaster. Today it may be seen on the east side of Walker's Shoe Center on E. Main St.)

The monument arrived on a flatbed railroad car and sixteen draft horses were used to move it about a half mile from the station to the center of Somerset. The monument was covered with a large cloth so it would not be seen until the unveiling. Riding under the cloth and holding it on was W. H. Walker's 19-year old son, Percy. William H. received a letter from Sheridan's widow thanking him for his work on the monument.

William H. and Maria Walker would have twelve children. This man who married his sweetheart and went off to war in 1862 lived until 1923. Their first son, Philip Grant Walker, married Maria Sophia Kulp in 1887. They would have seven children and all would work in the shoe business. He was the last Walker in the family to construct a shoe by hand. Philip Grant then guided the business from handmade shoes to manufactured shoes, and lived until 1935.

Philip Grant's son, Joseph D. Walker, was born in 1900. It should come as no surprise that the 1920 Federal Census listed the occupation of both Joseph age 19 and his brother Russell age 16 as "shoe store salesman." Joseph married Audrey Kinsel in 1921. A brochure available in Walker's Shoe Center today says this about Joseph, the fourth generation: "The ownership passed to Joseph, Philip's oldest son, in 1936. Joe weathered the depression and World War II's shoe rationing by emphasizing shoe repair. Going to Chicago to study under Dr. Scholl enabled him to treat minor foot problems and add another emphasis, foot comfort."

Robert Philip "Phil" was born to Joseph and Audrey Walker in 1930. As a young man Phil swept the floor in the store or did whatever he was asked and eventually learned to repair shoes. Phil graduated from Xavier in Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1953. Phil met Marilyn Diedrich from South Bend, Indiana while in college, and they married in June 1953. Phil served in the Navy and then he returned to Somerset in 1955 to work in the family business. He purchased the store in 1958. Somerset offered limited opportunities for growth so as Phil began looking in new directions, he saw that Lancaster was prospering and decided he would expand west.

"The Shoe Center Is Opening at 847 East Main St. Today" announced the Eagle-Gazette on Friday, August 19, 1960. The article stated that R. J. Glockner was the co-owner and Phil Walker, a fifth-generation shoe man, was manager. Phil, his wife Marilyn and their four daughters Cathy, Beth Lyn and Colette were to maintain their home in Somerset for the time being. A manager had been hired for the Somerset store so that Phil could devote his time to the new Lancaster store.

The grand opening was held on Friday and Saturday. The store advertised that they specialized in children's shoes, the proper fit, and filling doctors' prescriptions. The store was giving away a free pair of shoes each week for three weeks, giving to one child "shoes for a year" (limit four pairs), and a free picture of your child with every pair of shoes purchased in the store. The store could also offer customers "plenty of free parking next to the store," and wanted "To help your child have happy feet on that 80,000 mile walk through life."

Many readers will remember the "Happy Feet" that appeared in the store's advertisements. Marilyn Walker was the artist who created the popular Happy Feet. During their second year in Lancaster they held a contest through the newspaper to name the happy feet. A second grade girl won the contest with the names "Tappy" and "Snappy." Readers may also remember the short columns Phil wrote for the newspaper ads titled "Foot Prints." They were informative and answered such questions as "How should a child break in new shoes?" to "Which causes more damage to a child's feet-shoes too small or too big?" Then there were the free turtles given away with the purchase of a pair of Keds and turtle races. In May 1965 Phil received 150 turtles and 250 chameleons to give away and hoped he would not run out. The races were scheduled for Sat. May 22 at 9 a.m. in the parking lot. All participants received a treat at Rockey's Candy Store next door and the winner won a pair of Keds.

Within a few years the Shoe Center had outgrown their small store. A home at 737 E. Main St. was up for sale and it seemed like a good investment. The Walker's purchased the building and Marilyn Walker's brother, Richard Diedrich, an architect, redesigned the building to offer several office or shop spaces that could be leased. Invitations were sent inviting folks to the Walkers' christening party for their new "baby," on Father's Day, June 19, 1966 from 3 -5 p.m. Sadly, when an ad appeared in the E-G on July 19, 1966 inviting customers to the "new home of happy feet at 737 E. Main," literally just below it on the page was the "going out of business sale" ad for Nyes Shoes at 131 N. Columbus St. Clearly, the Walkers were doing something right.

The Somerset store was sold in 1967. Phil went to graduate school, received a degree in 1970 and began teaching at Capital University and OU-L. As all five daughters were growing up they were trained to sell shoes. The Walkers' fifth daughter, Melissa Walker Schmelzer, is the one who returned to work in the Lancaster store in 1987. Today, Melissa is the owner/manager and she enjoys talking about the trends of the past and changes for the future.

We've walked in the shoes of Joseph, William Henry, Philip Grant, Joseph Daniel, Phil and Melissa for just a few paragraphs but have covered six generations. If the same level of service to their customers and knowledge of shoes continues, the Walkers yet to come may one day be celebrating their 100th anniversary in Lancaster.

Written for Lancaster Eagle-Gazette by Joyce Harvey. Publication Date: Monday, August 23, 2010
Glimpses of the Past