Herman Joseph Justin
Encyclopedia
Herman Joseph Justin was born in Lafayette, Indiana
. Justin's father's profession, cigar making, didn't suit H. J., so he moved to Texas in 1877 at the age of 18. First settling in Gainesville, Texas
at a time when Indian raids from the Oklahoma Territory
were just beginning to wane, Justin was first employed as a shoe repairman at a local Gainesville shop. After a few years working on shoes, he moved 40 miles west to the fledgling town of Burlington, Texas (now Spanish Fort, Texas
) in Montague County, Texas and opened a boot shop with a $35 loan from the local barber.
The town he chose for relocation was ideal for a boot maker. Burlington was not only on the Chisholm Trail
near the crossing of the Red River, but also served as a supply headquarters for cowboys and ranchers. In Burlington, Joe met and married Annie Allen, and in 1889 moved south to Nocona, Texas
with their first son, John. Although successful in Spanish Fort, Joe knew that the business environment in Nocona would be more promising due to the newly constructed Missouri-Kansas-Texas railway and expanded market capacity.
Once in Nocona and capitalizing on the larger market, Annie Justin, H.J.'s wife, developed a fit kit in the early 1890s, which included a tape measure and an instructions chart for taking one's measurements for a pair of custom fit boots. Cowboys carried the fit kits with them on their journeys, becoming Justin's first traveling sales force.
In 1908, sons John and Earl came to work for their father, and the company was renamed H.J. Justin and Sons. In 1910, the company doubled its production utilizing new technology, and Justin boots were sold to 26 states, Canada
, Mexico
, and Cuba
for $11 a pair. H. J. Justin and Sons continued to expand until the elder Justin's death in 1918.
John and Earl took over the business after their father's death in 1918. In 1925, the brothers moved the company headquarters to Fort Worth, Texas
to capitalize on that city's growth. John and Earl's sister, Enid Justin
, knowing that father H. J. would have wanted the boot company to remain in Nocona, opened her own business, the Nocona Boot Company. Thus began the legend of quality and craftsmanship from one of the most famous boot-making families in the world.
While Justin and Nocona have grown considerably since the early days in Burlington, the same principals passed down from H. J. to sons John and Earl and daughter Enid, still hold true. H.J. Justin said, "No boot shall ever bear the Justin brand unless it is the very best that can be produced from the standpoint of material, style and workmanship. It is my wish that I might leave behind me an institution which will uphold the standards and spirit of the true West."
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
. Justin's father's profession, cigar making, didn't suit H. J., so he moved to Texas in 1877 at the age of 18. First settling in Gainesville, Texas
Gainesville, Texas
Gainesville is a city in and the county seat of Cooke County, Texas, United States. The population was 15,538 at the 2000 census.-History:...
at a time when Indian raids from the Oklahoma Territory
Oklahoma Territory
The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma.-Organization:Oklahoma Territory's...
were just beginning to wane, Justin was first employed as a shoe repairman at a local Gainesville shop. After a few years working on shoes, he moved 40 miles west to the fledgling town of Burlington, Texas (now Spanish Fort, Texas
Spanish Fort, Texas
Spanish Fort is an unincorporated town in north central Montague County, Texas, United States at the end of Farm Road 103 one mile south of the Red River.-History:...
) in Montague County, Texas and opened a boot shop with a $35 loan from the local barber.
The town he chose for relocation was ideal for a boot maker. Burlington was not only on the Chisholm Trail
Chisholm Trail
The Chisholm Trail was a trail used in the late 19th century to drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas railheads. The portion of the trail marked by Jesse Chisholm went from his southern trading post near the Red River, to his northern trading post near Kansas City, Kansas...
near the crossing of the Red River, but also served as a supply headquarters for cowboys and ranchers. In Burlington, Joe met and married Annie Allen, and in 1889 moved south to Nocona, Texas
Nocona, Texas
Nocona is a city along U.S. Highway 82 and State Highway 175 in Montague County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,198 at the 2000 census.-History:...
with their first son, John. Although successful in Spanish Fort, Joe knew that the business environment in Nocona would be more promising due to the newly constructed Missouri-Kansas-Texas railway and expanded market capacity.
Once in Nocona and capitalizing on the larger market, Annie Justin, H.J.'s wife, developed a fit kit in the early 1890s, which included a tape measure and an instructions chart for taking one's measurements for a pair of custom fit boots. Cowboys carried the fit kits with them on their journeys, becoming Justin's first traveling sales force.
In 1908, sons John and Earl came to work for their father, and the company was renamed H.J. Justin and Sons. In 1910, the company doubled its production utilizing new technology, and Justin boots were sold to 26 states, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
for $11 a pair. H. J. Justin and Sons continued to expand until the elder Justin's death in 1918.
John and Earl took over the business after their father's death in 1918. In 1925, the brothers moved the company headquarters to Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
to capitalize on that city's growth. John and Earl's sister, Enid Justin
Enid Justin
Enid Justin , a native of Montague County, Texas, founded the Nocona Boot Company in the small community of Nocona, Texas.-Family life:...
, knowing that father H. J. would have wanted the boot company to remain in Nocona, opened her own business, the Nocona Boot Company. Thus began the legend of quality and craftsmanship from one of the most famous boot-making families in the world.
While Justin and Nocona have grown considerably since the early days in Burlington, the same principals passed down from H. J. to sons John and Earl and daughter Enid, still hold true. H.J. Justin said, "No boot shall ever bear the Justin brand unless it is the very best that can be produced from the standpoint of material, style and workmanship. It is my wish that I might leave behind me an institution which will uphold the standards and spirit of the true West."