As someone who enjoys the history of bootmakers, I am always fascinated by the family tree of H.J. “Daddy Joe” Justin. Not only did his daughter, Enid, start Nocona Boots, and his sons continue Justin Boots, but some of his unrelated employees continued his work as they started their own bootmaking careers. His connections to subsequent boot companies/shops are remarkable and are current even today.
C. G. “Gus” Blucher worked at Justin Boots for 27 years, first in Spanish Fort, and later in Nocona TX, under Daddy Joe. Along side Gus was Archer LaForce, related to Daddy Joe by marriage (HJ’s wife’s mother was a LaForce from near Lipan TX). In 1915, Gus and Archer decided to start out on their own and move to Cheyenne Wyoming to start Blucher Boots. After a few cold winters, Gus and Archer moved to Olathe Kansas, to continue the shop in a warmer climate with a larger available workforce. Archer later went to Tucson AZ, and formed Western Boot Company. Blucher died in 1932.
Jay Griffith worked at Western Boot Company before WWII. Paul Bond bought Western Boot Company several decades ago (1950s?). Jay wound up working for Blucher Boots in the early 1980s, hiring James “Smitty” Smith, who now owns Blucher Boots. Jay also hired Ray Dorwart and Lisa Sorrell, each having their present bootshops.
Enid Justin, who worked with her father “Daddy Joe” until she married Julius Stelzer in 1915, started Nocona Boots in 1925 when the Justin brothers decided to leave Nocona for a larger town. Enid and Julius, who also worked along side “Daddy Joe” ran Nocona Boots until their divorce in 1934.
Julius moved to nearby Henrietta TX, and along with a local bootmaker, Carl Olsen, and started Olsen-Stelzer Boot Company in 1934.
Enid remarried a Robert Whitman in 1940. Robert was not in the boot business, but Enid had him work around the Nocona Boots factory. They divorced in 1945, and with the little bootmaking that Robert picked up at Nocona, and along with businessmen, started the Whitbern Boot Company in Wichita Falls TX. That shop closed after a few years.
There is probably more to this convoluted story that I will find in the future.
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It is really interesting to see the Justin connections, and I appreciate you posting that narrative. I have a question about Stewart-Romero boots that you might have some insight on. I'm aware that Ronnie Stewart had a partnership with the Romero family of Leon, Mexico, which included Christobal Romero. Some Romero boots turn up from time-to-time and I have a couple of pairs; but my question is this. Do you know of Jose Romero of Juarez? I think there was a connection between him and the Romeros of Leon, and maybe even with Ronnie Stewart. My dad partnered with Jose on a number of custom crafted boots that my dad designed and Jose fabricated.
Joe Erwin agingapes@gmail.com
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