Auburn in Androscoggin County, Maine — The American Northeast (New England)
Roak Block
Auburn, Maine
— The Museum in the Streets® —
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 11, 2021
1. Roak Block Marker
Inscription.
, A growing demand for shoes and boots during the Civil War established Auburn as a shoe manufacturing center. Jacob Roak, Ara Cushman, Jeremiah Dingley and others strived to build "a first-rate shoe manufacturing center." Roak Block, located on Main Street in Auburn, was built in 1871-72 as a "cradle" to enable shoe firms to gain their start. Each manufacturer invested in and owned a vertical section of the nine-part structure. The ground floor served as retail storefront while the upper floors were used for manufacturing shoes. This became the dominant industry, and Auburn was considered "the shoe capital of the world." It is recorded, "In 1917 one factory in Auburn was producing 75 percent of the world's supply of white canvas shoes.", . This historical marker was erected in 2019 by The Museum in the Streets®. It is in Auburn in Androscoggin County Maine
A growing demand for shoes and boots during the Civil War established Auburn as a shoe manufacturing center. Jacob Roak, Ara Cushman, Jeremiah Dingley and others strived to build "a first-rate shoe manufacturing center." Roak Block, located on Main Street in Auburn, was built in 1871-72 as a "cradle" to enable shoe firms to gain their start. Each manufacturer invested in and owned a vertical section of the nine-part structure. The ground floor served as retail storefront while the upper floors were used for manufacturing shoes. This became the dominant industry, and Auburn was considered "the shoe capital of the world." It is recorded, "In 1917 one factory in Auburn was producing 75 percent of the world's supply of white canvas shoes."
La forte demande de souliers et de bottes pendant la Guerre de Sécession transforme Auburn en centre de production de chaussures. Jacob Roak, Ara Cushman, Jeremiah Dingey parmi d'autres décident d'y créer un centre d'excellence de la chaussure. Le bâtiment Roak dans la rue principale à Auburn voit le jour en 1871-72 et sert d'incubateur aux enterprises qui veulent
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s'installer. Chaque fabriquant investit et possède une section verticale de l'usine qui en comprend neuf. Le rez-de-chaussée sert de magasin et les étages supérieurs son consacrés à la production. Cela devient l'industrie dominante de la ville et Auburn est reconnue comme la « capitale mondiale de la chaussure ». En 1917, on dit que « 75 pour cent des chaussures de toile blanche vendues dan le monde proiennent de l'usine d'Auburn ».
Erected 2019 by The Museum in the Streets®. (Marker Number A6.)
Location. 44° 5.753′ N, 70° 13.527′ W. Marker is in Auburn, Maine, in Androscoggin County. Marker is on Main Street (Maine Route 136) just north of Mechanics Row, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 146 Main St, Auburn ME 04210, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 11, 2021
3. Roak Block, directly across the street from its namesake marker
Credits. This page was last revised on November 17, 2021. It was originally submitted on November 17, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 154 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on November 17, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
