123 Years Ago
The April 2, 1903 Colorado Transcript included an advertisement for W.L. Douglas Shoes.
W.L. Douglas spent his early years as a cobbler in Golden. His shop was located on 12th Street, about where the post office stands today. According to a November 17, 1904 Transcript article, Douglas sold his Golden business in 1868 or 1869 and left Golden with $470. From here, he went to Massachusetts and started a shoe factory. The business did well and Douglas became a wealthy man. He served in the Massachusetts state legislature and eventually as Governor of the State of Massachusetts. He was also known for his philanthropic works. He died in 1924.
The Transcript liked to point out that much of Douglas’s success came from advertising in newspapers. Douglas advertised in papers all over the county, including the Colorado Transcript, but the Transcript had the honor of printing Douglas’s very first advertisement, in the June 5, 1867 edition. The Plains Indian War was heating up at that time, and he suggested that a pair of his shoes would help you run away from hostiles.
