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Within ten years, McElwain operated 21 factories, employing 6,500 people, most of them in New Hampshire. William and his brother, J. Franklin McElwain, introduced a number of improvements in shoe manufacturing efficiency, labor relations, and product distribution.
While serving in the army during World War I, Ward Melville struck up a profitable friendship with J. Franklin McElwain, a New Hampshire shoe manufacturer. Together they devised a method to mass-produce shoes and distribute them at low prices though a chain of stores, which they decided to name after a Scottish golfer, Thomas McCann, which they ...
While serving in the army during World War I, Ward Melville struck up a profitable friendship with J. Franklin McElwain, a New Hampshire shoe manufacturer.
Jan 14, 2024 · Ward Melville, in collaboration with J. Franklin McElwain, a shoe manufacturer from New Hampshire, founded the Thom McAn brand. The name drew inspiration from Scottish golfer Thomas McCann. The inaugural retail store opened its doors in New York in 1922, offering a selection of uncomplicated styles at a fixed, affordable price.
In 1924, the J.F. McElwain Shoe Company and Thom McAn Shoes formed a partnership, which was one of the earliest business alliances between a manufacturer and retailer in the shoe industry.
Ward Melville created the Thom McAn brand with J. Franklin McElwain, a New Hampshire shoe manufacturer. The name was inspired by Scottish golfer Thomas McCann. The first Thom McAn retail store opened in New York in 1922, selling a few simple styles at a low fixed price.
The J. Franklin McElwain House ranks among the most stylish turn of the century houses in Bridgewater. Blending elements of the Queen Anne, shingle and Colonial Revival styles, its main facade is dominated by a handsome columned porch and broad gambrel gable.
