Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1900

Date Range To

1911

Materials

STEEL

No. Pieces

2

Length

5.1

Width

1.9

Description

STEEL SHOE SHAPED DEVICE STAMPED "W.J. NELSON & CO. LETHBRIDGE SHOE FOR ALL AGES". SHORT STEEL LINKED CHAIN ATTACHED BY SPRING CLASP TO SHOE RING PATD STAMPED ON REVERESE. SHOE SHOWS CONSIDERABLE SURFACE RUST.

Subjects

PERSONAL GEAR

Historical Association

RETAIL TRADE

History

*UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF BOXED TEXTILE ARTIFACTS AND ACCESSORIES, INCLUDING THIS KEY CHAIN. RESEARCH CONDUCTED TO LOCATE THE DONOR OR NEXT-OF-KIN DID NOT FIND ANY PERSONS AVAILABLE TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARTIFACT. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM LETHBRIDGE HERALD RESEARCH DONE ABOUT DONOR, IDA MAUDE (ALSO REFERRED TO AS IDA MAY) LEVITT AND HER FAMILY. LEVITT WAS BORN, RAISED, AND EDUCATED IN ONTARIO. SHE MARRIED WILLIAM ARTHUR LEVITT, WHO WAS BORN IN SELKIRK, ONTARIO ON 4 MAY 1877. HE WAS EDUCATED IN ONTARIO, WHERE HE STUDIED FOR THE MINISTRY. HIS WORK IN THE EAST INCLUDED WORKING AS A MINISTER AND AS A SECRETARY FOR THE Y.M.C.A., HE THEN MOVED WEST TO HIGH RIVER TO ACCEPT A POSITION IN A CHURCH THERE. IDA’S OBITUARY STATES THAT SHE MOVED FROM ONTARIO TO HIGH RIVER IN 1910 AND THEN MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE THE FOLLOWING YEAR. WILLIAM SERVED AS A MINISTER IN THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IN LETHBRIDGE FROM 1910 TO 1912. HE LATER BECAME A PROMINENT INSURANCE BROKER IN LETHBRIDGE – A JOB HE HAD FOR 33 YEARS. BOTH HE AND IDA WOULD LIVE THE REST OF THEIR LIVES IN LETHBRIDGE; WILLIAM PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 67 YEARS IN 1944 AND IDA ON 8 FEBRUARY 1976 AT THE AGE OF 94 YEARS. THE COUPLE HAS THREE CHILDREN: FREDRICK (FRED), HELEN “ELLEDA”, AND KATHLEEN. KATHLEEN PASSED AFTER HER FATHER’S DEATH IN 1944, BUT PRIOR TO HER MOTHER’S IN 1976. ELLEDA PASSED AWAY ON 5 NOVEMBER 1983 AT THE AGE OF 74 YEARS, AND FRED PASSED AWAY ON 5 MARCH 2000. THE OBJECT DONATED IS A KEYCHAIN FROM THE BOOT AND SHOE DEALER, W. J. NELSON & CO., WHICH – ACCORDING TO LETHBRIDGE HERALD RESEARCH – SERVED LETHBRIDGE FROM 1910 TO AT LEAST 1932. PRIOR TO W. J. NELSON & CO., A COMPANY CALLED NELSON & GOW, WHICH WAS OWNED BY MR. FRED GOW AND MR. W. J. NELSON, SOLD SHOES TO THE CITY. RECORDS OF THAT COMPANY EXIST AS FAR BACK AS 1908 UNTIL 1910 WHEN THE PARTNERSHIP DISSOLVED AND THE COMPANY BECAME W. J. NELSON & CO. THE COMPANY WAS LOCATED AT 620 3RD AVENUE SOUTH IN THE SHERLOCK BUILDING. NOTE: ORIGINAL ACQUISITION PAPERWORK HAD THE DONOR’S NAME LISTED AS “LEAVITT, IDA.” EVIDENCE FOUND IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD AND HENDERSON DIRECTORIES FROM THE TIME OF DONATION INDICATES THAT THE CORRECT SPELLING OF THE DONOR’S SURNAME IN “LEVITT.” THE DATABASE ENTRY HAS BEEN EDITED TO INDICATE THOSE FINDINGS. PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, INCLUDING LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES.

Catalogue Number

P19672466000

Acquisition Date

1966-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail