Historic Hood River
Handmade Buckskin Shoes
Notes
Here’s another museum artifact to enjoy while the museum is closed. It’s object #88.060.001, described as “Handmade buckskin shoes made by James R. Galligar who homesteaded in Hood River in 1893. There were hard times and short supplies, so he made shoes for the family and others. Jane Galliger Unger is his grand-daughter.”
I’m not sure which spelling of the family name is correct, which points to a common problem while researching old photos or objects. You need to be very flexible with your search terms or you may miss some relevant clues. While Internet search engines are getting better at “fuzzy” search algorithms, our museum object database and photo database aren’t nearly as accommodating.
[Note: A family member tells us the name is “Galligan.”
Norma
The family name is Galligan, my mother's maiden name. Jane Galligan Unger was my mother's cousin.
nels
Can't quite tell, is there something else for the sole? That looks like tanned leather which takes some doing to achieve that softness and flexibility. Indians used brain to achieve that.
L.E.
I have a pair of moose hide moccasins that an Indian lady made for me. It is surprising how durable they are.