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1758 or Ligonier Model is made on a Straight Last.,
therefore there is No Left or Right shoe. It is available in rough out or smooth finish leather and has a
short tongue, round toe (square toes disappeared in 1735) and 1-1/4 inch latchets.
The 1758 Story. In 1757-58 a British army was on its way to attack the French stronghold
of Fort Duquesne; later known as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Delayed by the weather, they established winter
quarters at Fort Ligonier in what became the state of Pennsylvania. A neighboring creek was used as a refuse
dump and a flash flood in January or February, 1758 deposited a load of clay that sealed the contents of the
dump for two hundred years. In 1958 the dump was opened and, among other things, a great number of shoes and
shoe parts were discovered. Units of that British army had recently been stationed in Bermuda, Ireland, Britain,
Philadelphia and Charleston. Their shoes had been made in all of those places, reflecting the supply system of
the British Army at the time. The discarded shoes showed fourteen toe styles, a greater number of tongue styles
and latchets (straps) from 3/4 inch to 3 inches in width. There were no boxy square toes. The closest thing was
a few examples of a cut-off point something like a "snoot boot." From the original listour supplier selected the
most common or predominant features. The result was a round-toed shoe with a low or moderate heel, short tongue
and latchets 1-1/4 inches wide. That is the shoe we made. It will serve for a military or everyday shoe from 1740
to 1800.
Swapping shoes from foot to foot each day. In over a hundred examples, the Ligonier
collection showed one or two with evidence of having been swapped from foot to foot. Although there is evidence
that some officers put out such orders, the practice was seldom followed. Can you imagine getting into camp with
wet shoes, drying them near the fire, but not too near, so that they are stiff and cold in the morning; and then
forcing your feet into the clammy leather that had been molded to the other foot? No way. This would also be a
fine way to tear up the latchets by re-setting the buckles each day.
Available in Rough out or smooth leather, they are made from top grain leather for both types and not cheaper
splits for the rough-out. The rough-out reflects the common shoe in Colonial times. The leather splitting machine
was not invented until the 1840's. In Colonial days, leather was brought to thickness by "currying" or scraping
over a wooden beam. Unlined shoes would be made with the smooth side inside to take the place of a lining. The
rough outside leather was dressed with a mixture of soot, lard, bear grease and beeswax. The first commercial
shoe polish was advertised in Boston in 1771. For the most authentic appearance, the rough-out Concord or
Ligonier 1758 model may be "packed" with commercial shoe polish to simulate the bear grease polish of the
Colonial shoemaker.
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