Abstract: Originating in La Crosse, Wisconsin, as the La Crosse Rubber Mills Company, Inc., the enterprise began in 1897 manufacturing rubber horseshoes and then rubber-coated fabrics and raincoats until 1906 when the switch to rubber footwear was made.

Renamed LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. in 1986, the company designs, manufactures, and markets premium quality rubber, leather and vinyl footwear for sporting, recreational and occupational markets. Operations were consolidated and manufacturing was relocated from La Crosse, Wis., to Portland, Oregon, in 2001.

Records include newspaper articles, catalogs (1909-1996) of shoes and boots produced by the company, financial records (1897-1956), patents and trademarks, photographic images and shoe samples.