This collection was categorized into eight series: history (n.d.-1995), catalogs (1909-1996), financial materials (1897-1956), subsidiary financial materials (1919-1924), patents/trademarks (1856-1976), personnel & property (n.d., 1922-1995), photographic images (n.d.-1997), shoe samples (n.d.).
The history series includes some annual reports, an historical booklet about the manufacture of rubber footwear (1925), newspaper clippings (1910-1997), and some memorabilia, including a reproduction of the 1922 Winter Carnival patch.
Catalogs are La Crosse Rubber Mills/LaCrosse Footwear product catalogs from 1909-1996 and show different styles and colors over time. A few sales brochures are also included here (1945, 1993).
Financial materials are the most Volumeuminous and include general, private, and account ledgers. Journals include cash books, accounts payable, payroll, and trial balance. Some miscellaneous journals include collection register (people who owe the company money), liability insurance account and bus transportation account (both in the same bound Volumeume), and "shoe findings" which we believe was some kind of research and development log book. There are also two Volumeumes of subsidiary financial materials which are a trial balance and cash book.
Patents/trademarks are very interesting and graphical in nature. Many are patents/trademarks of the La Crosse Rubber Mills, but some are patent copies from shoe related parts (e.g. rubber soles) and the like. These range in date from 1856-1976.
Personnel & property includes some general files dealing with personnel issues (i.e. memos about changes in worker assignments), a production log (1928) that seems to be organized by worker, and a retiree list (1995). Property materials include building specifications (1927), history, and insurance appraisals.
The photographic images include oversize ads/artwork of the plant buildings, a building layout (circa 1920s?), a newspaper from 1928 and reproduction historical photographs on form core (for display). Three large color building drawings were too large to house with the collection and were separated out into the oversize picture file. These can be found under the heading Industries-La Crosse Rubber Mills/LaCrosse Footwear.
There is a collection of glass plate negatives (undated) which include the building and shoe products. The other photographs include undated, but historical images categorized by ads/artwork (drawings), aerial views, busses, buildings, personnel and production. In the "other" category are three machine sewn photo albums in canvas depicting production of the rubber footwear.
Some other formats include VHS tape and audio tape coverage of the centennial celebration, 1995-1997, and some commercial video 1960, 1995-1996.
Lastly, shoe samples that were saved include mainly women's overshoes and one pair of men's overshoes. These are not dated but the rubber is becoming brittle.
