PrimaryResearch.org > Primary Research through the History of Beverly > Beverly Hall of Fame >Jan Ernst Matzeliger
Born in Paramaribo, South America, in 1852, Matzeliger worked in this father's machine shops beginning at the age of ten. In 1871, he sailed the world, finally settling in Philadelphia, two years later. In 1877, Matzeliger heard of job opportunity in Lynn, Massachusetts. Being of black ancestry, he found it hard to move up amount the industrial world, but finally made his way to a shoe factory. After countless hours of hard work, and determination, Matzeliger became aware of his one big chance to change the shoe industry. Matzeliger invented a Lasting Machine, which would assemble the soles to the upper show, producing 150 to 700 pairs of shoes a day. With the formation of the Consolidated Lasting Machine Company, in 1889, Matzeliger's machine spread to every shoe industry in the United States. Unfortunately, Matzeliger was not able to see the success his hard work amounted to, for he caught a cold, which quickly turned into tuberculosis, and he died August 24th, 1887.
Jessica Bardosh
