Category:Wetherhold & Metzger

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George A. Wetherhold and Owen W. Metzger opened their first shoe store in 1907 at 714 Hamilton street. However in the early 20th Century, the north side of Hamilton, not the south was the preferred location due to the increased sunlight. They moved to 719 on the north side in 1918 when the property became available. Over the years, the store specialized in "scientific" shoe sales by specializing in correct fitting and also sold the first orthopedic shoes in the city. Over the decades, the store expanded to several locations in the area and also to Reading.

George Wetherhold died in 1933 and his partner took over sole control of the business. Owen Metzger passed in 1965, leaving the business to his daughter Arlene Crum. In 1987, the Crum family retired and decided to sell the shoe business. The shoe store chain was sold to the B. Levy & Sons shoe store chain of Scranton. The original store on Hamilton Street was subsequently renamed as Shoes by Gina and sold only women's shoes and purses. It closed in 1988 for renovations, but was never reopened. The other stores, primarily in local shopping malls, were renamed as Stride Rite children's shoe stores, and the Wetherhold & Metzger name passed into history. Arlene Crum died in 1993 at age 79; she was the widow of J. Birney Crum, an athlete and coach. The J. Birney Crum Stadium of the Allentown (Pennsylvania) School District is dedicated to him.

A series of small businesses operated from the store on Hamilton Street during the 1990s and early 2000s, until the 700 block of Hamilton Street was torn down as part of the Neighborhood Improvement Zone project (NIZ) in 2012. The land is now part of City Center 1, and part of the Lehigh Valley Health Network.


Camera location40° 36′ 07″ N, 75° 28′ 22″ W Kartographer map based on OpenStreetMap.View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMapinfo

Media in category "Wetherhold & Metzger"

The following 72 files are in this category, out of 72 total.

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