The foundation for Burkhartzmeyer Shoes was laid in the late 1930’s. Ferdie, a German immigrant from Odessa, Russia, was a leather buyer at the Shaft–Pierce Shoe Factory. When the factory closed, he and his wife Martha opened a shoe repair and harness shop. When sons Alvin (front left), Walter (front center), and Donald (front right) returned from the war, they opened a full–line family shoe store in September, 1949. The new store was located at 228 Central Avenue, with the repair shop attached through an adjoining building on Third street. The business continued to grow and in March, 1967, Burkhartzmeyer’s moved to its present location of 128 Central Avenue. In 1973, the family purchased the building south of the store and remodeled it into a Red Wing Boot Store and full service repair shop.

In 1985, the business was transferred to the Third Generation of ownership as Bruce (son of Alvin, back left) and Brian (son of Donald, back right) purchased...