Adams Shoe Store, Marion, Illinois

Adam’s Shoe Store was opened in 1926 by Lloyd Adams at 416 N. Market and initially was a shoe repair business which has shifted to shoe and boot sales over the years.

Lloyd was one of four Adams brothers who all operated businesses in the 400 block of N. Market. At one time there were three Adam’s businesses operating at the same time. Lloyd’s older brother Raymond operated Adam’s Barber Shop at 414 N. Market and his youngest brother Joseph S. Adams operated Adam’s Cab Company at 414 ½ N. Market St.

In the early 1920’s, Lloyd apprenticed under Joe Laburgio who owned the West Side Shoe Shop on West Main Street to learn the shoe repair business.

In the 1930’s Lloyd’s younger brother Charles Vincent Adams began apprenticing under him and working with him in the business.

When Lloyd’s older brother Raymond died at 46 in 1948 he began running his brothers barber shop and slowly let control over to his brother Charles.

Lloyd and his wife Josephine lived at 400 N. Madison Street.

Charles continued operating the business and when he married he moved from the family home at 103 N. Cunningham St. to his own home at 401 E. Marion St.

Charles Adams passed away in 1990 and the business continued under the supervision of his wife Patricia until her retirement around 1998

Since then, the business has been under the operation of her son Vince Adams which is the way it remains to this date in May 2013. The store is now listed as 418 N. Market St.

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(Data from Marion City Directories, Federal Census Records, Marion City Cemetery Records; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 05/13/2013)

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