From the exterior front to the rear of the sales room, Emerhoff's Footwear, 219 Main, has been completely remodeled and redecorated. The modern front of grooved weldwood and a new all-glass door attract passersby who find the interior of the store in beautifully blending shades that harmonize with the new carpeting and recently installed furniture and light fixtures. A new cabinet at the front of the interior has the same background as the display windows which have been improved by doubling the amount of lighting for nights and dark days. Tribune photo published December 5, 1949
Emerhoff Peterson
Emerhoff Peterson started by working for other shoe stores in Ames like Bauge Shoe Company, Trueblood Shoe Store and eventually Cook's Bootery. In 1940, Charles Cook retired and sold his merchandise and his business at 219 Main Street to Emerhoff Peterson.
Don Gustofson, Former Emerhoff's Footwear employee
Related a few tidbits of the story behind the store's founder.
At that time the entire year's inventory would be selected and ordered at shoe shows in large cities such as Chicago and St. Louis. Upon returning home from the 1941 show, Emerhoff felt he may have gotten carried away and ordered too many shoes. However, because the start of World War II caused shoes to be suddenly in short supply, the excessive order allowed Emerhoff to supply other shoe stores with needed stock. He had really lucked out. What could have been a costly mistake actually ended up firmly establishing Mr. Peterson in the shoe business.
Emerhoff Peterson had a flair for fashion, and specialized in quality women's shoes, even in the tough sizes. The store stocked sizes from 5 to 10, back when size 10 was a large shoe. Women of Norwegian heritage, especially, had long narrow feet and depended on Emerhoff's to stock the sizes they needed, and many came from a distance to get fitted. Often, Emerhoff would buy a few pair of extra-flashy shoes, perhaps with stiletto heels. These are for window dressing, to get women in the door, he would say.
Don says he worked his way through college as an Emerhoff's salesman. I earned 50 cents an hour plus 2 or 3 percent of what I sold. I still remember some women's shoe sizes; Mrs. Bob Parks was a 6AA. Emerhoff's shoes were a bit on the expensive side, but were the best quality and on the leading edge of fashion.
Wayne Peterson, Emerhoff's son shows off the new expansion, 1956
Expansions in the Store and Family
In August of 1956, Emerhoff's Footwear moved to a new location at 215 Main Street and added a men's department. The grand opening was featured in a Tribune supplement full of store photos as well as advertisements for a variety of shoe brands. In 1974, the store expanded into the adjacent storefront at 217 Main. Emerhoff's Footwear has always been a family store, eventually operated by Emerhoff's son, Wayne, and now by his grandson, Mark Peterson, 3rd and 4th generations in the business.
