Wellesley Way Back

Wellesley Way Back 
Special to Hometown Weekly
Featuring artifacts within the collections of the Wellesley Historical Society

By Erica Dumont
Executive Director, Wellesley Historical Society

The Wellesley Historical Society is the historical resource center for the town of Wellesley. Since its inception in 1925, the Society has been collecting and maintaining objects, artworks, documents and photographs that pertain to the history of the town. These artifacts serve as a doorway to the past, allowing people today to see, feel, visualize and imagine what life was like for people who lived in their town fifty, one hundred and even two hundred years ago. These objects make history come alive.

This week’s Wellesley Way Back features a pair of carriage boots. Carriage boots were often worn by women during long winter carriage rides. Shoes were not always warm, so carriage boots were worn over, or in place of, shoes as a way to keep the wearer’s feet warm.

These ornate, often expensive shoes and were not meant to be worn outside as they were too valuable to touch the ground. Carriage boots were typically made without laces or buckles so they could easily be worn or removed. The carriage boots shown here date from ca. 1870-1890 and were sold by N.O. Stone & Co. They are made with a light pink satin, a leather sole and white rabbit fur trim and are cared for by the Wellesley Historical Society’s curator, Kathleen Fahey, and curatorial interns.

The Wellesley Way Back articles also appear on the Wellesley Historical Society’s website, www.wellesleyhistoricalsociety.org. For more information about the Wellesley Historical Society or to make a research appointment, call 781-235-6690 or email info@wellesleyhistoricalsociety.org.