J. Yormark Shoes

Last spring, I noted the reappearance of a glass sign for J. Yormark Shoes over on 8th Avenue near Jane. A barber shop had moved in and saved the old sign. At the time, I couldn't find any photos of the original shoe store.

Now family member Cindee Weiss sends in some wonderful shots of the old shop, its workers, and clientele.


15 8th Ave.


68 Clinton St. (later Falai)

The photos and their story came to Cindee from Ken Yormark and Renee Yormark Entin, the grandchildren of Harry Yormark, nephew of Jacob and Joseph, the shoe store's founders. They write:

"In 1886, 17-year-old Jacob immigrated from the Austro-Hungarian Empire (later known as Poland) to the United States, where he and his brother Joseph, who immigrated in 1889 at age 19, opened two shoe stores. Somewhere between 1892 and 1897, Jacob’s store became J. Yormark Shoes at 15 8th Avenue. Joseph’s store, J. Yormark Fine Shoes, also pictured here, was located nearby at 68 Clinton Street. Harry eventually took over the store from Uncle Jacob, and ran it until it passed out of the family’s hands in the 1940s, during World War II when it became increasingly difficult to obtain shoes."



They also note: "Pee-Wee Herman is also a great-great nephew to both Jacob and Joseph Yormark, of J. Yormark Shoes.”

Though I doubt Yormark ever sold shoes like these: