Bootmaker
Annie Justin
Annie Justin, born Louanna Allen, married Nocona bootmaker H. J. Justin and worked alongside him in his Spanish Fort and Nocona shop. Together they devised the mail-order self-measuring kit that let cowboys order boots by mail without a fitting, a key piece of how Justin Boots grew into a mail-order business. No birth or death date for her survives in the record.
Known for
Co-invented Justin's mail-order self-measuring kit
Related: Justin Boots · H.J. Justin · Enid Justin
Biography
History
Annie Justin, born Louanna Allen and also called Louanna "Annie" Allen, worked alongside her husband H. J. Justin in his boot shop in Spanish Fort and later Nocona, Texas. Sources differ on the year of their marriage: the Encyclopedia of the Great Plains gives 1886, while Wikipedia gives 1887.
With her husband, Annie devised the mail-order self-measuring kit that let customers order boots without visiting the shop. Sources also differ on when the kit was created: the Encyclopedia of the Great Plains dates it to 1894 in its text and to 1907 in a photo caption, while Wikipedia places it in the early 1890s.
Both accounts describe a family workshop: the encyclopedia says Annie and the children all worked alongside Joe, and Wikipedia says all seven children helped run the business. The company itself, Justin Boots, and her husband and sister-in-law, H. J. Justin and Enid Justin, are documented separately. No birth year, death year, or in-boot stamp for Annie has been documented.
Sources
Identification and markings
Maker-specific markings guidance has not been documented yet. Preserve the complete stamp and compare it against dated sources.
Sources and references
Historical references are cited with the history above. Each catalog record includes its own supporting evidence.
Encyclopedia references: CowboyBootsDB and maker archives linked where available. Historical dates and attributions can vary by source.