Bootmaker
Ben Little
Ben Little worked as a bootmaker at the family’s Little’s Boot Company in San Antonio from the 1930s until his death in 1966. He learned the trade from his father, Lucien Little, and passed the shop to his own sons, John and Dave Little. His boots were known for combining durability with style for ranchers and cowboys.
Known for
San Antonio bootmaker; father-to-sons line at Little’s Boot Company
Related: Little's Boot Company · Lucien Little
Biography
History
Ben Little was a San Antonio bootmaker who worked the bench from the 1930s until his death in 1966. He was the son of Lucien Little and the father of John Little and Dave Little, who carried the shop forward as Little's Boot Company.
The company's own account says that in the 1930s and 1940s Ben Little crafted boots that melded durability with style for ranchers and cowboys, and that from the 1940s through 1966 his designs followed ranch life into the city. He left the shop to his two sons when he died in 1966. The San Antonio Report similarly describes Ben joining his father Lucien in the business before his own sons became bootmakers in turn.
In a 2015 interview, Dave Little showed a boot his father had made about sixty years earlier, made of sea turtle leather — a material that is illegal to use today.
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Historical references are cited with the history above.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.