Shorty Golden (Lillard Lawton Golden) · History

Biography

Lillard Lawton Golden, known as “Shorty Golden,” was born 30 September 1926 to Gilbert Golden and Cordie Mae Hinson Golden in Coryell County, Texas. He served as a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army in World War II.

He started making boots in 1949 at the Ray Jones Shop in Lampasas, Texas. After about a year he spent nearly a year in Montana, returned to Texas, worked in Temple, then opened and ran the Golden Boot Shop in Belton for over forty years.

He raised cattle and was an avid gardener. Married Zetta Golden on 14 July 1990; sons Scooter and Jim Golden. Died 2014.

Primary biography source: Art of the Boot Instagram, posted Sep 13, 2020 (edited). The caption states the biography is mostly copied from Mark Fletcher (@markfletcher4911). Credit Mark Fletcher via Art of the Boot.

Ray Jones lineage

Live Encyclopedia already carries Ray Jones (“King of the Pegs,” Lampasas). Shorty belongs in the Jones shop alumni graph.

Shop Talk / Illume Connect’s Ray Jones feature lists workers who became notable makers, including Lillard “Shorty” Lawton alongside Pablo Jass, Bonner Williams, and others. That “Shorty Lawton” may be Lillard Lawton Golden / Shorty Golden or a distinct maker. Do not merge IDs until a source ties the strings.