Hyer's Famous Spread Eagle Boot - Olathe, Kansas Celebration 150th Birthday

Hyer's Famous Spread Eagle Boot is another "Welcome Home! Cowboy Boots" sculpture that illustrates the proud past of Olathe, Kansas and the celebration of Olathe's 150th Birthday.

At first I was skeptical of putting this one on my post, but I have to give all these sculptures their place in history. I just wish the name used would have been more closely considered before it was printed.

Anyway, this boot sculpture is sponsored and provided by the Hyer Family who created the first cowboy boot. The design was the "Spread Eagle" that is displayed here, that was originally a dress boot of distinction with the in-lay hand sewn and re-laid design. The foot of the boot was made of black kangaroo and the leg of the boot was dark blue kid. The eagle design was made of white and red kid. Stitching was red and white silk thread.

The Hyer Boot Company holds a proud place in Kansas history as the pioneer of bootmaking. The company was founded in the1880's by brothers Charles and Edward Hyer who where educated by their father, William, a German immigrant. In 1872 Charles found work at the Olathe School for the Deaf teaching shoe and harness making. He opened a small cobbling shop on the side and hired his brother Edward to help him run it.

Legend has it that a Colorado cowboy stopped by the Hyer shop on his way home from the Kansas City stockyards in 1875 and requested a new pair of boots that were different from his Civil War-style boots. He wanted boots with pointed toes that would let him slide into the stirrups; high, slanted heels that would hold stirrups, and high tops with scalloped fronts and backs so he could get in and out of them more easily. As story goes, the unknown cowboy was so pleased with Hyer's work that he returned to Colorado and told others about his new boots. With an immigrant workforce from Germany, Sweden and Poland during the early years Hyer made cowboy boots for cattlemen, rodeo performers, movie stars and presidents such as Buffalo Bill Cody, Tom Mix, Will Rogers, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Harry Garey, William S. Hart, Dwight Eisenhower, Clark Gable, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, and Richard Nixon.

Hyer needed to reach more customers during the great depression, so to reach potential customers, the company created mail-order catalogs with measuring charts. In WWI, the Hyers made boots for the officers at Fort Leavenworth and at Camp Funston. In 1961, governors from the 49 other states were outfitted with Hyer boots courtesy of Governor John Anderson. In 1977 the Hyer name was sold to the Ben Miller Boot Company of El Paso, Texas.

David L. Britt, MBA
Olathe, Kansas
David L. Britt Real Estate
Heritage Real Estate
The Heritage Real Estate Team
Olathe Neighbors

Guiding You HOME!