African American Shoe Makers, Repairers, Shiners - Bowling Green, KY [John T. and Mattie Porter]
Below are the names and locations of African American-owned shoe businesses in Bowling Green, KY, between 1908 and 1941. Also included in the table are the names of earlier shoemakers and a shoe shiner. One of the business owners was John T. Porter who had a shoe shop on Main Street in Bowling Green from about 1908 until his death in 1934. His name continued to be listed in the city directory business section until at least 1937 [source: p.434 in Caron's Bowling Green (Kentucky) City Directory for the Years 1937-1938]. Though John T. Porter had died, his wife Mattie took over the shoe repair business and kept John's name on the business. Mattie Porter was one of the very few women to own a shoemaking and repair business in Kentucky. The J. T. and Mattie Porter shoe business lasted longer than most other African American-owned shoemaking and repair businesses in Bowling Green and in Kentucky. By 1941, the business name in the city directory had been changed to Mattie Porter. Six years later, the business was no longer listed in the city directory [source: pp.439-440 in Caron's Bowling Green (Warren County, KY) City Directory, 1947].
*Around 1934, the race of a person or business was no longer indicated in the Bowling Green, KY, city directories.
| NAME | BUSINESS | LOCATION | YEAR | SOURCES | NOTES |
| Isaac Badgett (b.1843) | Works in shoe shop | Bowling Green | 1880 | U.S. Census | |
| Henry H. Bothis | Shoemaker | Bowling Green | 1908 | p.76 in Bowling Green, KY. City Directory, 1908 v.1 | |
| Charles Burrell (b.1839) | Shoemaker | Bowling Green | 1880 | U.S. Census | |
| Thornton Cole (b.1823) | Shoemaker | Hadley, Warren County | 1880 | U.S. Census | |
| Henry Davidson (b.1902) | Shoe Shining Shop | Bowling Green | 1930 | U.S. Census | |
| Frank Grider (1878-1932) | Shoemaker | Bloomfield | 1908 | p.105 in Bowling Green, KY. City Directory, 1908 v.1 | Find A Grave |
| Zach Grider (1863-1912) | Shoemaker | 1 Morris Row | 1908 | p.105 in Bowling Green, KY. City Directory, 1908 v.1 | Find A Grave |
| William Mack (b.1913) | Shoe Shiner | Bowling Green | 1930 | U.S. Census | |
| John T. Porter (1873-1934) | Shoemaker | 129 Main Street | 1908 | p.105 in Bowling Green, KY. City Directory, 1908 v.1 | Find A Grave |
| John T. Porter (1873-1934) | Shoe Rebuilder | 131 E. Main Street | 1927 | p.234 in Baldwin Brother's Bowling Green, Kentucky City Directory, 1927 | |
| John T. Porter (1873-1934) | Shoe Repairer | 131 E. Main Street | 1934 | p.405 in Caron's Bowling Green, Ky. City Directory for 1934-1935 | |
| Mattie Porter (1891-1973) | John T. Porter Shoe Repair | 131 E. Main Street | 1937 | p.434 in Caron's Bowling Green (Kentucky) City Directory for the Years 1937-1938 | Find A Grave |
| Mattie Porter (1891-1973) | Mattie Porter Shoe Repair | 131 E. Main Street | 1941 | p.474 in Caron's Bowling Green (Kentucky) City Directory for the Years 1941-1942 | |
| John Smith (b.1870) | Shoemaker | 324 8th Street | 1908 | p.105 in Bowling Green, KY. City Directory, 1908 v.1 | |
| John Smith (b.1870) | shoemaker |
moved to Lexington, KY / 562 Thomas Street |
1920 | U.S Census / p.554 in Polk's Lexington (Fayette County, KY.) City Directory 1939 | |
| Ural Stall (b.1900) | Shoe Shiner |
Bowling Green barber shop |
1920 | U.S. Census |