By JAY MOORE

There is a building along North 1st rooted in foreign inspiration. The brainchild was born in 1958 during a visit to the Brussels World’s Fair. During the six-month run, over 41 million people came to the Brussels Fair—known as Expo ‘58—including at least two from Abilene. That couple came home with an idea. Here’s the story. 

Jack Belsky was a shoe man. He started in the shoe business at the age of 25 back in 1932 in Fort Worth and he left the world of footwear upon his death in 1995. For 63 years he made his living peddling shoes and there’s a good chance many of you ladies reading this little story picked up a pair of slingbacks, kitten heels, wedges, Mary Janes, T-straps or spiffy summer espadrilles from Mr. Belsky.  (In point of fact, my grandmother Moore felt there was no one else to buy shoes from other than Mr. Belsky. And he was always glad to see her pull up. Ka-ching!)

The U.S. Pavilion, 1958. At the close of Expo ‘58, the building was donated to Belgium. The upper portion has been removed but the lower floor is home to a Belgian radio and television station.

Jacob Sol Belsky, known as Jack, was born in Pinsk, Russia in 1907.  (Pinsk had been in Poland and today it is in Belarus. The city hasn’t moved, the national boundaries have.) His dad was a shoemaker.  Jack and his family left Pinsk in 1911—as did many Jewish families looking to escape daily oppression—settling in Fort Worth for reasons unknown.  Jack said he did not remember the immigration trip as he was just 4 years old but he learned later that the family sailed from Bremen, Germany and arrived in Galveston 21 days later. 

Following high school, Jack worked odd jobs before being hired on by Slipperland Shoe Stores. In short order, he rose to district manager, and in that role, he made a few trips out west to Abilene. He liked the town, I mean, how could you not?  

While at a shoe convention, Jack met Sally Rohr of Chicago who soon became Sally Belsky.  In 1937, the couple moved to Abilene so Jack could manage the shoe department at Harry Minor’s Department Store on Pine before he opened his own shop a block north at 282 Pine. He called his shoe store “The Bootery,” and he did not make up the word; per Mr. Webster, a bootery is a place that sells boots and shoes. After operating on Pine he moved around the corner in 1956 to 1054 N. 3rd (that space—with a new facade—was most recently home to The Leaf smoke shop). In time, Jack expanded his shoe empire, opening the Famous Brand Shoe Store in Lubbock.

The Bootery-Suburban on North First Street

In late spring of 1958, Jack and Sally flew to Europe for a four-week tour where they visited 10 countries and enjoyed a Rhine River cruise. Their first stop was Belgium where they joined the throngs visiting Expo ’58. Naturally, they wanted to see the United States Pavilion and the exhibits inside. (And, surely they visited the USSR building showcasing a model of the Sputnik satellite!) The U.S. Pavilion was the largest circular building constructed at that time and modern in every respect. Culture and art were stressed and one could enjoy it all while sitting in a stylish Eames molded plastic chair beneath the large circular skylight. The fountain in front of the building featured moving jets of water, while walls of glass ringed the building. The Belsky’s were so taken with the architecture and its unique design, they were inspired to make plans for a similar building in which to expand their shoe business once back home. 

Opening day, 1962

The new store would be called The Bootery-Suburban. The suburb, in this case, was a vacant lot 2.5 miles west of the plain ol’ downtown Bootery.  Jack and Sally hired Abilene architect Charles Landers to design the building and must have suggested he find some photos of the U.S. Pavilion and copy away.  Just like the pavilion they saw in Brussels, the new Bootery was circular with floor-to-ceiling windows. Landers incorporated a fountain, but it was placed inside rather than as an exterior entry element, and the surrounding planter was faced in Palos Verdes stone. 

In keeping with the international flavor, in the center of the circular sales room was a display area covered with black Japanese river rocks. The roof facia was set with mosaic tiles laid in a zigzag pattern and the wide porch was covered in purple Buckingham slate from Vermont. The north side of the sales salon opened onto Elm Creek with space for outdoor style shows. For the ladies looking to try on a pair of shoes, they could relax in a stylish Eames molded plastic chair beneath a large circular light. 

On August 23, 1962, the Belsky’s welcomed Abilene inside their new store. It was far from the typical Abilene store and, for decades, the place to buy shoes in Abilene was inside the World’s-Fair-inspired Bootery along N. 1st Street. 

Following the death of Jack Belsky in 1995, the store was purchased by Earl and Wynell Williams who continued to operate under the same name but relocated in September of 2001 to a new spot along S. 27^th. Today, Steve Brittain’s furniture shop, Interiors Consignment, operates in the largely unaltered building. Go take a look. You need a new sofa anyway. 

Jay Moore is an Abilene historian and creator of the video series, “History in Plain Sight.”