Wealthy Shoe Manufacturer Dies
Had World's Largest Plant for Manufacturing Shoes for Women

Article taken from The Lancaster Daily Eagle, December 2, 1927

Athens, O. Dec. 2 - (AP)
George D. Selby, 81, Portsmouth shoe manufacturer and prominent banker, injured when his automobile skidded off the road near here last week, died early today in the Sheleterting Arms Hospital, here.

Death, according to physicians who attended, was caused by injuries and bronchial pneumonia. In addition to internal injuries. Mr. Selby suffer a fractured skull.
The body will be taken to Portsmouth today.

Women of the nation walked a fortune right into the pockets of Mr. Selby who made millions in women's shoes headed what is said to be the world's largest plant manufacturing shoes for women, the Selby Shoe Company of Portsmouth, Ohio.

He is accredited with originating the idea of selling shoes directly to the trade.

In his early days Selby traveled by horse and buggy displaying the wonders of the first sewing machines. He became an agent for the Singer Sewing Machine Company two years after the close of the Civil War and remained with the company until 1880 when he turned to the shoe manufacturing business and organized the Drew-Selby Company with Irving Drew and Bernard Damon at Portsmouth.

Irving and Damon previously operated a hand-made shoe company but the new company was a machine plant with a capasity of 100 pairs of women's shoes a day. The first year the company did a $70,000 business.
Geo. Selby was an ardent prohibitionist and was known thruout Portsmotuh and vicinity for his generous benefactions. He was a member of the Methodist Church and a 32nd degree Mason., a member of the Ancient Arabic Ordez Nobles of the Mystic Shrine and a Knight Templar.

In addition to his shoe factory at Portsmouth he operated and owned factories at Ironton and Ashland, Ohio.