In the picture, John Prass is on the left and Charles on the right inside the Prass Shoe Store on Market Street circa 1920.
Submitted photo
BROOKVILLE — Charles Prass learned the shoemaker trade from his father and joined him in the business in 1898. His business dated back to the time when he made all shoes by hand.
Mr. Prass’ father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all shoemakers. The latter two practiced their trade in Germany. His grandfather made the pegs for shoes when he was a small boy in Germany. At that time shoemakers traveled from farm to farm, staying at each home until shoes were made for the whole family.
The shoe store was located on the corner of Main and Walnut streets. Charles’s father, John Prass, was a German shoemaker who started his shoe repair business in a building that was the first to be built on the first platted lot in Brookville in 1850.
In 1876, Prass moved the building to the rear of the lot for his shoe repair business. He built a brick home on the front of the lot to become his residence. Charles joined his Father in the business in 1898.
In 1909, Charles set up a retail shoe business. In 1925, he moved the business to the Somers Building on Market Street (which was at the former Brookville National Bank parking lot, now vacant) and continued at that location until 1945. Shoes bought at the Prass store were well-known for their style, quality and long life.
In 1930, Mr. John Prass, the son of Charles, was the manager and took care of most all the shoe repairing and through his long association with his father in this business, he was able to produce the best in shoe repairs.
Charles Prass also served as Brookville’s mayor and was a longtime clerk of the Village Board of Public Affairs.
In 1945, Mr. Charles Prass sold his shoe store to Mr. J. Robert Henn. Mr. Prass remained with Mr. Henn for a time in order to introduce his customers to the new owner and help out in any other way needed.
All information and the photo for this Look at Brookville article were supplied by the Brookville Historical Society.
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