Charles L. Robb

Charles L. Robb was an inventor and innovator of shoe-related devices and products

Charles L. Robb invented a footrest and stool in 1888

Charles L. Robb received a patent for his foot seat and stool for shoe merchants in 1888

C.L. Robb Manufacturing Co. bottle from the Historical Society collection

Bellefontaine Republican newspaper article from January 6, 1891

Bellefontaine Republican newspaper article from January 15, 1904

Newspaper ad from October 14, 1915 for C.L. Robb shoe polish made in Bellefontaine

Charles L. Robb was born on December 24, 1853, in Zanesfield, Ohio, to Dr. James S. and Elmyra Robb. He spent his childhood in Zanesfield and attended the small brick schoolhouse that once stood on the site of the present Dr. Earl Sloan Library. After completing his early education, he studied for three years at Geneva College in Northwood. Following his college years, Robb traveled through a number of western states and worked as a salesman for a shoe company.   

Shortly after the death of his father in 1882, Robb returned to Bellefontaine and opened a shoe store at the corner of Main Street and Columbus Avenue. In December 1886, he married Rose McKee.               

While operating his shoe store, Robb recognized the need for a better method of fitting customers with shoes. In response, he designed a combination footrest and stool that made the fitting of shoes and boots more convenient and efficient. He applied for a patent for the invention and was granted one in January 1888.               

At first, the castings for Robb’s stools were manufactured in Cleveland, but production was later moved to Springfield. The stools themselves were assembled in Bellefontaine by the Kendall Brothers. Robb’s invention received favorable attention in Boot and Shoe Weekly of New York and Boot and Shoe Recorder of Boston, and it was soon being used in some of the largest boot and shoe stores in Chicago and other major cities. The stool proved so successful that Robb sold his entire stock of boots and shoes in order to devote himself fully to manufacturing the popular new device. At one point, he reported selling 270 stools in just twenty days.               

In 1890, Robb became a traveling salesman for the W.B. Forsyth Company of Sidney, selling shoe polishes and corn-relief remedies. In January 1891, the Bellefontaine Republican reported that he had received a letter of thanks and a “handsome diamond ring” in recognition of his excellent service to the company.               

Robb’s stool warehouse on South Main Street was destroyed by fire in July 1900. According to reports, his former workshop, which had been moved from the front of the lot to the rear, contained turpentine, oil, and varnish that ignited almost instantly once the fire began. The blaze spread to the nearby hay-filled barn of A.G. Carter and threatened the stables of Mrs. Ellen Ansley and C. Weymouth, though Carter’s horses and vehicles were removed safely.               

In 1902, Charles Robb introduced a corn-relief remedy called “Rescued.” Its bottle label featured a photograph of his young daughter, Esther, lying on the shore of Silver Lake, watched over by “Major,” a large dog belonging to Craig Zearing, Deputy Postmaster at Bellefontaine. The image was intended to suggest the drama of a rescue, with the dog shown panting as though he had just pulled Esther from the water.               

By January 1904, Robb was working as a traveling salesman for Whittemore Bros. & Co. of Boston. The Bellefontaine Republican reported that he had won a $100 prize for selling the greatest volume of high-priced goods, along with an additional $25 for introducing the largest amount of special goods for the company.               

Robb also produced his own line of shoe polishes, including “Oil Glow” shoe polish and “Ladies Choice” liquid polish. A 1915 newspaper advertisement proclaimed: “Oil Glow contains the purest Neats Foot Oil and gives a brilliant luster. Ladies Choice gives a handsome shine. It contains glycerin, which keeps the leather from cracking. For best results try this line. Price, 10 cents at all dealers.”               

The C.L. Robb Manufacturing Company was incorporated in April 1915 with a capital stock of $25,000 by F.F. Leonard, C.S. Allen, and Charles L. Robb. Business was strong, and Robb was widely regarded as an able salesman. His career came to a tragic end on March 13, 1919, when he died from injuries sustained in a fall down a flight of stairs at the Neil House in Columbus.               

Throughout his career, Charles L. Robb combined practical invention with salesmanship, building a reputation through both his shoe-fitting stool and his work in the boot and shoe trade. Variations of his early combination stool continued to be used for years.