Original US WWI Hard Leather Cavalry Gaiters Shin Guards By Teitzel, Jones, Dehner Boots- These appear to be in near mint, unissued condition. Hard leather is in excellent condition.
From the Dehner Company website:
It began in Kansas.
The boots that would grow to be known worldwide for their incredible fit and fantastic look had their beginnings in 1875 in the small town of Junction City, Kansas.
It was there, in a small German shoe repair shop, that Carlton C. Dehner first noticed a pair of boots sitting in the back room. Dehner was so taken by the quality and workmanship of the boots he asked, “Why don’t we put in a factory and make these more available?” John Teitzel, the cobbler who owned the small store, was open to the idea and so the Dehner boot line began.
Teitzel was not much of a business man, and at that time Dehner had very little experience working with shoes, but the two formed a perfect partnership. Dehner would handle the business side of the operation, while Teitzel would continue to do what he did best: make boots! Within several weeks the materials and supplies needed to start such a venture began arriving at the store and the first pair of Teitzel & Dehner boots rolled out the doors.
During the early years they were busy supplying custom-made boots for the cavalry officers nearby at Fort Riley. Military demand for quality footwear was high at the time and the Teitzel & Dehner boots were an instant hit.
Business was brisk, and in 1914 Teitzel and Dehner, looking for ways to expand the business, packed up and moved the factory to Wichita, Kansas. It was here that a man by the name of Schuyler Jones joined the team which then became known for a short while as Tietzel, Jones, & Dehner Company. Things soured, however, when Tietzel passed away 1929.
Jones and Dehner did not agree on many issues and during that same year, Carlton Dehner sold his shares in the company to Jones and moved to Omaha. Dehner did not move alone, however, as seven factory employees (half the staff at that time) and his son-in-law Harold Ketzler moved along with him. Dehner first set up shop in a building owned by his brother which was also being used for the creation of artificial limbs. It was here that The Dehner Company, which still is running strong today, was first born.
It was also during this time that Donovan (Van) Ketzler, Harold Ketzler’s son and future president of The Dehner Company, first began to work part-time in the factory. Although he was only twelve, he picked up the trade very fast. He was taught to sew and stitch by Francis Thompson, who was one of the original employees to move from Wichita to Omaha, and who remained with the company until his death in the late 1900’s. The first boots were shipped out of Omaha in November of 1930, and for 14 years Dehner and his team remained the building he shared with his brother (1114-16 Farnham Street). As the Dehner name grew expansion was needed yet again and in 1944 Dehner and Ketzler packed up their crew and moved to a new location at 2059 Farnam Street in Omaha. Carlton Dehner passed away not long after and Ketzler took full control of the company.
After Harold Ketzler’s death in 1971, Donovan Ketzler took on the role of president and continued in the footsteps of his father and grandfather before him. It was also during this time that Jeff Ketzler, Donovan’s son and current Dehner president, also began working in the factory.
The Dehner Company remained at their Farnam St. location 38 years before moving to their current facilities at 3614 Martha St. in Omaha. To this day, thousands of boots are crafted every year and shipped out worldwide to eager customers, yearning for the fast-disappearing design and feel of custom-made boots and shoes.
“We have made some changes in the old ways”, Donvan Ketzler said during an interview in 1997. “But the changes were never things that would compromise quality.”
