Born in Pittsfield, Mass, in 1821, Gordon McKay is best known for inventing a sewing machine that transformed footwear manufacturing from cottage industry to an enterprise of mass production. Actually, McKay didn't invent the sewing machine. He invented a device that improved the machine and allowed it to be used to sew the sole of the shoe to the uppers - the portion of the shoe that encases the foot.

McKay was also a shrewd businessman who came up with the idea of leasing rather than selling his machinery outright. McKay collected a small royalty for each pair of shoes manufactured with his equipment. By 1876, McKay was earning a staggering $500,000 per year in royalties.

In 1899, McKay teamed up with Charles Goodyear, Jr., son of the inventor of vulcanized rubber, to form the United Shoe Manufacturing Company. The vast United plant monopolized shoe production in North America. But it was also a model of workplace safety. United instituted a number of enlightened health, safety and recreation programs for its workers. Observers cited United as a model plant with ideal working conditions.

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