Info. on Mr. Royal Eubanks...founder of Eubanks Leather Co :
" Message Board Post:
My name is Russ Eubanks and I am Royal's grandson, here is a quick summary about Royal Eubanks.
Born: November 2, 1896 in Centralia, WA (Lewis County)
Married: First wife and date unknown: one child: Jean
Second wife: Mary Eleanor Latimore, married March 20, 1937
Two sons: James Oliver (my father) and Thomas Royal
Royal died April 28, 1955 in Boise, ID (Ada County)
Royal was working in the mines in Silver City, ID when he married Mary Eleanor Latimore. After Mary spent the summer of 1937 with Royal in Silver City they moved to Boise, ID where Royal started Eubanks Leather and Mary was a substitute teacher.
Royal had learned the basics of leather working from his father and built a business of 10-12 employees. During World War II Royal supplied local and state police with leather goods. This was the only way he was able to stay in business while the war was going on. In 1949 Eubanks Leather was bought out by Pioneer Tent and Awning, a sportings good store based in Seattle. The contract stipulated a five year "No Compete" clause and Royal could never again use the name Eubanks Leather. Royal, Mary, Tom, and Jay traveled to Hawaii in Nov 1949 and to Alaska in June 1950 before they came back to Boise. Royal spent a year in Ely, NV working as a superintendent for the milling operation of a Tungsten Mining company. In 1954 Royal started Idaho Leather but died a year later. Mary sold the business to a family friend, Bud Wetzel. As of September 2004 Bud's son Ben still runs Idaho Leather in the same shop Royal had started Eubanks Leather more than 60 years previously.
Royal's leather products are still being sold on Ebay at the time of this writing in September 2004. Russ, Royal's grandson has collected over 50 items which were made by Eubanks Leather. "
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