author

Fred A. Gannon

b. 1881

A Massachusetts writer with a strong feel for local history, he explored both Salem’s past and the story of American shoemaking and leather work. His books preserve everyday trades, neighborhoods, and people that might otherwise have been forgotten.

1 Audiobook

The Ways of a Worker of a Century Ago

The Ways of a Worker of a Century Ago

by Fred A. Gannon

About the author

Fred A. Gannon was an American author born in 1881. Surviving catalog and library records connect him with works on the history of shoemaking and leather making, including A Short History of American Shoemaking, Shoe Making, Old and New, and Historical Sketch of American Leather Making.

He also appears in Salem, Massachusetts historical references as a local newspaper reporter for the Salem Evening News who produced pamphlets and scrapbooks about the city, including items in the Old Salem Scrapbooks series. That mix of industrial history and local storytelling gives his writing a practical, ground-level charm.

Much of his work focuses on ordinary labor, craft, and community life rather than famous figures alone. For listeners interested in American trades, New England history, or the texture of everyday life in earlier times, his books offer a direct and useful window into the past.