You Gotta Love a Great Glove
James Churchill Glove Co., one of the oldest industries in Centralia, Washington, began with a resourceful wagon peddler in 1895.
According to company history, James Churchill peddled pots and pans to farmers and local Native Americans from his covered wagon in the 1890s. In that bygone era, bartering was commonplace. During one transaction, he took deerskin rawhide in trade for some of his crockery. His wife, a seamstress, handcrafted a number of gloves from the finished hides.
As it turned out, the gloves sold like hot cakes. Heartened by success, James bought more hides and made more gloves. Two years later, he opened his first glove factory. Seven years later, the successful glove manufacturer bought a dry goods store building to house his business.
Today, 126 years later, James Churchill Glove Co. is co-owned and operated by Andrew and Andrea Churchill, both 55. Andy is Jim Churchill’s son. He and his wife, Andrea, represent the fourth generation of Churchills to run the family company.
In 2017, their daughter, Jessica Churchill, now 29, began to work for the enterprise. “In 2020, Jessie stepped in to work full time in
