1883 - G.A. Krause founded the company that would become Wolverine World Wide. He is believed to have said, "There is some opportunity here."

1901 - First, G.A. organized the Rogue River Electric Light and Power Company and brought electricity to Rockford, Michigan from 5:30 a.m to 11:30 p.m daily.

1903 - Then G.A. and his sons built a shoe factory in Rockford, Michigan. It made 300 pairs of shoes each day.

1908 - Next, G.A. and his sons built the Wolverine tannery and began supplying their shoe factory with tough, durable horsehide.

1914 - The Wolverine brand name was selected for shoes made of Wolverine horsehide leather. They were called "1000 Mile Shoes."

1919 - Wolverine began national advertising: Wolverine work shoes were sold by one of the earliest national sales forces, and became very popular.

1921 - Flush with success, the Hirth-Krause Company changed its name to Wolverine Shoe and Tanning Corporation and began to grow ever more quickly.

1928 - Wolverine began selling shares of the company to its own employees - a part of one of the nation's first porfit sharing plans.

1931 - The Great Depression came, and although sales were down factory lines were kept running and shoes were warehoused for better times.

1941 - During World War II the Wolverine Shoe & Tanning Company went to work for the U.S. Navy, developing pigskin gloves.

1946 - By the end of the war, Wolverine engineers had created a new leather: pigskin suede, and built a factory to produce it.

1952 - With horses disappearing from the American landscape Wolverine searched for new ways to use pigskin suede. G.A. Krause's son, Victor led the race.

1965 - Wolverine stock went up on the "Big Board" and was traded on the New York Stock Exchange for the first time.

1964 - The company chose a more fitting name, and Wolverine Shoe & Tanning Company became Wolverine World Wide, Inc.

1976 - Wolverine World Wide began laying the foundations of its brand family and leading technologies.

1986 - Wolverine funded the Biomechanical Engineering Laboratory at Michigan State University, and formed the International Design Center in Montecatini, Italy.

1989 - Wolverine World Wide's international plans were succeeding; international sales surpassed domestic sales for the first time.

1992 - Then Wolverine introduced DuraShocks, the first true comfort system for workboots. Wolverine DuraShocks created a revolution.

1997 - Wolverine acquired the global license for Coleman footwear.

1998 - Wolverine begin making and selling Harley-Davidson boots and shoes. With a rich past, and a family of global brands, Wolverine World Wide leads the world in casual, work and outdoor footwear for men, women and children.