Today, EJ Footwear, LLC operates as a unit of Nelsonville, Ohio-based Rocky Shoes & Boots, Inc.

In 1890, the Lester Brothers moved their business west to a nearby rural area, which in 1892 was incorporated as the Village of Lestershire and in 1916 became Johnson City.

George F's reign was dominated by his Square Deal version of welfare capitalism that, like progressive movements of the early twentieth century, advocated providing parades and churches and libraries to "uplift" workers.

E-J and the Johnson family also provided and helped to finance two libraries, theaters, a golf course, swimming pools, carousels, parks and food markets, many of which were available to the community without charge.

The company needed a large labor pool and initiated a recruitment program aimed at southern Italy and the Slavic countries and so Endicott became a small town with a rich ethnic mix.

Many of the sons and daughters of these immigrants graduated from Union-Endicott High School and went on to become teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, and successful business people.

The entrance to Johnson City on Main Street from Binghamton is marked with a stone arch embossed with Home of the Square Deal.

[citation needed] According to some sources, C. F. Johnson was a vehement critic of free trade, and believed that it was contrary to his glorification of the American worker.

Most of the company's factories have been torn down, with the majority of the remaining facilities vacant, except for some that are partially occupied by area businesses.

Utilizing a combination of bond financing, historic tax credits, funding from the Johnson City and developer equity, construction commenced in the spring of 2017 and is expected to continue into 2018.

The completed buildings will provide more than 80 affordable multi-bedroom apartments, and portions of the ground floors will be converted for commercial use.

Additionally, the site will include a small museum displaying artifacts discovered during the construction, including machinery, signage, worker timecards and what is believed to be the first elevator car specifically designed to a maximum weight capacity[5][6] The company was responsible for nearly all of the shoe and footwear for the United States Army during World War I and World War II.

Although they did not provide free medical and hospital care or build houses for employees they recognized that good pay and benefits were key to remaining non-union.

[citation needed] In the 1976 film Taxi Driver, an ad for the Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company can be seen painted on a wall while Travis is slowly following Iris.