Did marquis mills converse invent converse?

Answer 1

from the book - Products and Advertising in the Massachusetts Industrial Age - by Chaim M. Rosenberg

Vulcanized rubber found many commercial uses, not least in the footwear industry. In 1853, Elisha Slade Converse and his older brother James formed the Boston Rubber Shoe Company in the village of Malden, a few miles north of Boston. The company made rubber shoes and rubber overshoes for the winter slush. It grew to 3,500 workers and became the largest employer in the town. In 1882, Elisha Converse was elected the first mayor of Malden. His generosity to the town is seen in the First Baptist Church and the Converse Public Library, which he funded. In 1908, Malden became the home of a second rubber shoe company. It was founded by Marquis Mills, who took his mother's last name, Converse, and called his company the Converse Rubber Shoe Company, no doubt to capitalize on the famous name. Converse Rubber Shoe grew with the expanding interest in sports. The Converse Rubber line of sports shoes included the Chuck Taylor All Star Basketball sneaker. Both the Boston Rubber Shoe and the Converse Rubber Shoe companies were later bought out by larger firms, and the shoemaking finally left Malden in the 1930s.