UTICA — The new exhibit, “Utica Shoes? Who Knew!,” which tells the story of another major industry in Utica that often gets overlooked, opens at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at Oneida County History Center, 1608 Genesee St.

The most prominent industry that comes to mind when thinking about the history of manufacturing in Utica is textile manufacturing, because many of the mill buildings still stand today. But the latest exhibit features more than 100 never-before shown objects from the OCHC collection and sheds light on the rise and fall of a once thriving industry — shoe making.

Several factories employed hundreds of workers producing over 2,000 pairs of women’s and children’s shoes a day. The new exhibit features shoemaking tools, advertising, trade catalogs, photographs, and of course, shoes.

In concert with the exhibit opening, Patrick Reynolds, director of Public Programs, will give a talk about the often-overlooked shoe industry in Utica, the leather industry in the Mohawk Valley, and their connection to national trends. The program is free.