Longtime Elkhart business owner and historian Paul Thomas died Saturday. He was 99.
Thomas was the owner of Paul Thomas Shoes, known as “the store with the little door,” for almost 50 years. After his retirement, he opened the Time Was Museum above the shoe store on Main Street, where he showcased items and memorabilia from Elkhart’s history.
Paul Thomas once identified himself to WVPE as a “cheerleader.”
“I was a cheerleader in junior high. I was a cheerleader in high school, I was a cheerleader at IU, and I’m still cheering for Elkhart. So what you hear is what I think of Elkhart and how great a town it is,” Thomas said in a 2018 episode of Michiana Stories.
In a statement, Elkhart Mayor Rod Roberson called Thomas a “unique treasure” and said Thomas “knew more about (Elkhart’s) past than anyone.”
Memorial arrangements for Paul Thomas are pending.
