Boots. Material: Leather; Color: Black; Period or Date: Early 1800's; Country: America; Description: Boots dip at back of knee. Leather is wearing. Have been worn, one pair. From the Hsitory Information Station: Object: Pair of man's boots History: Life in rural California required boots rather than low cut street shoes. Boots provided protection when walking through brush or over rough terrain. Boots were sturdy enough for the hard work of farming or ranching. Boots kept out the dust and mud of farmyards and unpaved streets.