By the 19th century, the careers of cordwainers (a shoemaker) and cobblers (someone who repairs the shoes) had merged. They would travel to rural communities and set up shop to repair local shoes in return for room and board. An unused chicken coop would make a perfect shop. Cobblers traveled with a small number of tools and share news of what was happening in the other towns while they worked on shoes. When the cobbler ran out of work, he would move on to the next town.