Subject: German Americans

Billhead - Circa 1860's...Simon Rice, Grocer...229 Penn Avenue, Scranton, Pennsylvania. He was one of the first permanent Jewish settlers in Scranton, Pennsylvania and very active in all Jewish affairs. Simon Rice was a German-born Jewish merchant who became one of Scranton, Pennsylvania's most successful wholesale grocers during the late 19th century. Born in Germany on April 22, 1842, Rice immigrated to the United States as a young man and married Fannie Levy in 1863. He arrived in Scranton during the 1860s, a pivotal time when the city was experiencing a massive post-Civil War economic boom fueled by anthracite coal mining, iron manufacturing, and expanding railroad networks.Rice capitalized on this rapid industrial growth by establishing his mercantile enterprise, Simon Rice & Bro., at 229 Penn Avenue. Located in what was then the primary retail and trading corridor of downtown Scranton, the business quickly evolved from a neighborhood retail grocery into a massive regional wholesale grocery and provisions warehouse. The firm grew to become one of the largest food supply operations in Lackawanna County, distribution networks that handled immense quantities of canned goods, flour, and dried provisions to feed the region's rapidly growing immigrant labor force. Beyond his commercial success, Simon Rice's Jewish identity is thoroughly documented through his extensive leadership, civic involvement, and philanthropic records in Pennsylvania and Ohio. During the 1860s and 1870s, he served as a key figure in organizing Scranton's early German-Jewish immigrant community. His family heavily supported the establishment and growth of Anshe Chesed (later known as Temple Hesed), which was Scranton's very first Jewish congregation. While the synagogue was originally founded with Orthodox traditions, Rice and other community leaders helped align it with the American Reform Movement by 1880. Rice's legacy is also preserved today in the University of Pennsylvania's Arnold and Deanne Kaplan Collection of Early American Judaica, which holds original 19th-century trade cards from his Penn Avenue grocery business.Upon his death on August 4, 1901, Rice made national headlines for an extraordinary act of religious philanthropy. Having amassed a fortune valued near one million dollars—an immense sum for the era—his final will structured a massive trust for educational and religious purposes. As reported on the front page of The New York Times, Rice stipulated that one-third of his entire estate be given directly to the Hebrew Union College of Cincinnati. This historic bequest provided monumental financial support to North America's first Jewish seminary, permanently cementing Rice's role as a major benefactor in the development of American Reform Judaism.

Billhead from Jonas Schoenfeld's business at 423 and 425 Jackson Street, San Francisco, California, dated April 13, 1878. The billhead is addressed to Salomen D. Schoenfeld in Red Bluff, California. The accompanying biographical information details the life and career of Salomen D. Schoenfeld, from his emigration from Westphalia, Germany in 1836, his early business ventures in New York and California, his successful mercantile career in Red Bluff, his real estate investments, his family life, and his involvement in the Masonic fraternity.

Billhead from Jonas Schoenfeld's business located at 423 and 425 Jackson Street, San Francisco, California, dated August 21, 1877. The billhead is made out to Salomen D. Schoenfeld of Red Bluff, California. The document includes a biographical sketch of Salomen D. Schoenfeld detailing his emigration from Westphalia, Germany in 1836, his early business ventures in New York and California, his establishment of mercantile businesses in Red Bluff, Star City (Nevada), and Silver City (Idaho), his real estate holdings, family life, and involvement in the Masonic fraternity.

Billhead from Jonas Schoenfeld's business at 423 and 425 Jackson Street, San Francisco, California, dated March 19, 1878. The billhead is made out to Salomen D. Schoenfeld of Red Bluff, California. The document includes an extensive biographical sketch of Salomen D. Schoenfeld, detailing his immigration from Westphalia, Germany in 1836, his early business ventures in New York and California, his successes in Red Bluff and other mining towns (Star City, Nevada; Silver City, Idaho), his real estate holdings, family life (marriage to Helena Myer and children David S. and Golda S.), and his involvement in the Masonic fraternity.

Billhead from S.B. Dinkelspiel located at 328 Bush Street, San Francisco, California, dated August 6, 1877. The billhead is made out to Salomen D. Schoenfeld, a prominent citizen and merchant of Red Bluff, California. The document includes a detailed biographical sketch of Salomen D. Schoenfeld, recounting his emigration from Germany in 1856, his entrepreneurial endeavors in California, Nevada, and Idaho, his real estate investments, and his family life. The biographical information is repeated twice within the document.

A printed letter of recommendation, dated April 4, 1835, from Nathan Potter, Ahlenfeld's teacher at the University of Maryland, to the general public. The letter addresses concerns about Ahlenfeld's command of English. Published in Baltimore, Maryland.

Broadside printed in German, calling on German citizens of New York City to protest against the "Blue Laws" that restricted the sale and consumption of alcohol on Sundays. Dated June 4, 1866, the broadside measures 11-1/2 x 9 inches and shows some signs of wear, including small holes and tears. The text emphasizes resistance against what it terms "tyranny," invoking the principles of freedom and independence. The call to action is issued by the Executive Committee of the German Associations and Corporations, with B. Frankfurter and J. Simon listed as secretaries. The broadside's significance lies in its context of anti-blue law riots in New York City and the potential involvement of German-Jewish community members in the protest.

Token depicting an eagle on the obverse and the inscription "Concordia Club 5" on the reverse. The Concordia Club was a liberal German club founded in 1842 in Baltimore, Maryland, located at the corner of Eutaw and Redwood (formerly German) Streets. It burned down in 1910. The token dates from January 1, 1875. Jews played an important role in the club, and it effectively became an elite Jewish club.

Pamphlet containing the Constitution of the German Society of Maryland. Founded in 1783, it was the first American-German organization established outside of a church. Printed in both German and English. The names of J.J. Cohen Jr. and Solomon Etting, early Jewish members, are listed. Published in Baltimore, Maryland in 1817.

This volume contains four bound works printed by Christopher Sower (Sauer) in Germantown, Pennsylvania, circa 1759-1760. The works include: "The Way to the Sabbath of Rest," "The Journeys of the Children of Israel," "Discourse on Mistakes concerning Religion, Enthusiasm, Experiences," and "Observations on the Enslaving, Importing and Purchasing of Negroes." This collection is notable for its association with the Sower printing family and for containing an early anti-slavery treatise. This volume was owned by four generations of the Franks family, prominent Jewish individuals in New York and Philadelphia.

Sheet music for a Festival March composed by Frederick Brandeis in memory of Anna Ottendorfer for the opening of the German Hospital Fair in New York City in 1889. Published by Edward Schuberth & Co., New York.

Stereoscopic photograph depicting the Concordia Building in Baltimore, Maryland. The image, part of Chase's National Views series, shows the building which opened in 1865 and was destroyed by fire in 1891. The Concordia Building was a center for Baltimore's German cultural and social activity, with many prosperous German Jewish merchants as members.

Sheet music for "The Concordia March," composed for the opening of the new building and opera hall of the German Cultural Society in Baltimore, Maryland. The sheet music features a colored print of the new building on the cover. Published circa 1865. The German Cultural Society's building was destroyed by fire in 1891.