Herman W. Hellman
| Herman W. Hellman | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 25, 1843 Reckendorf, Bavaria |
| Died |
October 19, 1906 Los Angeles, California |
Cause of death | diabetes |
Resting place | Home of Peace Cemetery |
| Occupation | Businessman, banker, real estate investor |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Spouse(s) | Isa Heimann |
| Children |
Marco Hellman Fred Hellman Irving Hellman Amy Hellman |
| Relatives |
Samuel Hellman (uncle) Isaias W. Hellman(brother) Warren Hellman (great-grandnephew) |
Herman W. Hellman (1843-1906) was a German-born Jewish businessman, banker, and real estate investor in Los Angeles, California.
Biography
Early life
Herman W. Hellman was born on September 25, 1843 in Reckendorf, Bavaria.[1][2] He emigrated to the United States with his brother Isaias W. Hellman, arriving in Los Angeles, California on May 14, 1859 as a sixteen-year-old.[1][3]
Career
He started working as a courier from Wilmington to Los Angeles.[1] In 1861, he worked for his uncle, Samuel Hellman, who had a store in Los Angeles.[1] Shortly after, he opened his own store at Downey Block.[1]
He established a wholesale grocer's called Hellman, Haas, & Co. with Jacob Haas, the brother of Abraham Haas.[1][2] They sold groceries in Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.[1][2] As his business prospered, he became one of the wealthiest men in Los Angeles by the 1880s.[1] The company later became known as Baruch, Haas, & Co..[1]
In 1890, he became Vice President and General Manager of The Farmers and Merchants Bank, a bank established by his brother.[1][2][3] He was later demoted by his brother, who found his lending practises too lenient.[1] He resigned in 1903, and became the President of the Merchants National Bank instead.[1][2][3] He also became a co-founder of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.[1]
.jpg)
He was a large landowner in Los Angeles.[1] In 1903, he hired architect Alfred Rosenheim to design the Hellman Building named in his honor.[1] The eight-story building in Downtown Los Angeles still stands today, on the corner of Fourth Street and Spring Street.[1][2][3]
He served as President of the Congregation B'nai B'rith, later known as the Wilshire Boulevard Temple.[1]
Personal life
He married Ida Heimann, who was one of his cousins, on July 26, 1874, while on a trip in Italy.[1] They resided on South Hill Street in Los Angeles and owned a secondary home in Alhambra.[1] They had four children:
Death
He died of a diabetes-induced coma on October 19, 1906 in Los Angeles, California.[1][2] He was buried at the Home of Peace Cemetery in East Los Angeles.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 Jewish Museum of the American West: Herman W. Hellman
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 H.D. Barrows, Herman W. Hellman, Annual Publication of the Historical Society of Southern California, Volume 7, Number 1, 1906, pp. 82-83
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Sam Watters, Hellman buildings were inspired by national spirit, The Los Angeles Times, December 26, 2009