It is 1850 and New York Harbor is full of wooden ships. The waterfront is a forest of
masts and rigging. Our great grandfather leaves one of these wooden sailing vessels and
steps onto the soil of the New World at the tip of Manhattan. His name is Hyman
Goldberg. Thirty two years later a young man who will become his son-in-law comes
ashore at the same place. That sixteen year old arrives in the New World in an iron hull,
powered by steam. Yet, that vessel is even then, old and tired. The 19th century is an eraof rapid technological change. And we were there to see it happen. Some part of our
DNA was witness to history.
PART I
Hyman and Henriette (Spandau?) Goldberg
Hyman Goldberg arrived in the New World in 1850. That is what he told
the Census enumerator fifty years later, when asked in 1900. (And maybe he came
ashore at New Orleans or Baltimore.)
He was 7 years old.
Who came with him? That is what piques the interest of this writer. And
we will come back to that. 1850: Zachary Taylor, a hero of the recent war with Mexico,
is in the White House. Gold in California has attracted Americans to the Sierra Nevada
and to the Pacific coast generally. Wagon trains are moving west.
The next thing we know about him is that a daughter, Esther, is born in
September, 1863 in New York City. That would be my grandmother. Hyman Goldberg
has grown up, married and started a family and we know nothing of this time. We cannot
be sure that his port of arrival was New York. There is no record identifiable with him in
the various passenger manifests currently available.
What do we know of our great grandmother? Her family name is believed
to be Spandau (at least to Aunt Mollie's recollection and Dad's also). She was born in
Germany, circa 1845 and her name evolved with time:
Yetta 1900
Etta
Ettie 1880
Henriette
The last was bestowed on both a granddaughter and a great grand-daughter.
The name, Spandau, was recalled by Dad (Abe) and separately by Aunt Molly,
and both seemed to be less than completely certain. Judy Berkowitz’ notes (from her
conversations with Mollie) also refer to the Spandau name for Yetta. So, there is
consistent (but not determinate) evidence for this name. There is a suburb of Berlin
bearing the name, Spandau, and Henriette gave Germany as her birthplace to census
enumerators.
When did she arrive in the New World? At this time, it remains unknown. It is
possible that she had some collateral family already here. According to Dad, we had
relatives (not so close) in Baltimore who had roots in the early days of the Republic.
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They were believed to have been brought here from Germany, as early employees of the
Treasury Department in the Washington Administration and, according to Dad, they were
brought over by Hamilton. They were engravers. There was some family relation to
people living in Baltimore, but their name may not have been Spandau. Dad’s research
on these matters appears to have been the result of a school assigned project (my guess)
and further included his belief that some of our German ancestry included one or more
professors at German universities. Some of this research of his could have been prior to
US entrance into the Great War and included responses from sources in Europe. Our
only known connection to German ancestry is through Henriette (Spandau?) Goldberg. It
is a matter of speculation where Dad heard this story. An educated guess: Dad heard it
from his mother (Esther Goldberg Berkowitz) who, in turn would have heard it from her
Mother, Henriette.
At this time we know nothing of the parents and siblings of Hyman and Henriette.
In recorded passenger manifests, there is recorded the arrival of H. Spandau and
E. Spandau on 25 January 1849 on the ship, Nord America from Hamburg.. These were
(probably) father and son (born 1799 and 1826, respectively). They gave their
occupation as farmers and probably not relevant to the family. The name does appear in
the 1850 census, and one of those families included a girl (“Theressa”) born in Germany
about 1845 (and thus immigrated between 1845 and 18509. Her mother: Henriette, (born
1810 Bavaria, from the 1850 census). A great-great grandmother??
In 1900, the census enumerator in Terre Haute, Indiana, was told that the Hyman
and Henriette were married 38 years (1862). A marriage of a bride named Henriette ( or
with a terminal "a", or Yetta, or Etta) with any Goldberg does not appear in available (online)
records for New York or Baltimore. However, among the Berkowitz materials
retained there is a wedding photograph reproduced here. The period is consistent with
1862. The unknown groom is also in a separate studio portrait. Is this Hyman and
Henriettte Goldberg, 27 years before the family photograph (below) with their two
younger children?The New York Times reports all the news that’s fit to print. In its early years, the news
that interested the readers was local news and that certainly included what was going on
in court. Here below is a portion of the Times court report for November 13, 1860,
recounting a criminal trial.
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Is this our great grandmother, Yetta Goldberg? The Times man might err on her
particular immigrant origins (our Yetta was not Russian), but the date is 1860. In 1900,
whoever answered the census enumerator (“how many years married?”) responded with
38 years. People may be a year off in any response by the nature of the question, but two
years would not seem a likely error. Presumably, in 1860, our Yetta Goldberg was not
yet a Goldberg (pun intended).
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This studio wedding (?) photo bears the mark of “F. Wagner & Sons, Baltimore”. There
was such a photographer in Baltimore from about 1858 and at least through 1864. The
Goldberg connection with Baltimore is unknown. At that time, photos were not so
inexpensive to be passed out randomly. These were found with Berkowitz family
materials in the early 1950s. It is left to the reader to judge the relevance of these
photos. Note, in passing, that at the time of this writing, the record for Henriette’s family
immigration is not yet known, and it might have included a Baltimore port of entry.
The first child of Hyman and Henriette was our grandmother, Esther, born about a
month before Lincoln went to Gettysburg. The civil war is raging. Lee’s invasion of the
North has been turned back at Gettysburg. There is now a draft law in effect and there
are riots in New York City. Hyman Goldberg is of military age and the draft law did not
recognize exemptions merely because one had just become a father. If he were on the
draft list (and the records do exist for this, somewhere) he could have avoided military
service if there were a substitute available. Hyman Goldberg does not appear as an
applicant for a civil war veteran’s pension, from which it is certain that he did not serve.
At the time, a draftee could then avoid service by hiring a “substitute” at about $300.
Several famous and affluent people did just that (Grover Cleveland for one, and J.D.
Rockefeller for another). Consider the (speculative) scene at the kitchen table of the
Goldberg tenement: The head of household notes that now that Hyman is a father or
about to be, if his brother goes as a substitute, Hyman can remain to support his family
and $300 will be saved. That suggests that one of the Goldberg veterans of the civil war
might be a brother. There were several such Civil War veterans bearing the Goldberg
name.
(As this is written, the facts of Hyman Goldberg’s civil war draft status are not yet
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available. The Provost Marshal records are extant and are indexed by Congressional
district of the time. The records of the Civil War Pensions require study, but there are
more Goldbergs recorded as claiming the benefit than there were recorded as serving in
the Union Army. However, Hyman Goldberg did not claim such benefit. )
Although there is no firm documentation of their activities, the family removed
from New York to Michigan to Wisconsin, reaching Milwaukee by about 1879. A rough
chronology can be gleaned from the birth dates of the children, taken from the 1880
census schedule giving the particulars of the family:
Hyman Goldberg Jan 1843 Russian Poland
Etta Goldberg 1844 Germany
Esther Oct, 1863 New York
Joseph Sep, 1867 New York
Jacob 1870 Michigan
William 25 May, 1872 Michigan (Bay City)
Sarah July, 1878 Michigan
Sometime between 9/67 and 1870 (Jacobs birth), the family relocated to Michigan.
There is no trace of the family in the 1870 census. From sometime after September of
’67 to after July of ’78, the family was in Michigan. William’s birthplace (given in 1942
to the WW2 draft Board) places the family at the foot of Saginaw Bay in 1877. Bay City,
Michigan directory volumes for the years 1877-78 and 1878-79 show Hyman Goldberg
“Groceries and Provisions” at the N.E. Corner of Grant and 8th , residence the same; andin the second volume, still, a grocer at the north side of 8th between Grant and VanBuren(a short relocation). Sometime between July of ‘78 and June, 1880 (month for the 1880
census) they relocated to Milwaukee. (The birth date for Sarah varies to as late as April,
1880). There remains a slight mystery: the 1880 census for Bay City lists (another ?)
Hyman Goldberg, a grocer, about 4 years older (than our HG), wife Christina (age 37)
and son Charles (age 8, born in Michigan). Who are they? No later directory entries to
answer this question appear for Bay City Goldbergs. This is not likely merely an error of
the directory canvasser. The second Hyman Goldberg has a wife , Christina, and son,
Charles. This other Hyman Goldberg is also a grocer, with an address on Faragut Street.
Both husband and wife give their birth place and parent’s birthplace as Germany. Son
Charles Aside from identical names these seem to be distinct families. Perhaps a cousin?
Goldberg was rather common name in the Old Country. Evidently Bay City was not big
enough for two Hyman Goldbergs.
DIGRESSION
For the benefit of a reader born after about 1948, there is some significance to a
“grocer”. Until the early 1950s, a neighborhood grocery store was common, with an
emphasis on “neighborhood”. Perishable commodities might require replenishment
several times in a week, possibly daily, even for electric refrigerators (which might not be
large enough to support a larger supply). This writer can recall from childhood, at least
one house, two doors away, that displayed a special signal/sign in the front window to
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inform the ice man as to how much ice was required for their ice-box. When the ice truck
sopped by on a hot summer day, children that greeted the ice truck were rewarded with
small chunks of ice.
Another requirement was convenience. A second vehicle was not common in most
households until the late 1950s. The neighborhood grocery was, by definition, within
walking distance. These establishments ranged in size down to what was essentially a
front room lined with shelves and a showcase supporting a cash register at one end, a
small cooler for milk and eggs in a corner, and a potbellied stove in the middle of the
room. The proprietor typically lived in the back rooms or upstairs. This was what
Hyman Goldberg did to earn a living in Bay City and later in Milwaukee. A dedicated
structure with two or three aisles and a meat department would represent the higher rank
of market. Who supplied these small groceries? A wholesaler played that role. This
was the family business for N. Berkowitz & Sons in central Illinois, and for Joseph
Goldberg in Milwaukee.
As the war ended and the decade evolved, the larger enterprises, which you
would recognize as supermarkets, began to appear. These chain store enterprises were
large enough to be their own supplier and distributor. Thus, the demise of the
neighborhood grocer and ultimately the independent wholesaler.
* * * * *
The Milwaukee directories for the period 1879 through about 1888 show several
entries for Hyman Goldberg.
1880 grocer 208 Reed res. Same
1882-84 pedler res. 424 Poplar
1885-86 mrchnt 424 Poplar
1887-88 salesman 606 E. Water res. 461 4th
The latter of these directories shows son, Joseph, as an upholsterer at the same residence
address.
The business address on E. Water corresponds to “Kitz, Glassner &Co” which
was a dry goods wholesaler employing, apparently, Meyer Glassner, Wolf Kitz and
Hyman Goldberg. No apparent connection (common Old Country origin, etc) appears for
the principals and Hyman Goldberg. The business entity does not appear in later
directories.
These several addresses and (apparently) self-identified occupations suggest some
degree of economic instability for the Goldberg family.
The Milwaukee address is slightly puzzling. The Berkowitz family connection to
Wisconsin was understood to be the town of Sheboygan, about 45 miles north of
Milwaukee, on Lake Michigan. The Berkowitz family dining room furniture (a nicely
restored dining room table, upholstered chairs and sideboard) shows their Sheboygan
origin on the underside. Several of the formal studio photographs bear a studio address
of Sheboygan. One such photo is a wedding picture of Nate and Esther. Another is a
(partial) family portrait of Hyman, Henriette, and younger children, William and Sarah.
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These would date from the later 1880s (judging from the apparent age of Sarah) and
suggest residence in Sheboygan when the directory data state Milwaukee, at least through
preparation of the '87-'88 edition. Esther is married. Her son Elias was born April 2 of
'87 and gave his birthplace (to a World War 1 draft board) as Milwaukee. Second son
Emanuel, was born in Sheboygan in June of 1890. It is speculation that the Goldberg and
Berkowitz families may have begun sharing the same address as early as 1888 in
Sheboygan when Hyman Goldberg no longer appears in the Milwaukee directory.
The Goldberg family, minus Joseph, and in company with the Berkowitz family,
removed to Terre Haute, Indiana, on the banks of the Wabash, between 1890 and 1891.
From Milwaukee city directories, Joseph appears to have remained in Milwaukee where
he resided, presumably until his death in 1941. Jacob Goldberg, the second son? In
response to a question on the 1900 census, Henriette numbered 5 pregnancies and 4
surviving children. Economic stress and death of a child made for an unsettling decade
for the Hyman Goldberg family.
The Terre Haute, Indiana City Directories give some further tracks for Hyman
Goldberg:
He appears in the City Directory of Terre Haute, Indiana for the year 1891
together with his son-in-law at the residential address of 1020 Chestnut. The address is
only a parking lot now, but in 1890s Terre Haute, the National Trail would have entered
town one block south of this street. The families shared a common address (later moving
to a rented house at 512 South 8
th
) until the Berkowitz family removed to Mattoon, about
60 miles west, sometime in 1905-06. Thus it was that for about 20 years these families
shared the same address.
1892 Nathan Berkowitz |}
Herman (sic) Goldberg |} confectioners r. 1020 Chestnut
William Goldberg |}
1894 Goldberg Confectionary retail confectionary at 669 and
723 Wabash. Ice cream at 669 Wabash.
1896 Goldberg Confectionary 529 and 723 Wabash
1898 Hyman Goldberg 529 Wabash
1901 Hyman Goldberg confectioner r. 512 S. 8th
1902 (no listing for HG in business at 529 Wabash)
1904 same
A history of the Temple in Terre Haute lists “Hyman G. Goldberg” as president of
the congregation in 1887. That is probably the error of poorly retained records and poor
second hand memories for dates, when the history was compiled in the 1960’s. He may
have been an officer of the congregation, but the date is surely incorrect. Dad said that
his grandfather owned a complete set of the works of Rashi, a Jewish philosopher of
Renaissance France. Dad recalled his grandfather as “a scholar”. Aunt Mollie’s
impression: “He never worked a day in his life.” Surely, that is somewhat unfair. It was
Dad’s further recollection that Hyman Goldberg’s set of the works of Rashi was stolen by
a Terre Haute rabbi.
Henriette passed away in 1906. A death certificate (which might have shown her
family name) has not been located. Her Old World name was Yetta, as appears from
some census entries. The 1900 census entry shows she claimed her birthplace as
Germany in 1844. Mollie, as the older daughter/granddaughter was evidently assigned as
companion for her grandmother. Mollie recollected an anecdote of waiting for a street
car (horse drawn in those days) with her grandmother. When the streetcar finally
appeared, Yetta refused to board because she couldn't stand the particular conductor and
would rather walk a considerable distance instead. Mollie summed up (exact words):
"She was a very difficult woman." Yetta’s daughter, Sarah Goldberg Cooper, named her
own daughter after Henriette, and Henriette’s grandson, Elias, named his second daughter
after his grandmother.
Hyman Goldberg appears in Terre Haute city directories as a merchant, a
salesman, and (1900) a candy merchant. In the confectionery business in Terre Haute,
Mollie recalled the business included an employee named “Allegretti”. In the 1890s a
large New York confectionery firm bore that name and in the 1920s there was a Chicago
firm in the candy business bearing that name. No trace of the Allegretti name appears in
Terre Haute directories. Bill Goldberg was a confectioner in Linton, Indiana. When
Nate Berkowitz re-located to Mattoon, as the local manager of Goldsmith Bros., the
Mattoon city directory described their goods as fruits, vegetables, oysters and ice cream.The 1904 Terre Haute directory shows Goldsmith Ice Cream Co. at 1000-1010 Wabash.
At that time Nathan Berkowitz was in the employ of Goldsmith. There was some
connection with confections between these two entities, Goldsmith and
Berkowitz/Goldberg. Where did the confectionery expertise come from? Perhaps, from
Mr. Allegretti.
Completely consistent with the confectionary business, was Mollie’s and Dad’s
recollections of a Goldberg/Berkowitz summertime concession at Deming Park (Terre
Haute). To attract customers, there was a gramophone with what was recalled as the
largest horn they had ever seen. A further recollection of both Dad and Aunt Mollie: a
nickelodeon was among the enterprises attributed to their father’s/grandfather’s
enterprise.
In his obituary (1928), it was remarked that Hyman Goldberg ran a confectionery
store at 6th and Wabash. As noted above, the city directory for 1898 and for 1901-02shows the Goldberg confectionery at 529 Wabash. When I visited Terre Haute in 2006, I
learned from a chance conversation that in the course of a re-development project, during
demolishment of a small vacant store in that vicinity, what appeared to be early cinema
projection apparatus was found. One more note on this location: Wabash avenue is the
main thoroughfare of downtown Terre Haute. The National Trail/ US 40 was routed
down the main artery, as was the practice of the time. This was THE East-West
transcontinental highway from Baltimore to San Francisco. By the 1920s motor vehicles
were common. The main North-South artery of the nation was US 41, running from
Canada to Florida. The intersection of 7th and Wabash was the junction of US 40 and 41.In the 1920s this was the cross roads of America. Hyman Goldberg was 20 years too
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early.
Sometime after the death of Henriette, with daughter Esther and her large family
re-located to Mattoon, Hyman, with son and daughter, Bill and Sarah, moved to Linton,
Indiana. This was a small town, about 40 miles south east of Terre Haute where there
was a thriving coal mining industry. Bill Goldberg carried on a confectionery business in
Linton at 133 N. Main until his death in 1949. Bill and Ray (Rachel) raised a son, Milton
and daughter, Charlotte, in Linton. Sarah married Julius Cooper, who ran a dry cleaning
business in Linton, and raised a son and daughter, Mannie and Henriette.
Hyman Goldberg died in May, 1928. Nate Berkowitz died a month later. The
Goldbergs and Berkowitzs are interred within a few feet of one another at Highland
Cemetery, overlooking the National Trail, later denominated US 40. Again, they share
the same address.
William Hyman Henriette Sarah
(photo: