b'Jews in the Old West he opened up another general store, made a newwhat he knew best, i.e., joining two partners and and successful life for himself built a house, found aopening up a very modest general store with a cloth woman who loved him for who he was, and togetherroof on the dusty streets of Leadville, their first goods, they raised a family. But Jacob Sandelowsky wasn\'t theaccording to Harriet and Fred Rochin in their work, only Jewish merchant in Leadville or in Denver whoPioneer Jews: A New Life in the Far West: "were red would make a name for himself and become a successwoolen longies and Levi\'s.When his partners balked story both on the mercantile and political fronts.at expansion, go-getter May bought out his cohorts There was the silver miner Wolf Londoner, whoand started the Great Western Auction and Clothing originally came to Leadville from New York to workStore (in 1877). Several months later, he teamed the mines, but instead parlayed his and his brother\'sup with Moses Shoenberg, whose father Elias, ran earnings into a Leadville department store that wouldLeadville\'s Shoenberg Opera House" (Rochlin, Harriet earn his family nearly a million a year during theand Fred, Pioneer Jews, Houghton-Mifflin Company, Leadville glory days, and who himself would laterBoston, Massachusetts, 1984, p. 123).become one of Denver\'s most interesting mayors, as well as Fred Z. Solomon, another successful DenverThe teaming up with the Shoenberg\'s had far-mercantile owner who would become a Republicanreaching and extremely lucrative public and personal state treasurer in the mid-1870s. consequences for the young Bavarian Jewish immigrant. First, the public, or business positive side But none would ever reach the pinnacle of Americanwas that May now had partners who were extremely retail success as one young Bavarian Jewish merchantwealthy and committed to success in the long haul. who had come to Colorado originally for his healthOn the personal side, he was smitten with the and to seek his fortune in the silver mines - butShoenberg\'s "dark-eyed, dark-haired sister Rose, who instead made his fortune many, many, many timeshad arrived in Leadville in the summer of 1880. The over by originally peddling shmatas (rags) - andcourtship was brief, the marriage long and fruitful" other assorted mercantile goods. His name was David(Ibid.). The already prosperous Shoenbergs liked their May, and he was the founder of the world-famoussister\'s enterprising husband, and chose to partner up department store chain that bore his name. with him in his business endeavors.David MayDAVID MAY AND THE FOUNDING OF Even as he prospered, David May, like so many others, AN AMERICAN RETAIL EMPIRE THATand board.Twelve years later and now the partner ofwas very involved in Leadville Jewish communal WOULD BEAR HIS NAME the owner, May, who suffered from asthma, sold hisaffairs, helping to found the town\'s first synagogue, The sickly yet ambitious and determined Davidshare of the business for $25,000 and upon learningCongregation Israel in 1884, and then serving as May had arrived in this country from Bavaria justof the Colorado silver strike, moved westward intovice president of the synagogue (a bit of delicious barely out of his teens to begin work as a green,the Rocky Mountains where he hoped that the freshirony here - the land set aside for the synagogue was inexperienced clerk in a dry goods store in Indianamountain air would ease his asthma symptoms - anddonated by none other than the "Silver King" himself, around the time of the Civil War,actually paying thethat he too, would be able to strike it rich in the wakethe non-Jewish Horace Tabor!) (Jewish Museum of store\'s owner $25 a month from his salary for roomof the silver rush. Failing at mining, he resorted tothe American West website.)continued on page 21ArizonaRealCountry.com October 2023 19'