Jacob Bergerman

Born: July 8, 1856

Born in New York City

Married: Esther Bergerman

Died: September 14, 1928

Occupation: Wholesale Liquor, Clothing, Grocer

 

Abraham Bergerman

Born: 1861

Born in New York City

Died: ?

Occupation: Wholesale Liquor, Clothing, Grocer

 

Esther Bergerman

Born: 1870

Born in Kansas

Married to Jacob Bergerman

Died: 1940

Occupation: Worked with husband in their store

 

Blance Bergerman

Born: 1890

Born in Leadville

Died: 1891

 

Sadie Bergerman

Born: 1897

Died: ?

 

Rose Bergerman

Born: 189?

Died: ?

 

Other names associated with the Bergerman Family in Leadville:

Baer Brothers

Adolph Schayer

 

Addresses of the Bergerman Family in Leadville:

1884-1885: 322 Harrison Avenue

1886: 502 Harrison Avenue

1887-1889: 208 W. 5th St.

1890-1894: 416 Harrison Avenue and 208 W. 5th St.

1895: 208 W. 5th St.

Jacob and Abraham Bergerman were born in New York City; Jacob in 1856 and Abraham in 1861.[1]   The head of the Bergerman family was Marcus, whose wife was Sarah.[2]   The Bergermans are listed as immigrating from both Germany and Russia in depending on the year of the census.  The Bergermans went west from New York in 1868 and settled in Pueblo, Colorado.[3]  The 1880 census shows that Marcus and Sarah had three sons, three daughters, and two granddaughters who lived with them.  The sons were Abraham, Salomon, and Benjamin.  In 1880 Jacob, the fourth and oldest son, was already living in Kokomo, Summit County, close to Leadville.  The Bergerman’s three daughters were Rachall Bergerman Heitler, Amelia, and Rebecca.  Rachall Heitler had two daughters, Ema and Clara.[4]   Despite this large family the only Bergermans who were active in Leadville would be Jacob and Abraham.

 

 In 1880 Jacob was listed as residing in Kokomo, a small mining town close to Leadville and was employed as a grocer.[5]  In 1884 Jacob and his brother Abraham opened up a clothing store at 322 Harrison Avenue.[6]  The Bergerman brothers would operate this business together until 1886.[7]   The brothers ran their first advertisement for their business in January of 1884.[8]   In 1886 Abraham Bergerman ceases to appear alongside Jacob in the city directory and it is unknown whether he continued to work with his brother in Leadville or if he had moved.  In 1887 Jacob’s  fortunes tumbled and he was forced to declare bankruptcy.[9]   The Leadville sheriff had to take possession of his store in order to sell all remaining merchandise to begin to repay his debts.[10]   After declaring

bankruptcy, Jacob began to work with the Baer brothers as a bookkeeper at their wholesale liquor business.[11]   This was Jacob Bergerman’s introduction to the liquor industry, a sector where he would be more prosperous than his ill-fated clothing adventure in the early 1880s.  During 1889 Bergerman worked for Adolph Schayer, another Leadville Jew active in the wholesale liquor business.[12]

 

Sometime between 1880 and 1890 Jacob Bergerman met and married Esther (maiden name is unknown).[13]   Esther had been born in Kansas in 1870.  In addition to this Jacob once again delved into his own business enterprise.  In 1890 he opened a saloon at 208 W. 5th St.[14]   From 1891 to 1894[15]  Jacob operated his own wholesale liquor business.  Esther was active in working alongside her husband in their family business.  In December 1890, Esther gave birth to a daughter, Blanche. Sadly January 1891 Blanche passed away and was interred in the Hebrew Cemetery.[16]

 

The Bergerman’s enjoyed hosting home events in Leadville. One example is when, in 1891, the Bergerman’s hosted a house party where Jacob’s brother from Pueblo, Benjamin, visited.[17]

 

 The Bergerman’s time in Leadville came to an end in 1895.  They moved to Salt Lake City and continued to operate in the wholesale liquor industry.[18]   In 1897 Esther gave birth to a daughter Sadie.[19]  The Jewish Museum of the American West also lists the Bergermans as having another daughter, Rose, in the 1890s.[20]   Jacob Bergerman passed away in 1928.[21]  Esther Bergerman died in 1940.[22]   It is not known when the two Bergerman children, Sadie and Rose, passed away.