At least eight individuals bearing the name Friedman lived in Leadville between 1890 and 1905. We have been unable to find a source ascertaining familial relations between them aside from the married couple, Michael and Rachel. Friedman is a common name among German Jews. While the probability exists that some may have been related, it is equally probable that they were not.
Louis Friedman
Occupation: Tailor
Born: N/A
Birthplace: N/A
Died: N/A
Louis Friedman should not be mistaken for Louis Freedman, [1] a tailor employed by the firm of Hymes [2] & Silver [3] who only resided in Leadville during the year of 1890. The two can be distinguished from one another in records by the slight spelling variation of their surnames and the fact that the 1890 Leadville City Directory lists them at separate addresses. [4] Like Freedman, Louis Friedman was also a tailor who lived in Leadville but resided in the city for a longer period, from 1890 to 1895. Originally living at 113 ½ Harrison Avenue, [5] Louis found employment with merchant tailor Ed Jackson by 1891. Ed’s business was located at 219 Harrison Avenue, where Louis subsequently lived and worked. [6] Although city directories only listed him from 1890 to 1892, [7] an article in Leadville’s Herald Democrat provided a colorful description of a physical altercation that took place between Louis and another tailor, Carl Ruthstead, over a game of billiards in November 1895. [8] No further references to his time in Leadville have been found.
The description of the fight published in the Herald Democrat.
Courtesy of the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection.
Two Tailors in a Tangle. The Herald Democrat. Wednesday, November 27, 1895. Page 8.
Simon Friedman
Occupation: Confectioner
Born: N/A
Birthplace: N/A
Died: N/A
Simon Friedman was a confectioner who lived and worked at 125 Harrison Avenue in 1890. [9] There are no further references to his presence in Leadville.
Samuel Friedman
Occupation: N/A
Born: 1846
Birthplace: N/A
Died: July 24, 1891
Samuel Friedman is buried in Leadville’s Hebrew Cemetery. He was born in 1846 and died on July 24, 1891. [10] There are no references to his time in Leadville prior to his death.
Modern grave marker for Samuel Friedman in the Hebrew Cemetery, Leadville, Colorado. Marker shows:
“Samuel Friedman
July 24, 1891
Age 45 Years”
Photo by Robert-George de Stolfe, August 27, 2014.
Grave plot with marker for Samuel Friedman in the Hebrew Cemetery, Leadville, Colorado.
Photo by Robert-George de Stolfe, August 27, 2014.
Michael Friedman (“Miller”)
Occupation: Conman
Born: N/A
Birthplace: N/A
Died: N/A
Among the Leadville Friedmans, Michael Friedman (“Miller”) is perhaps the most curious. An article in Leadville’s Herald Democrat explained that he sometimes went by the surname Miller though his real name was Friedman. [11] Because he used two separate surnames, it is difficult to find vital records clarifying his background. The same Herald Democrat article also indicated that his birth year was roughly 1869. No individual named Michael Miller or Michael Friedman born in or around 1869 was reported in the 1900 US Census for Lake County. Due to scant vital information on Michael, the only available sources that definitively refer to him are found in local newspapers.
The first sign of his presence in Leadville was the announcement of his marriage to Sarah Hyman [12] in 1897. Orthodox Jewish communities in Colorado were reportedly in “quite a flutter” over the age difference between the two; Michael was around 28 and Sarah was a “widow of some 56 summers.” [13] Their marriage did not last long and Sarah remarried in 1902 to Henry Barnett. [14]
Michael’s curious past concerns his run-ins with the law in Leadville and the event leading to his split from Sarah and hasty departure from the city. Prior to their marriage, Sarah reportedly paid Michael’s bond to keep him out of prison after he assaulted an unnamed individual and conned Herman Zeiler [15] out of $39. [16] In the marriage announcement, the Herald Democrat described Michael as a longtime admirer of Sarah. [17] Not two months later, Michael and fellow conman P. A. Kantor swindled Sarah out of an undisclosed amount of money for purported business investments. Apparently, the marriage was a long con. [18] Michael promptly fled Leadville after purchasing “a suit of clothes, overcoat and a watch and chain.” [19]
Carrie (Fist) Friedman
Occupation: N/A
Born: September 12, 1862
Birthplace: Germany
Died: August 8, 1932
Carrie Fist Friedman, the sixth of eight children, was born in Germany on September 12, 1862 [20] to David Fist and Regina Juda Fist. [21] She and her family reportedly immigrated to the United States between 1870 and 1874. [22] By 1880, the family had settled in Cameron, Missouri, where David worked as a “cattle dealer.” [23] Carrie made her way to Pueblo, Colorado by 1884 and married Meyer Friedman on October 12 of that year. [24] Meyer and his brothers Aaron and Moses were prominent merchants in Colorado. Aaron and Moses ran a large liquor distribution business named Friedman & Co. out of Denver, [25] and Moses also owned a store in Silver Cliff in the early 1880s. [26] While Meyer and Aaron in particular did visit [27] Leadville on occasion, [28] perhaps for business reasons, [29] there is no indication that they ever lived in the city.
Carrie, on the other hand, appeared in the 1901 city directory living at 115 East 3rd Street, the same residence as Sarah Hyman Barnett, the conned ex-wife of Michael Friedman/Miller. [30] Her reason for living with the Barnett family or for being in Leadville is unclear. There is currently no evidence to suggest that Michael was her brother-in-law or held any familial relationship to her.
The 1901 city directory listing for Carrie is the only reference to her living in Leadville. She returned to Denver, where she and Meyer lived until his death in 1916. [31] Carrie remained in Denver until her passing on August 8, 1932. [32] Both are buried at Denver’s Congregation Emanuel Cemetery.
Michael Friedman
Occupation: Smelterman
Born: August 1874
Birthplace: Austria
Died: N/A
Rachel Friedman
Occupation: N/A
Born: March 1875
Birthplace: Austria
Died: N/A
Michael Friedman was born in Austria in August 1874 and immigrated to the United States in 1890. [33] He was recorded in Leadville in 1899 as a smelterman for the Arkansas Valley Smelter. [34] He married fellow Austrian immigrant Rachel Friedman (maiden name unknown) in 1900. The couple settled at 514 West 2nd Street where they remained for their tenure in Leadville. [35]
A strike broke out at the Arkansas Valley Smelter in April 1905 resulting from “weighers and wheelers” not falling under a new eight-hour work law which applied to “furnace men feeders and tappers.” [36] Michael, apparently among the weighers and wheelers, was identified as one of the strike leaders. [37] Leadville’s Sheriff O’Mahoney arrived at the scene of the strike with a force of armed deputies for the purpose of “bringing the trouble to a speedy end.” Michael does not appear in city directories or in local newspapers after the report, indicating he left town once the strike concluded.
Paul Friedman
Occupation: Smelterman
Born: N/A
Birthplace: N/A
Died: N/A
Paul Friedman lived in Leadville between 1900 [38] and 1901 [39] and worked as a smelterman at the Arkansas Valley Smelter. Currently there is no further evidence suggesting he was related to Michael apart from working at the same place at the same time.
1 For more on the Freedman family, see: Quinn Whittington, Freedman (Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation), 2021: http://www.jewishleadville.org/freedman.html.
2 For more on the Hymes family, see: Hymes (Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation), 2018: http://jewishleadville.org/hymes.html.
3 For more on the Silver family, see: Silver (Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation), 2018: http://jewishleadville.org/silver.html.
4 J. H. Ballenger and W. H. Richards, Ballenger & Richards Eleventh Annual Leadville City Directory: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms, Etc. in the City of Leadville, for 1890 (Leadville, CO: Ballenger & Richards, Publishers, 1890), P122.
5 Ballenger and Richards, 1890, P122.
6 J. H. Ballenger and W. H. Richards, Ballenger & Richards Twelfth Annual Leadville City Directory: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms, Etc. in the City of Leadville, for 1891 (Leadville, CO: Ballenger & Richards, Publishers, 1891), P121.
7 J. H. Ballenger and W. H. Richards, Ballenger & Richards Thirteenth Annual Leadville City Directory: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms, Etc. in the City of Leadville, for 1892 (Leadville, CO: Ballenger & Richards, Publishers, 1892), P124.
8 Two Tailors in a Tangle (Leadville, CO: Herald Democrat), November 27, 1895, P8.
9 J. H. Ballenger and W. H. Richards, Ballenger & Richards Eleventh Annual Leadville City Directory: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms, Etc. in the City of Leadville, for 1890 (Leadville, CO: Ballenger & Richards, Publishers, 1890), P122.
10 Leadville Hebrew Cemetery Database, Friedman, Samuel (d:24-Jul-1900), Blk: B, Lt: 14, Grave: Unknown (Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation, 2016).
11 Hyman-Friedman (Leadville, CO: Herald Democrat), March 2, 1897, P2.
12 For more on the Hyman family, see: Trevor Mark, Hyman (Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation), 2018: http://www.jewishleadville.org/hyman.html.
13 Hyman-Friedman, March 2, 1897, P2.
14 Trevor Mark, Hyman (Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation), 2018: http://www.jewishleadville.org/hyman.html.
15 For more on the Zeiler family, see: Zeiler (Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation), 2018: http://www.jewishleadville.org/Zeiler.html.
16 Smooth Stranger in Town Tries to Pawn a Cloak (Leadville, CO: Herald Democrat), February 14, 1897, P8.
17 Hyman-Friedman, March 2, 1897, P2.
18 Mrs. Hyman’s Troubles (Leadville, CO: Herald Democrat), April 23, 1897, P3.
19 Mrs. Hyman’s Troubles, April 23, 1897, P3.
20 Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10590993/carrie-f-friedman: accessed September 4, 2021), memorial page for Carrie F. Friedman (September 12, 1862 – August 8, 1932), Find a Grave Memorial ID 10590993; citing Congregation Emanuel Cemetery, Denver, Denver County, Colorado, USA, maintained by Digginrellies (contributor 46522347).
21 "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M665-NWR: accessed September 4, 2021), David Fist, Cameron, Clinton, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district ED 104, sheet 478B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,682.
22 "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M31B-5F6: accessed September 4, 2021), Carrie Friedman in household of Meyer Friedman, Precinct 4 Denver city Ward 5, Arapahoe, Colorado, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 35, sheet 3A, family 46, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972), FHL microfilm 1,240,117.
23 “United States Census, 1880,” David Fist.
24 Colorado, County Marriage Records and State Index, 1862-2006, database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/134636:61366?ssrc=pt&tid=170005377&pid=152204044904: accessed September 4, 2021), Mayer Friedmann, film number 001690077.
25 Personal (Leadville, CO: Herald Democrat), March 6, 1886, P4.
26 Flames’ Fury (Leadville, CO: Leadville Daily Herald), February 22, 1881, P1.
27 Hotel Arrivals (Leadville, CO: Herald Democrat), March 4, 1886, P4.
28 Personal, March 6, 1886, P4.
29 The City (Leadville, CO: Leadville Evening Chronicle), August 24, 1886, P4.
30 J. H. Ballenger and W. H. Richards, Ballenger & Richards Twentieth Annual Leadville City Directory for 1901: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms, Etc. (Leadville, CO: Ballenger & Richards, Publishers, 1901), P155.
31 Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10590979/meyer-friedman: accessed September 4, 2021), memorial page for Meyer Friedman (June 5, 1854 – July 17, 1916), Find a Grave Memorial ID 10590979; citing Congregation Emanuel Cemetery, Denver, Denver County, Colorado, USA, maintained by Digginrellies (contributor 46522347).
32 Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10590993/carrie-f-friedman: accessed September 4, 2021), memorial page for Carrie F. Friedman (September 12, 1862 – August 8, 1932), Find a Grave Memorial ID 10590993; citing Congregation Emanuel Cemetery, Denver, Denver County, Colorado, USA, maintained by Digginrellies (contributor 46522347).
33 “1900 United States Federal Census,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/36828097:7602?tid=&pid=&queryId=f75851d2285f9c2e5b0bac9289d2779b&_phsrc=RNi1089&_phstart=successSource: accessed September 4, 2021), Michael Friedman, Leadville, Ward 2, Lake, Colorado, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 46, sheet 21B, family 470, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972), FHL microfilm 1,240,125.
34 J. H. Ballenger and W. H. Richards, Ballenger & Richards Eighteenth Annual Leadville City Directory for 1899: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms, Etc. (Leadville, CO: Ballenger & Richards, Publishers, 1899), P140.
35 J. H. Ballenger and W. H. Richards, Ballenger & Richards Nineteenth Annual Leadville City Directory for 1900: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms, Etc. (Leadville, CO: Ballenger & Richards, Publishers, 1900), P151.
36 Smeltermen on Strike (Leadville, CO: Herald Democrat), April 20, 1905, P1.
37 Smeltermen on Strike (Leadville, CO: Herald Democrat), April 20, 1905, P2.
38 Ballenger and Richards, 1900, P151.
39 Ballenger and Richards, 1901, P155.
Bibliography
Ballenger, J. H. and W. H. Richards. Ballenger & Richards Eleventh Annual Leadville City Directory: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms, Etc. in the City of Leadville, for 1890. Leadville, CO: Ballenger & Richards, Publishers, 1890.
Ballenger, J. H. and W. H. Richards. Ballenger & Richards Twelfth Annual Leadville City Directory: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms, Etc. in the City of Leadville, for 1891. Leadville, CO: Ballenger & Richards, Publishers, 1891.
Ballenger, J. H. and W. H. Richards. Ballenger & Richards Thirteenth Annual Leadville City Directory: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms, Etc. in the City of Leadville, for 1892. Leadville, CO: Ballenger & Richards, Publishers, 1892.
Ballenger, J. H. and W. H. Richards. Ballenger & Richards Eighteenth Annual Leadville City Directory for 1899: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms, Etc. Leadville, CO: Ballenger & Richards, Publishers, 1899.
Ballenger, J. H. and W. H. Richards. Ballenger & Richards Nineteenth Annual Leadville City Directory for 1900: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms, Etc. Leadville, CO: Ballenger & Richards, Publishers, 1900.
Ballenger, J. H. and W. H. Richards. Ballenger & Richards Twentieth Annual Leadville City Directory for 1901: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms, Etc. Leadville, CO: Ballenger & Richards, Publishers, 1901.
Colorado, County Marriage Records and State Index, 1862-2006. Database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/134636:61366?ssrc=pt&tid=170005377&pid=152204044904: accessed September 4, 2021). Mayer Friedmann. Film number 001690077.
Find a Grave. Database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10590993/carrie-f-friedman: accessed September 4, 2021). Memorial page for Carrie F. Friedman (September 12, 1862 – August 8, 1932). Find a Grave Memorial ID 10590993; citing Congregation Emanuel Cemetery, Denver, Denver County, Colorado, USA. Maintained by Digginrellies (contributor 46522347).
Find a Grave. Database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10590979/meyer-friedman: accessed September 4, 2021). Memorial page for Meyer Friedman (June 5, 1854 – July 17, 1916). Find a Grave Memorial ID 10590979; citing Congregation Emanuel Cemetery, Denver, Denver County, Colorado, USA. Maintained by Digginrellies (contributor 46522347).
Find a Grave. Database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10590993/carrie-f-friedman: accessed September 4, 2021). Memorial page for Carrie F. Friedman (September 12, 1862 – August 8, 1932). Find a Grave Memorial ID 10590993; citing Congregation Emanuel Cemetery, Denver, Denver County, Colorado, USA. Maintained by Digginrellies (contributor 46522347).
Flames’ Fury. Leadville, CO: Leadville Daily Herald. February 22, 1881.
Hotel Arrivals. Leadville, CO: Herald Democrat. March 4, 1886.
Hyman-Friedman. Leadville, CO: Herald Democrat. March 2, 1897.
Hymes. Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation, 2018: http://jewishleadville.org/hymes.html.
Leadville Hebrew Cemetery Database. Friedman, Samuel (d:24-Jul-1900). Blk: B, Lt: 14, Grave: Unknown. Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation, 2016.
Mark, Trevor. Hyman. Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation, 2018: http://www.jewishleadville.org/hyman.html.
Mrs. Hyman’s Troubles. Leadville, CO: Herald Democrat. April 23, 1897.
Personal. Leadville, CO: Herald Democrat. March 6, 1886.
Silver. Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation, 2018: http://jewishleadville.org/silver.html.
Smeltermen on Strike. Leadville, CO: Herald Democrat. April 20, 1905.
Smooth Stranger in Town Tries to Pawn a Cloak. Leadville, CO: Herald Democrat. February 14, 1897.
The City. Leadville, CO: Leadville Evening Chronicle. August 24, 1886.
Two Tailors in a Tangle. Leadville, CO: Herald Democrat. November 27, 1895.
"United States Census, 1880." Database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M665-NWR: accessed September 4, 2021). David Fist, Cameron, Clinton, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district ED 104, sheet 478B, NARA microfilm publication T9. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. FHL microfilm 1,254,682.
"United States Census, 1900." Database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M31B-5F6: accessed September 4, 2021). Carrie Friedman in household of Meyer Friedman, Precinct 4 Denver city Ward 5, Arapahoe, Colorado, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 35, sheet 3A, family 46, NARA microfilm publication T623. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972. FHL microfilm 1,240,117.
“United States Census, 1900.” Database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/36828097:7602?tid=&pid=&queryId=f75851d2285f9c2e5b0bac9289d2779b&_phsrc=RNi1089&_phstart=successSource: accessed September 4, 2021). Michael Friedman, Leadville, Ward 2, Lake, Colorado, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 46, sheet 21B, family 470, NARA microfilm publication T623. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972. FHL microfilm 1,240,125.
Whittington, Quinn. Freedman. Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation, 2021: http://www.jewishleadville.org/freedman.html.
Zeiler. Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation, 2018: http://www.jewishleadville.org/Zeiler.html.
To cite any of the information in this biography, please use the following reference.
AUTHOR: Quinn Whittington
EDITOR: William Korn
SOURCE: Jewish Surnames/Friedman
PUBLISHED BY: Temple Israel Foundation. Leadville, CO; USA. 2021
STABLE URL: http://www.jewishleadville.org/friedman.html
