David May
Born: Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate (Bavaria), June 10, 1848.
Died: Charlevoix, Michigan, July 22, 1927

Rosa Shoenberg May
Born: Dayton, Ohio, March 21, 1861
Died: Los Angeles, December 19, 1943

Morton Jay May
Born: Denver, July 13, 1881
Died: St. Louis, May 17, 1968

Stanley C. “Tom” May
Born: Leadville, June 3, 1883
Died: Beverly Hills, CA, August 26, 1968

The story of David May is a classic western odyssey. He came to The United States from Germany as the trials of the American Civil War were coming to an end. Like many individuals of the time, exact birthdays were often unknown. June 10, 1848, is written on official documents as his birthdate although other dates are sometimes given. [1] Like many immigrants, May’s life begins in a troubled homeland. The late 1840s were a tumultuous time in Germany. Revolutions were brewing and borders were shifting. Within his first year of life, a revolutionary period swept over Europe. [2] Amid this chaos Dave, the future founder of the May Corporation clothing retail store chain, was born.

While born during an uncertain and violent year, specific events in David May’s life before his immigration are difficult to uncover. Immigration documents and a May Company biography by Forbes Parkhill provide much of what we believe exists that chronicles May’s early life in Germany.

David was born into a merchant family; his father, Wolf, owned a modest store in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate, which transitioned to Bavarian control soon after David was born. [3]

Young David was exposed to the intricacies of merchant life in the family store during the 1850s and early 1860s, but his prospects for a future were potentially bleak. Like many German-Jews of his time, he decided to leave for the United States during his teenage years. It is said that around the time David turned 15 years of age and finished his early schooling, the May family had a meeting to discuss his future. It was decided that David would immigrate or “auswandern” to America. [4] He arrived as “David Mai” at Castle Garden, New York (a predecessor of Ellis Island) on May 15, 1865 at the age of 17. [5] Young Dave traveled with two other boys from his hometown and May recalled later in his life that “We were as lively and full of curiosity as young monkeys.” [6]

The United States was reeling with turmoil as young May and his colleagues disembarked the ship Saxonia. [7] It is not known how long May spent in New York, but shortly after his arrival, he received a dispatch from an uncle now located in Ohio. The contents were a ticket to Cincinnati and an invitation, through family connections, for a clothing factory job. The adventure continued for the young man as he traveled by train across the first frontier of his life in his new country.

Economic mania plagued the late 1860s and most of the 1870s in the United States. Economists refer to this period from 1873 to 1879 as the Long Depression. A panic associated with September of 1869, long known as Black Friday, could have affected May personally through a general pecuniary downturn and lack of demand for new clothing. As an energetic and hard-working youngster May worked through much of this period. He also gained his American education at a business college in Cincinnati. [8]

After years of factory work, May began to climb the business ladder. In his early 20s, he became a clerk at a retail store in Hartford City, Indiana called Kirshbaum & Weiler [9] for $25 a month plus room and board. [10] The store was operated by Jewish-German immigrants Raphael Kirshbaum and Abraham, Adolf, and Meyer Weiler. These men were all close to the same age as May and possessed a shared culture, religion, and language. The Weiler brothers and Kirshbaum likely took in young David as their apprentice during this time. By all accounts, he flourished in this new role. He worked long hours while learning the practical lessons of the retail clothing and merchandise industry.

After two years at Kirshbaum’s, David’s work ethic and steady business helped increase the store’s sales by a reported 80%. The enterprise’s total revenue neared $100,000 per annum, and Kirshbaum decided to award May with a shareholder’s status. Of course, that reward came with its own burdens; in the spring of 1877 a fiery conflagration enveloped Kirshbaum’s store destroying much of the clothing stock. David developed respiratory trouble after the event; he exerted himself while saving stock from the fire. However, the years working in the polluted air of Ohio and Indiana factory towns likely contributed to his condition. [11]

Tuberculosis and other lung ailments were common killers of late Nineteenth Century America. May’s doctors advised him to travel to the high, dry climes in the west. Hospitals and resorts throughout Colorado were known for their rejuvenating qualities. Dave decided that he would sell his interests in the Kirshbaum store and take some time to recuperate. With $25,000 in his pocket and a fresh outlook, David left Indiana for his next and most successful endeavor in the Rocky Mountains. [12]

May visited the health resorts and bathed in the mineral waters of Manitou Springs, Colorado. While there he met Marshall Field and John Logan. Sometime during the summer of 1878, the trio organized a fishing expedition to a new resort in the Upper Arkansas Valley of Colorado — probably Twin Lakes near Leadville. While at Twin Lakes, May, Fields, and Logan heard stories of the mounting promise of precious metals to be unearthed up the valley in California Gulch. It was during this time that the health-conscious resort goers became perspective prospectors and where David’s most pivotal career choice occurred. [13]

Details of May’s companions on the first trip up the Arkansas River Valley are vague and the exact progress of events is difficult to track. In his later years, May himself recalled that Marshall Field and John Logan accompanied him on his first trip from Twin Lakes to Leadville. A bit later Fields departed, but May and Logan stayed on to take an interest in a claim somewhere in the Leadville District in the summer of 1878. After hauling ore for some time up a windlass, with “blistered palms and an aching back,” Logan departed for the East. David stayed on to find fortunes beyond a hole in the ground. [14]

Leadville city directories did not exist before 1879. The first direct proof of David’s residence in Leadville was an entry in the 1879 city directory. That year David May and his partners, T.B. Dean and Jacob Holcomb, [15] operated a store called Holcomb, May and Dean at 25 Harrison Avenue. Leadville was still sorting out its street alignments and some addresses in the early directories are less precise than descriptive. One entry places the establishment at “Harrison avenue, just above Chestnut street.” This was the heart of Leadville’s commercial core. According to the 1879 directory, all three proprietors lived together at the address. The men probably lived in back of what was a two-story timber frame building with an impressive façade. [16] There were four attorneys located “over” the shop, Laws & Gunnel and Wilson & Taylor. In addition to the three proprietors, there were three other employees: two clerks, William Tughinbaugh and Lena Kringen, and a “silk department” overseen by Maud Kringen. [17]

Dave was a consummate advertiser. The first identifiable series of advertisements attributable to a May enterprise were published in the January 29, 1879, edition of the Leadville Daily/Evening Chronicle. From this we learn that the focus of Holcomb, May and Dean that year was in general houseware, jewelry, and some clothing. The store advertised “Plated Ware, Napkin Rings, Butter Knives, Gold Lined Mugs and Goblets, Silver Jewelry Cases, Fruit Stands, Cake Stands, Call Bells, and a fine lot of Ladies Jewelry.” Rather than a specific address, they remind shoppers that the store is located at “Harrison avenue, just above Chestnut street.” [18] In another advertisement in the same paper, Holcomb, May and Dean tout the virtues of “Boys Ulsters.” [19] A third directs ladies to silk handkerchiefs at “the big Dry Goods merchants on Harrison Avenue” and another ad from a few days later advertises wallpaper. [20]

By January of 1880, Holcomb and Dean were removed from the store’s marquee. [21] Dave reopened with fellow Jewish-German Moses Shoenberg [22] as his partner on January 3, 1880, and the store expanded to both 25 and 27 Harrison Avenue. The new venture opened with the verbose Victorian title of “The Great Western Auction and Commission Rooms.” Ever the promotional enthusiast, Dave made sure the advertisements for the opening of this new store included an article-sized excerpt in the Carbonate Chronicle newspaper. [23] It was filled with praises and flourishes. It also details the entrance of the important character of Moses Shoenberg and the Shoenberg family into the life of David May and his business ventures.

Storefront for Holcomb, May, & Dean at 25 Harrison Avenue in 1880.

Wholesale & Retail. Carbonate Chronicle. Saturday, January 3, 1880. Page 12.

Portrait of David May, possibly during his time in Leadville in the 1880s.

Courtesy of the Denver Public Library.

Portrait of David May. Denver, Colorado: Denver Public Library, Western History Collection. 2019.

David was socially active during his time in Leadville. He attended the first meeting of B’nai B’rith in Leadville in November of 1879. [24] The event took place at the Hotel Windsor on East Chestnut Street and featured elaborate dining and toasts. During 1879, the Jewish Reform congregation also met in the Shoenberg Opera House [25] and the Union Society Temple and on Chestnut Street above Isaac Kamak’s [26] clothing store; David May certainly attended these functions. [27]

Similar to Leadville itself, May’s first two years in the alpine city bustled. Between 1879 and 1881, May and Shoenberg’s store changed addresses three times. Many of the advertisements were on the front page of the Carbonate Chronicle and the Leadville Daily/Evening Chronicle. The first venture, The Great Western Auction & Commission House, was simplified to May & Shoenberg’s during early 1880 [28] and by that May they were preparing to move to another commercial block at 108-110 Harrison Avenue. The marketing of May & Shoenberg’s focused on ads claiming, “Boston Square-Dealing, One Price Clothing Store.” [29]

Business and home life flourished for David in the early 1880s. By the end of that year, the days of muslin tents and cramped quarters behind his store with business partners ceased. During September of 1880, David married Rosa Shoenberg, the sister of his business partner Moses, further cementing his relationship with the Shoenberg family. [30] By October that year, Rosa and David May moved into a new house at 203 West 5th Street. [51] German immigrants of the time often did not marry until their 30s in order to gain economic stability. This was apparently the case with May, who turned 32 the year of his marriage. [52]

Rosa (Shoenberg) May, circa 1930.

Charles W. Brown. Memorial Page for Rosa Shoenberg May (21 Mar 1860–19 Dec 1943). Affton, St. Louis County, Missouri.

Rosa Shoenberg was born on March 21, 1861, in Ohio to parents from Prussia. [33] According to the 1870 United States Census, Elias and Fannie Shoenberg had six children: Hattie; Moses; Joseph; Leopold; Louis; and “Rosey.” Rosa’s brothers Moses, Lee, and Joseph Shoenberg arrived in Colorado during 1878. [34] Although it is unlikely that Elias and Fannie ever lived in Leadville, Elias’ brother, tobacconist Samuel Shoenberg, and his wife, Carrie, made the journey. [35] While Lee and Joseph entered into their own business ventures, Moses took a clerk’s position with the retail clothing firm belonging to fellow Jewish-German immigrant [36] Louis Braham. [37] It is important to note that the Shoenberg family already operated successful clothing enterprises in Leadville prior to merging with the May family in 1880. [38]

By 1880, Moses was in business with David May, and the pair lived with other employees and tenants at their store at 108 Harrison Avenue. Joseph Shoenberg lived at 116 West Chestnut and his sister Hattie lived with him in addition to other employees, but Rosa does not appear to be listed living with either brother in 1880. [39] There is no indication that Rosa lived in Leadville for any amount of time before her marriage to May in September of 1880. However, it is quite possible that all three families, May, Shoenberg, and Braham, had relationships that traced back to their time in Ohio. [40] The circumstances that brought Rosa to Leadville are unknown, but it would appear that the courtship was brief between May and young Rosa. During October of 1880, the couple took their honeymoon in Denver and moved into their new home in Leadville that month. The Shoenberg family, as a whole, would heavily influence David’s business and social life in Leadville throughout the 1880s and Rosa appeared often in social and personal columns.

Around the time of the success of the “Boston-Square Dealing” establishment at 108-110 Harrison, Dave came across a stock of dresses from a Chicago distributor. He brought dresses to Leadville and sold them for between $200 and $400 in under a week. It is unknown the exact numbers relating to the event, but recent monetary conversions put the profits from these dresses well into the tens of thousands of dollars. [41]

During the summer and fall of 1880, David May and his enterprise came into its own. Forbes Parkhill, who wrote the most complete historic biography of May, sums up his ethic as “…hard-headed but softhearted.” His store was known not only as a place to find clothing but also a social venue. A stove and chairs were set out for the purpose of gathering in one of his early stores that hosted these “cracker-barrel philosophers” with relaxed hospitality.

The D. May & Company storefront in Irwin, Colorado, circa 1880.

Irwin Colorado. Irwin, Colorado (Western Mining History, 2020).

Expansion followed success, and in 1880 or 1881, May opened a store in the fledgling Gunnison County town of Irwin. An intriguing photo captured the store as it existed in the early 1880s. This was his first branch, but the store was as short-lived as the town, which began its decline by 1884 and was completely deserted by 1920. [42] Other May locations sprang up with the booms and busts of early Colorado however, including branches in Glenwood Springs, Aspen, Pueblo, and nearby Kokomo. [43]

After one year at 108-110 Harrison, the store was moved to 318 Harrison. Aside from a one-year incarnation as Butler & Co., [44] this store would remain May’s headquarters until 1888. The move to 318 Harrison occurred in the late spring of 1881. [45] An advertisement on the front page of the Leadville Democrat on April 28, 1881, points to stiff competition among Leadville clothiers at this time. Next to articles detailing the expulsion of Albanians from the Ottoman Empire and the appointment of railroad directors by new President Garfield, the entire right side of the front page of the issue contains ads for clothing, liquor, and books. The topmost advertisement is for Daniels & Fisher Company; directly below is May & Shoenberg. The proximity and size of the ads indicate the importance of the clothing business in Leadville in this period. [46]

The new May family residence on West 5th Street and Pine welcomed a child in the summer of 1881. Morton Jay May was born on July 13, 1881, and would go on to play a pivotal role in the future May Company. He was born in Denver. While Rosa made the journey for unknown reasons, it is likely the lower altitude was deemed better for births. Tom (Stanley C.) May was born on June 3, 1883, in Leadville. [47] After the family moved to Denver, Wilbur was born December 23, 1898, and Florene was born February 27, 1903. All three sons became indispensable to the May Company. [48]

During 1881, the store existed as May & Shoenberg at 318 Harrison and was by all accounts successful. But in late 1881, the company went through a change. [49] Advertisements for May & Shoenberg’s are absent from November of 1881 until December of 1882. The business that was located at 318 Harrison was called Butler & Co., and David May was employed there under fellow Jewish clothiers Henry Frankle and Fred Butler. Frankle and Butler owned several Leadville department stores including the infamous Palace of Fashion that was victimized by arson in May of 1882. David indicated this change during his testimony for the Palace of Fashion fire. [50] Frankle and Butler owned several Leadville department stores including the infamous Palace of Fashion that was destroyed by arson in May of 1882. [51]

This large advertisement in the middle of the front page of the Leadville Democrat shows that the May & Shoenberg store is at their “new quarters” at 318 Harrison Avenue, which was the old post office building.

Leadville Democrat. Thursday, April 28, 1881. Page 1.

This isometric illustration shows May’s neighborhood west of Harrison Avenue in 1883. The red circle in the middle was May’s house, while the other red circle to the right that shows an empty lot would become Temple Israel later in 1884. (The building identified as E in the top right is the Presbyterian church that would become the Orthodox Jewish synagogue in 1893.)

xxxxxxxxxx

On this Sanborn Fire Insurance map of the same general location as the previous image, May’s house is circled while across the street from St. George Episcopal Church is an empty lot where Temple Israel would be built later in 1884, shown as “Wood Yard” on the 1883 Sanborn Insurance map.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Leadville. Lake County, Colorado. Sanborn Map Company. September 1883.

Advertisements for May & Shoenberg resumed by December of 1882. Through the end 1882 and into 1883, the store and its proprietors settled into Leadville business life. Business advertisements focus on the holiday periods and springtime. Starting the first of the year in 1883, May began bringing his own product to Leadville. In an advertisement from March of 1883 entitled “Progressive!,” May advertises that he is manufacturing his own products in Philadelphia. His ad pledges, “…a choicer line of goods than we have ever heretofore shown, and will guarantee a saving of fully 20 per cent below the ruling Leadville prices…” — an eloquent advertisement.

In March of 1883, an especially eye-catching advertisement in the Leadville Daily Herald confidently declares “Like an Avalanche They Come! And the Rush Still Continues! The Crowd Increases Daily! Plenty of Bargains Still to be Had!” [52] This was in reference to a “fire sale” following the fire discussed below. Smoke- damaged goods were often sold at discount prices after being cleaned. This is something May seemingly specialized in as fires were a common occurrence in frontier towns like Leadville.

A large fire early in the morning of May 19, 1882, burned nearly the entire south side of the block of East Chestnut between Harrison and Plum Street. The conflagration killed one man and resulted in an estimated $500,000 in damage. Men seen moving between May & Shoenberg’s store the morning of the fire placed suspicion on a livery stable veterinarian. The court would later find that these men were in the employ of May & Shoenberg and were moving misdelivered stock to the Palace of Fashion early that morning. From the beginning, the fire was presumed to be intentional. It was suspected that due to the precarious financial situation of the Palace of Fashion, and the activity between May’s store and East Chestnut before the fire, that there was some connection between the fire and the clothing merchants of south Harrison. May was called to testify a year later on behalf of clothing store colleagues and fellow Jews at the Palace of Fashion who had been falsely accused of the arson. [53] They were later acquitted at trial.

Advertisement for May & Shoenberg, “The energetic and reliable clothiers”.

“Progressive!”. Leadville Daily Herald. Wednesday, March 28, 1883. Page 4.

Fire also came dangerously close to May & Shoenberg in February of 1883, resulting in a loss of $5,000 in clothing and furniture and a month long “fire and water sale.” [54] The fire originated in a gambling house behind the Hyman Saloon [55] which several years later became famous for a Doc Holiday shooting. While the fire damaged little in the buildings, smoke and water damage proved the costliest in terms of the clothing in David and Moses’ store. [56]

Like many merchants of the era, Dave was civically minded. He was appointed county treasurer on March 27, 1884, after two of his predecessors were found to have embezzled public money. [57] He served as an appointee through the summer and he won the position in the local election that November. [58] Davis remained in this position until 1886.

David belonged to several clubs and appears on guest lists at functions hosted by the Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society as well as the German-American organized Blaine-Logan Club, a political and social group named for the Republican running mates in the 1884 election. David addressed a Blaine-Logan gathering in November of 1884 in his native German, speaking of his promise to effectively serve in the position of county treasurer. [59] The same article later explains that May had been kicked out of another German-American social club, ostensibly for his involvement in “official duties.” There was a great deal of controversy surrounding the county treasurer’s office from 1883 to 1884, and David was caught up in the politics. He was also present at a colored Blaine-Logan gathering on November 1 and briefly spoke about his campaign for county treasurer. [60]

A major 1884 event in Leadville’s Jewish life, and David May’s by association, was the construction of a new synagogue on Leadville’s west side. Designed by architect George King, the Carpenter Gothic edifice was constructed in a matter of weeks late that summer. The land was donated by legendary Colorado silver baron Horace Tabor. David acted as the construction manager of the project and became vice president of the congregation. Temple Israel, the new synagogue, opened for Rosh Hoshanah, September 19, 1884. [61] May was active in the Jewish life of Leadville during his remaining four years in the city and continued to be a major player throughout his later life in Denver and St. Louis.

An intriguing insight into David May’s business acumen appears in a newspaper in the summer of 1884. The years 1883-1884 were difficult for Leadville. A reporter for the Carbonate Chronicle approached May in the summer of 1884 to record his take on the economy of the city at that time. It is titled “Pleasant Prophesy” in reference to David’s optimism. After claiming his confidence in a return to prosperity for the Carbonate City, he is quoted, “Our [May & Shoenberg] sales have increased 33% this month and are equal to the same period last year.” When asked about metal prices, he goes on, “…but my opinion is until the presidential question [Cleveland versus Blaine] is settled, there will be no great changes in the market.” He claims to have gleaned this advice from miners with whom he had spoken in the store. Dave clearly listened to people and was a thinking man. Toward the end of the article, he did admit that he had been uneasy about the future earlier that summer and “…paid a visit East for purpose of selecting some other place of location.” [62] May decided to stay put for the year 1884, but many left the city. In August that year, an advertisement appears indicating that there were individuals in Leadville trying to replicate May & Shoenberg in appearance and style. The advertisement is entitled, “We Keep Blowing Our Horn” and continues confidently and defiantly:

May’s neighborhood in the 1890s after the family departed. The circle on the left was May’s house, while the circle on the right shows the long finished Temple Israel building.

Leadville, 1890s. Denver, Colorado: Western History Collection at Denver Public Library. 2018.

CAUTION! Look for Our Signs Over Our Door, which Read, MAY & SHOENBERG And Our Number 318-HARRISON AVENUE-318. We Request this attention from the fact that since we began our Great Closing Out Sale and Slaughtering of Goods, Unscrupulous Dealers have been Imitating us, by marking out Some Goods as we are doing, thereby offering baits and attempting to Delude People into the belief that they are Entering Our Store. Be sure and Look for Our Signs and Number. [63]

The success May & Shoenberg were enjoying attracted imitators, as clothiers wanted to present it to the public. Clearly successful, expansion was the next order of business for the partners. In the fall of 1884, Moses Shoenberg decided to move away from Leadville. The Shoenberg name would soon be removed from the marquis, but by no means did Moses vacate his partnership with May. [64] He first relocated to Kansas City to help his wife’s four brothers in their Berheimer & Co. dry goods enterprise there, [65] although it is uncertain whether David May and/or Moses were invested in this enterprise. It is undeniable that not only did Moses Shoenberg retain a stake in the May Company for the duration of his life, he was still serving as the company’s vice president when he died from a stroke at the Chase Hotel in St. Louis on July 20, 1925. [66] Ostensibly, the Shoenberg family would be intently involved with the growth of the May Company enterprises that developed over the next 40 years. Rosa’s brother Louis would make the move to Denver in 1888 as David’s aide de camp. [67]

1885 was another busy year for May. According to the 1885 Colorado Special State Census, the May household at 203 West 5th Street was made up of 37-year-old David, 23-year- old Rose, 40-year-old Morton, two-year-old S. J. [Tom], in addition to two servants, Mary and Anna Shea, ages 13 and 23 respectively. [68] According to the Sanborn fire insurance maps, the house was a one and a half story duplex with round bay windows and a sizable footprint. Three outbuildings in back existed, most likely a carriage house and other sheds.

On January 17, the May family bade farewell to the family of Moses Shoenberg, David’s business partner, friend, and brother-in-law. The usual Victorian flourishes were both present at the luncheon as well as written about in the society columns of the Carbonate Chronicle. [69]

David continued the enterprise with only his name on the sign at 318 Harrison. In February of 1885, another reporter from the Carbonate Chronicle made a circuit of Harrison Avenue and Chestnut Street business owners. When the reporter asked David of his opinions on the economy in the city, he expressed his confidence in the future. “I don't know how to assert my confidence more emphatically … than to call your attention to the stock of clothing and goods that rest upon those counters and shelves.” He also references his partner Moses Shoenberg’s regret at leaving Leadville and reported slow business in the East. [70] May was also a vocal supporter of a new road to Aspen — the beginnings of what is now known as Independence Pass. In the spring of 1885, May was quoted with optimism:

You bet I want to see that road built, and it’s going to be done too. We must do something to get more trade, and there is no scheme that commends itself so readily to a sensible man as that one of building a short road to Aspen. We can do it at a small cost, and the county can do more for itself and for the people by this scheme than by any other. The committee appointed by the meeting on Wednesday last to have a survey of the proposed route made will send a surveyor next week, and the subscription committee will call on the merchants for the expenses of the expedition. [71]

Devotion, eloquence, and confidence epitomize May’s character. Whether the words were embellished by the paper is unknowable, but, by all accounts, May was quite intelligent and insightful.

On March 5, 1885, an important social event for Jewish Leadville took place in the form of the annual Purim Ball. Purim is a springtime holiday on the Hebrew calendar that recalls the deliverance of the Jews from a despotic and genocidal Persian king. The Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society organized the elaborate event in City Hall, and a lengthy excerpt in the Leadville Daily Herald captures the atmosphere, attendees, and also explains the Purim holiday. The May family appears on the attendance list, and Rosa is noted as a judge in a quartet costume contest during the ball. A “tableaux” or static stage performance was held midway through the evening with skits recounting the relevant facts of Purim as well as the story of Leadville. The event was also a fundraiser for the debts incurred by the Reform congregation during construction of Temple Israel the previous summer. [72] The event took place in Leadville annually in the spring from 1879 until 1898.

David’s presence in the newspapers beyond advertisements increased during this time and described the complicated life of this publicly engaged merchant. He was embroiled in several lawsuits, [73] paid bail for a man held on murder charges, and was investigated by the district court in November. [74] A notable event occurred at May’s store on the night of December 5, 1885. A vagrant man broke into May's closed storefront at 318 Harrison. He removed a clothed mannequin from a front display and took it to an apartment access stairway one door down from May’s store. The thief then “…coolly took his time in disrobing the imitation man.” Disrobing accomplished, he laid the dummy down in front of the exit door and made his escape wearing the stolen suit. A resident of a second-floor room later came down the stairs and, upon reaching the bottom of the staircase, stepped on the dummy. The article continued, “…[the gentleman] then became so alarmed, thinking it to be a corpse, that he ran into the street almost wild with fright, and there was great excitement until the true state of affairs was discovered.” The report then describes the use of mannequins in great length for the purpose of clothing display, either for embellishment or indicative of the uniqueness of May’s store display. [75] In the fall of 1885, David leased the Davis lode on Friar Hill “…for one year from the time of striking pay mineral.” This, of course, was not his first venture into mining, but it follows a concentrated period on his merchant business. [76] Dave’s mining interests apparently did well. The Herald Democrat reported on September 19, 1886, that “Dave May is looking forward to a magnificent harvest from his mines.” This society page entry falls one year from the date that Dave leased the Davis lode, which in addition to his lease of the Gertrude mine in June of 1886 and his interests in the Smuggler Union diggings, brought him additional income outside of his clothing business by the fall. [77]

In early 1886, May stepped down as Lake County treasurer. [78] Although his time as treasurer was brief, he was remembered for his fair dealings. His enforcement of local taxes did not make him popular and perhaps contributed to the position’s stress. A passport application made years later reveals an interesting detail of May and his early United States immigration. David was not a citizen when he was appointed to the office of county treasurer. According to the same passport application cited above regarding his date of birth, David wrote that his naturalization was on May 2, 1888, [79] nearly two years after he vacated his office. This was not unusual at the time; either there were simply no regulations regarding immigrants, citizenship, and public office, or they were ignored.

Travel between Leadville and Denver was optimal by this time. Two railroads offered once daily service to and from the Carbonate City. Dave made regular trips to Denver throughout 1885 and 1886, as well as to the East. Late 1886 detailed several absences by the entire May family. In November, the family returned to Leadville after several months in the East and checked into the Tabor Grand Hotel. They probably did not want to come home to a cold, unkempt house. [80] Another social column points to a resumption of housekeeping on December 5. [81] Despite May’s absence, advertisements regularly ran in the Carbonate Chronicle, Daily Herald, and others. May’s “fire sale” strategy continued. In September of 1886, a nearly full-page advertisement in the Herald Democrat claims to offer “…the largest trade ever experienced since my residence in Leadville.” [82] It is difficult to know whether May was simply engaging in optimism for the sake of business or that sales were up in the last years of the 1880s. The fact that May began transitioning away from business and Leadville around this time points to May’s shifting interest. He traveled to Denver in a sleeper railcar during March of 1886, suggesting a time-sensitive visit to Denver during that month. [83]

Black and white photograph of a color oil painting of David May, circa 1900.

The original source of this digital image, the black and white photograph of the painting, and the actual color oil painting is unknown.

David May’s store is the third storefront from the left as it looked in 1887. The top of the store building shows a sign stating: “California Riveted Duck Clothing”, which is a reference to jeans made by Levi Strauss. Other Jewish owned businesses on this city block included M. Harris, Hyman’s Saloon, and Charles Sands.

For more information on Myers Harris and his family, please visit: http://jewishleadville.org/harris.html
For more information on Mannie Hyman, please visit: http://jewishleadville.org/hyman.html
For More Information on Jake Sands/Sandelowsky, please visit: http://jewishleadville.org/sands-sandelowsky.html

Harrison Avenue, Leadville, 1887. Denver, Colorado: Western History Collection at Denver Public Library. 2018.

Beginning in 1887, David May’s newspaper promotions proclaim the same lineup of “Popular and Progressive Clothier” ads for his store at 318 Harrison Avenue. Normal life resumed at the May residence. On January 22, Rosa entertained her friends with a “coffee party.” Eighteen ladies attended and were “…ushered into her spacious dining room…” During March, Dave and local Jewish distiller Adolph Hirsch [84] bought the stock of the Lion Clothing house from proprietor Samuel Rich. [85] A month later, the same store and stock were sold to the famous “Cheap Joe” Shoenberg, another of Rosa’s brothers; the sale notice was published in the newspaper by Lake County Sheriff Joseph Lamping. [86] Personal columns in Leadville newspapers abound with trips to Manitou Springs, Colorado, [87] New York, [88] and Denver, [89] but few if any advertisements ran for the store early in the year. Similar to 1886, David traveled often. Despite his confidence in the mid-1880s, perhaps he became unsure of Leadville’s future at this time. At some point during 1887, May became vice president and treasurer of the Smuggler Union Mining Company. [90] He also toured Aspen in search of mining interests at the Franklin Mine [91] later that year before continuing on to Denver for “important business.” [92]

On October 1, 1887, J.H. Monheimer, [93] a prominent clothing store merchant who had served as the president of Congregation Israel and as county commissioner, decided to leave Leadville. The farewell party took place at the “Texas House” and hosted prominent Leadville personalities and many Jews. The May family was in attendance and, as was common at the time, orations and toasts were the mainstay of the party. According to the Leadville Daily/ Evening Chronicle, David compiled a list of those who attended the party, “… and their correctness testifies to his sobriety, although the wine flowed like water.” May clearly knew or was associated with everyone there. The menu included “Champagne, Steinberger Cabinet [wine from the Rhine valley], Oysters, Turkey, Tongue, Fried Oysters, Cold Meats, Potato Salad, Chicken Salad, Ice Cream, and Cake.” Two servings of oysters testify to the cold shipping capabilities of the time and the wealth of Leadville during the 1880s.

David remained at his store on 318 Harrison until late 1888. This would be the 10th and final year that the May family lived in the Leadville. For reasons unknown, the family moved one block from their 5th and Pine Street home to “…their elegant Queen Anne cottage…” at 120 West 4th Street which they purchased from Dr. D. H. Dougan on January 2. [94] Later in January, Dave embarked on a trip to the East to shop for new spring stock and in February [95] and March he was in Philadelphia and New York visiting “clothing markets.” [96] David and the family made sperate trips to Europe and stayed for much of the spring and summer. Rosa and the children left in February on the steamship Etruria and David left around May 20 on the steamship Umbria. [97] In June, while the May family was away in Europe, advertisements for the store continued. In one, hard times was part in the pitch: “…Everything in our store is marked down to the standard of hard times…”. [98] It seems highly unusual that David would be vacationing in Europe while Leadville’s economic outlook was stagnating. He had built a strong financial portfolio and his decade in Leadville was filled with furious activity and success.

As part of May’s trip to Europe, he was required to apply for a passport and, as part of that application, he also became naturalized as a United States citizen at the Lake County Courthouse in the spring of 1888. [99] After the family returned from Europe, they settled down for a short time. In September, they attended a Simchas Torah ball held at City Hall. Attendance was smaller than the Bon Voyage soiree’ for Jacob Monheimer the year before with only 35 guests. The Jewish community, along with the Leadville population at large, was on a slow decline. On December 3, Adolph and Carrie Schayer [100] entertained the Mays for “Thanksgiving dinner.” [101] This would be one of the final social mentions of the David May family as Leadville residents in a local newspaper. The last advertisements for his store at 318 Harrison would run late in 1888. On January 17, 1889, Rosa and the children left Leadville behind for Denver; David likely left earlier to prepare their new residence. [102]

David May’s time in Leadville was strategically formative. His business style and the environment in which his skills were tested allowed his company to grow exponentially in the years to come. As Dave matured in his interests, his Denver operation was advertised prolifically in Leadville papers well into 1889. During February of 1889, May sold his interest in the Manhattan Clothing Store. May again teamed up with a Shoenberg upon his move to Denver in January, 1889. In an advertisement published by the Herald Democrat during August of 1889, L.D. Shoenberg and David May are listed as the proprietors of a new store at the prime location of 15th and Larimer Streets in Denver. [103] The new May and Shoenberg team published advertisements to their Leadville customers for the Denver store until nearly the end of the year. David returned to Leadville in 1890 and stayed at the Hotel Kitchen, now the Tabor Grand Hotel. [104] The May family was mentioned in the social columns of Leadville newspapers for several years following their departure from the city and they again traveled to Europe in the spring of 1890 according to the Herald Democrat. [105] An issue of the Herald Democrat during July of 1891 revealed that May was involved in a case pursuant to unpaid taxes of an individual that went to the Colorado Supreme Court. [106] On January 17, 1893, David also attended court in Leadville on another tax matter. [107] Mentions of May in Leadville papers continue on a lesser scale throughout the 1890s. In 1895, he bought the Harris-Manhattan Block for $12,100 and he “…considers conditions here [in Leadville] very good and the outlook very bright.” [108] Clearly, David did not let go of Leadville overnight. As late as 1896, he was listed as a large mine developer in the Herald Democrat:

Mr. David May of Denver is becoming so largely interested in Leadville mines that it is very natural to group them under the above heading [The May Properties]. Mr. May has associated with him in his enterprises several other Denver capitalists, as well as some New York gentlemen, and has already expended large sums in the development of ground here. There are four properties in which he is a leading spirit, these being the Macon lease on the Eliza, the Black Prince, the Humboldt, and the Nisi Prius. [109]

As he gradually broke away from Leadville, David May’s store in the 1890s flourished in the Denver market. He was well known to the boys of Denver for his generosity and the store enjoyed extensive patronage. Starting in 1891, he added the memorable perk of a free baseball and bat to a boy’s suit purchase. According to the May Story, written by Forbes Parkhill in the early 1950s, Denver citizens at that time still fondly remembered their free baseball gear from purchases at May’s Denver store in the 1890s. [110] In 1898, May was credited in a Leadville paper for attaining a US military contract for a “…combination overcoat and shelter tent made of brown canvas.” [111] In 1898, May was lauded for his pro-business attitude. “Mr. David May is one of those who has demonstrated his nerve and stick-to-itiveness repeatedly in mining enterprises and in doing so has won a favorable standing in the minds of thousands of people all over the state.” [112]

The Spanish-American War was underway in April of 1898 and David May benefited directly from the conflict. According to a mention in a Leadville paper, David May & Co. was “…awarded a contract for supplying the army with 100,000 hats and caps and 10,000 pairs of shoes. May & Co. also have bids in at New York and Philadelphia for other contracts amounting to about $1,000,000 and feel quite confident of securing them.” [113] One of his early out-of-state store expansions occurred in 1898 with the acquisition of Hull and Dutton in Cleveland, Ohio, and his son Morton, born during those hectic early years of Leadville, got his first job there. [114] The store at 15th and Larimer underwent the its heavy duty remodel in 1899 and the company was well on its way to national renown.

Starting in the early 20th century, May was invested in Texas oil and still appeared in Leadville occasionally for legal business. [115] By 1904, his appearances in Leadville newspapers diminish significantly. The expansion of May & Co. became his priority and the family left Colorado by the end of the first decade of the 20th century. In 1900, May became involved with the National Jewish Hospital. [116] His health struggles in the late 1870s that initially brought him to Colorado undoubtedly encouraged him to contribute substantially to hospitals and other charities. David May & Co. was incorporated in 1910 and was well on its way to becoming one of the largest clothing companies in the United States. In 1905, the May family moved from Denver in order to be closer to the new company headquarters in St. Louis. In 1906, May built a large department store at 16th and Champa Streets in Denver. It was one of America’s first malls with a dining room, escalator, and 91,250 square feet of retail space. [117] The store later fell victim to Denver’s urban renewal efforts in the 1960s.

David May died in his sleep while napping after a day on the links at his Michigan vacation home on July 22, 1927, nearly 50 busy years after his first store opened on chaotic South Harrison Avenue in the summer of 1878. [118] May stores were a powerful player in the clothing retail market throughout the 20th century. The news of his sudden death evoked national interest and obituaries appeared in newspapers wherever David May had left his mark, including this front page article in the Los Angeles Times:

Rosa Shoenberg May lived for more than a decade after her husband’s demise. She died after a bout of pneumonia in December of 1943 at her son Morton’s Los Angeles home. Morton, who was then serving as the president of the May Company, had married Florence Goldman in St. Louis on October 11, 1909. Morton passed away from a heart attack on May 17, 1968, in St. Louis:

Critical to the May Company’s growth, particularly the company’s expansion into Southern California, Tom suffered a heart attack a few months after his brother Morton and died in his Beverly Hills penthouse on August 26, 1968:

Photo article showing Fred Z. Salomon and Morton J. May “eating fried chicken from a box-lunch served in the dining hall”.

At Famous-Bar Picnic. St. Louis, Missouri: The St. Louis Star-Times. Friday, May 31, 1940. Page 19.

Extensive obituary with photograph reporting the death and life of David May.

David May Dies Unexpectedly. Los Angeles, California: The Los Angeles Times. Saturday, July 23, 1927. Pages 1 & 2.

Portrait photograph of Morton J. May, circa 1960.

In Memoriam, Morton J. May, 1881-1968. St. Louis, Missouri: Famous-Barr Co. 1968.

Short article in the Sioux City Journal reporting that Morton J. May had died.

Chain Store Head Morton J. May Dies In St. Louis. Sioux City, Iowa: Sioux City Journal. Friday, May 17, 1968. Page 9.

Short article in the Los Angeles Times reporting that Stanley C. “Tom” May had died.

Roy Haynes. Tom May, Developer of Store Chain, Dies of Heart Attack. Los Angeles, California: The Los Angeles Times. Tuesday, August 27, 1968. Page 16.

The legacy of the May Department Stores ended when it merged with Federated Department Stores, later Macy's, in 2006. Today, the corner of Chestnut and Harrison Avenue on the edge of Leadville is quiet; the bustle that ignited so much fortune is gone. The site of May’s first storefront at 25 Harrison Avenue is a roadside motel. Dust and snow swirl around in an empty lot across the street. A little further up the avenue, just past the Tabor Opera House, a memorial plaque marks the location of May’s “first store” at 318 Harrison Avenue. It was actually his third location in Leadville after 108-110 Harrison and 25 Harrison. The building at 318 Harrison, later demolished, is currently a plaza that hosts events such as bicycle and running races for a new boom in Leadville.

Perhaps the best summation of the May Company is David May’s own voice, quoted by Forbes Parkhill,

It seems like almost like a dream since I first came to Denver. I started in this business at $5 a week. Store clerks were on duty from 6 in the morning till well after dark. It was a period that regarded ten cents an hour sufficient to feed, clothe and house a common laborer and family. Grumblers may tell you there were better chances back yonder, but I know otherwise. The best times that the world ever knew are here now- and common property besides. Millionaires and noblemen of my boyhood could not procure, with all their wealth and power, half the safety or enjoyment that the run of wage earners presently command. America is the squarest and fairest country on earth, and the only land where every citizen can have as splendid a chance as he dares to make or take. [119]

This bronze plaque inset of granite, along with a second identical plaque on the opposite side of the same stone was erected in September of 1952. It sits in front of a now empty lot near the intersection of 4th Street and Harrison Avenue where David May’s “first” store was. (This store was the last location in Leadville. The store had previously been in different locations in Leadville.) This view is of the plaque on the west side looking east. The date of the original black and white photo is unknown, but the photo would certainly be after the installation of the monument in September of 1952.

Herald Democrat Photos. David May Plaque. Leadville, Colorado: Colorado Mountain History Collection at the Lake County Public Library. 2019.

Plaque states:
“[star]
The Nationwide
May Department Stores
Mercantile Empire was Born
in September, 1877, When
David May
Opened His First Store in a Tent
300 Feet South of this Tablet.
From 1881 to 1888 the May Store
Occupied this Site at 318 Harrison Avenue.
[star]
Erected by
The May Company, Denver
September, 1952
Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the
Founding of His First Store by David May.”

This is the same monument photographed in 2023. This view is of the plaque on the east side looking west in the morning sun.

Photographed by Robert-George de Stolfe, May 5, 2023.

Julius May
Born: Darmstadt, Germany, June 27, 1847
Death: Cairo, Illinois, June 7, 1904
Married to: Clara Wallerstein
In Leadville: 1880-1881

Clara (Wallerstein) May
Born: March 14, 1844 (Frankfort, Germany)
Death: August 31, 1926

Gerson J. May
Born: Texas, January 25, 1875
Death: March 15, 1924

Rose May
Born: Texas, 1877
Death: Wheeling West Virginia, December 5, 1886

Martin Morris May
Born: Leadville, August 20, 1880
Death: February 11, 1944

While Julius May’s background is not well recorded, he and his family had a well-documented and brief tenure in Leadville. Although there is no known familial relationship between Julius and David May, also of Leadville fame, their immigration and birth year bear close similarities. No evidence exists of interactions between David and Julius. In fact, Julius does not appear to have been particularly active in Leadville’s Jewish community or the social scene at large. Several other May families were present in Leadville during the early 1880s. Of these, Julius and David are the only May families in Leadville that can be confirmed as Jewish. One individual was mistakenly identified as “Sam May” in an 1885 article regarding Temple Israel’s administrative election. [120] Sam May was actually Sam Mayer, [121] who was treasurer of Temple Israel from 1884 until 1885. [122] The commonality of the May surname is evident in an individual named Sam May who was employed as a bartender with the local Turnverein Society during 1884. [123] He was unrelated to Julius or David, participated in Catholic events, [124] and no other documents connect him to Leadville’s Jewish community.

According to a later census document, Julius came to the United States in 1865 and married Jewish-German immigrant Clara Wallerstein in 1874. This corresponds to the birth of his children and his recorded birth-year. [125]

Julius’ first place of employment in Leadville was as a clerk for the Kroeger Brothers, who in 1880 operated a meat market at 232 East Third Street. [126] The Kroegers were German immigrants who operated one storefront at the Summit County mining camp in Robinson in addition to their Leadville location. The enterprise was reported to be well patronized and the Leadville Weekly Democrat noted that their meat was sourced from the Middle Park region of Grand County, Colorado. [127] The 1880 United States Census lists Julius and his family as residents of “Upper State Street.” Specifically, Julius, wife Clara, son Gerson, and daughter Rose lived at 415 East State Street (today’s East Second Street). The Mays lived in the same house as the family of Jewish-German grocer Marx Kahn. [128] Interestingly, both Marx and Julius were cited as born in Darmstadt, Germany. Julius’s wife Clara was listed as born in Frankfurt. [129] Julius and Clara were both in their early thirties and Julius was recorded with the profession of “Keeping Saloon.” According to his World War I draft registration card, a second son named Martin Morris was born into the May family in August of 1880; he was the only one of the couple’s four children born in Leadville. [130] A third son, Lee, was born in Illinois during December of 1882 after the family had left Leadville. [131]

During 1881, Julius was listed as a waiter at H. Sonnenberg’s Little Chief Saloon located at 121 Harrison Avenue. [132] That year, Julius was nearly murdered by a railroad worker named Ed Fitzpatrick. Early in the morning of May 25, Julius was waiting tables at the Little Chief when Denver & Rio Grande Railroad employee Fitzpatrick arrived with a pocket full of $68 in pay and a night of drinking under his belt. [133] Fitzpatrick sat at a long table or counter (depending on the account) to have a meal. After Julius took his order Fitzpatrick became enraged at the fact that a black man was also dining at the same table and, influenced by his own level of intoxication, demanded that the man of color be removed from the establishment. Julius refused and indicated to Fitzpatrick that the black man had, “…the right to eat his supper there if he payed for it” or, “He’ll eat here if he chooses to…”, depending on the account. This enraged Fitzpatrick, who drew his .41 caliber pistol and fired. Julius was hit in the neck. One account elaborated that Fitzpatrick also pointed the revolver at the bartender and was about to pull the trigger when he was disarmed by an unknown party. Three constables were on patrol across Harrison Avenue and ran over after the shot. They quickly arrested Fitzpatrick, who then exaggerated his drunkenness as he was carried to the city jail while he “moaned horribly.” [134] Julius was taken to the office of Dr. Law with a “bad but perhaps not moral wound.” Contrary to modern “wild west” stereotypes of frontier cities, it is evident from newspaper accounts that authorities responded quickly and judiciously to violence. [135] After trial on June 14, Fitzpatrick was sentenced on June 19 to three years in the Federal Penitentiary in Canyon City for “assault with intent to murder.” [136]

Julius recovered from his injury. Fitzpatrick was charged with “intent,” but the final disposition of the case is unclear. Julius does not appear in Leadville newspapers after the shooting. An investigation of additional records reveals that Julius and Clara’s son Lee was born in Cairo, Illinois in December of 1882, strongly suggesting that the Julius May family left Leadville before the end of the year. [137] To further support their presence in that city, Julius and his family were listed as residents of Cairo, Illinois, in the 1900 census. That year, Julius was still listed in the vocation of “waiter.” [138]

Article in The Paducah Times reporting that Julius May had died in Cairo, Illinois.

Died In Cairo. Paducah, Kentucky: The Paducah Times. Wednesday, June 8, 1904. Page 1.

Article in The News Democrat reporting that Clara (Wallerstein) May had died in Cairo, Illinois.

Mrs. May Of Cairo, Dies. Paducah, Kentucky: The News Democrat. Wednesday, September 1, 1926. Page 10.

Julius died of edema, otherwise known as “dropsy,” in Cairo, Illinois, in June of 1904 and was interred at Temple Israel Cemetery in Paducah, Kentucky. [139]

The family continued living in Cairo, Illinois, but only incomplete information exists for some members. Gerson would be the first to follow his father in March of 1924 when he died from unknown causes. [140] His mother, Clara, would join them [141] just two years later:

It was not until 1948 that youngest son Lee joined the trio at their final resting place in Paducah, [142] which was Clara’s hometown and a mere 35 miles east of Cairo.

Evidence suggests that Rose May died quite young. She does not appear with the rest of the family in the 1900 United States Census and in Clara’s data entry she is recorded as having three living children. [143] Nor does Rose appear as a “survivor” in any of her family’s obituaries beginning with Julius in 1904. The family’s nomadic disposition during the 1880s and the absence of an 1890 United States Census [144] further hinders confirmation of what became of Rose May. However, she appears to have died of heart disease at the age of nine in Wheeling, West Virginia, during December of 1886. [145] However, this can’t be positively substantiated.

After leaving Leadville, Morris Martin May traversed the country for some time with stints in Kentucky [146] and Illinois [147] before he married Helen Boyle in Tulsa, Oklahoma during November of 1919. [148] At the time of the 1940 United States Census he was listed as a married resident at a boarding house and working as a stock clerk at a department store in Peoria, Illinois. [149] When he registered with the selective service in 1942, he was wo Hiram Walker & Sons [150] and still living in Peoria. This would be his last recorded location prior to his death from unknown causes on February 11, 1944. [151]

Despite his family’s brief time in the city, Julius experienced Leadville’s burgeoning and tumultuous early years.