Gabriel Siegel
Occupation: Grocer, factory manager
Born: August 1829
Birthplace: Germany
Died: N/A
Gabriel Siegel’s transient stay in Leadville did not preclude him from playing a role in founding the grocery business Siegel, Kern & Co., located at 519 Harrison Avenue until its dissolution in 1883. Although Gabriel’s brother Louis Siegel was primarily associated in founding the business alongside Adolph Kern [1] and nephew Julius Ikelheimer, [2] Gabriel worked at the store for up to a year in Leadville. Despite Louis’ inclusion in Leadville’s city directories, New York was his recorded place of residence. There is no evidence of him ever setting foot in Leadville, let alone living there.
Gabriel was born in August 1829 in Germany, two years prior to Louis and nine years before his sister Rosetta. Gabriel and Louis arrived in the United States in 1846 and 1848 respectively. [3] Unlike many Jewish arrivals in the United States who entered the country via New York, the Siegel brothers docked in Louisiana where they took up residence with the Adler family in St. Martin by 1860. [4] Gabriel and Louis relocated to New York sometime prior to the 1880 U.S. Census [5] and founded the Siegel champagne factory, producer of Siegel’s “extra dry” champagne. [6] The brothers, including Louis’ children and an unnamed wife, were joined by their sister Rosetta Ikelheimer and her children. [7]
Neither Gabriel nor Rosetta’s eldest son Julius were in New York at the time of the 1880 census. Instead, the pair had departed for Leadville to assist in the opening and management of Siegel, Kern & Co. [8] While Julius remained in Leadville until 1883, only Gabriel appeared exclusively in Leadville’s 1880 city directory. [9] No further records detail Gabriel’s time in Leadville.
After leaving Leadville, it’s probable that Gabriel returned to New York and resumed living with his brother and sister in Manhattan, alongside their children, nieces, and nephews. [10] Gabriel’s final U.S. Census listing appeared in 1900, which recorded him as age 71 and dwelling with his large family.
The first advertisement for Siegel, Kern, & Company announcing its opening on July 1, 1880.
Courtesy of Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection.
New Store! New Goods! Leadville Daily Herald. Thursday, July 1, 1880. Page 4.
1 For more on the Kern family, see: Quinn Whittington, Kern (Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation), 2020: http://www.jewishleadville.org/kern.html.
2 For more on the Ikelheimer family, see: Quinn Whittington, Ikelheimer (Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation), 2020: http://www.jewishleadville.org/ikelheimer.html.
3 "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSKK-NCS: accessed February 4, 2021), Gabriel Siegel, Borough of Manhattan, Election District 17 New York City Ward 29, New York County, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 788, sheet 12A, family 248, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972); FHL microfilm 1,241,116.
4 "United States Census, 1860,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFPC-84G: accessed February 4, 2021), G Seigel in entry for Lewis Seigel, 1860.
5 "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZXS-R6P: accessed February 4, 2021), Louis Siegel, New York, New York, New York, United States; citing enumeration district ED 589, sheet 555A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,895.
6 Siegel, Kern & Co. (Leadville, CO: Leadville Weekly Democrat), January 1, 1881, P14.
7 "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZXS-R6Y: accessed February 4, 2021), Rosetta Icketheimer in household of Louis Siegel, New York, New York, New York, United States; citing enumeration district ED 589, sheet 555A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,895.
8 New Store! New Goods! (Leadville, CO: Leadville Daily Herald), July 1, 1880, P4.
9 T. B. Corbett, W. C. Hoye and J. H. Ballenger, Corbett, Hoye & Co.’s First Annual City Directory of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms, Etc. in the City of Leadville, for 1880 (Leadville, CO: Democrat Printing Company, 1880), P329.
10 "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSKK-NCS: accessed February 4, 2021), Gabriel Siegel, Borough of Manhattan, Election District 17 New York City Ward 29, New York County, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 788, sheet 12A, family 248, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972); FHL microfilm 1,241,116.
Bibliography
Corbett, T. B., W. C. Hoye and J. H. Ballenger. Corbett, Hoye & Co.’s First Annual City Directory of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms, Etc. in the City of Leadville, for 1880. Leadville, CO: Democrat Printing Company, 1880.
New Store! New Goods! Leadville, CO: Leadville Daily Herald. July 1, 1880.
Siegel, Kern & Co. Leadville, CO: Leadville Weekly Democrat. January 1, 1881.
"United States Census, 1860.” Database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFPC-84G: accessed February 4, 2021). G Seigel in entry for Lewis Seigel, 1860.
"United States Census, 1880." Database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZXS-R6P: accessed February 4, 2021). Louis Siegel, New York, New York, New York, United States; citing enumeration district ED 589, sheet 555A, NARA microfilm publication T9. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. FHL microfilm 1,254,895.
"United States Census, 1880." Database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZXS-R6Y: accessed February 4, 2021). Rosetta Icketheimer in household of Louis Siegel, New York, New York, New York, United States; citing enumeration district ED 589, sheet 555A, NARA microfilm publication T9. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. FHL microfilm 1,254,895.
"United States Census, 1900." Database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSKK-NCS: accessed February 4, 2021). Gabriel Siegel, Borough of Manhattan, Election District 17 New York City Ward 29, New York County, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 788, sheet 12A, family 248, NARA microfilm publication T623. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972; FHL microfilm 1,241,116.
Whittington, Quinn. Kern. Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation, 2020: http://www.jewishleadville.org/kern.html.
Whittington, Quinn. Ikelheimer. Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation, 2020: http://www.jewishleadville.org/ikelheimer.html.
To cite any of the information in this biography, please use the following reference.
AUTHOR: Quinn Whittington
EDITOR: William Korn & Andrea Jacobs
SOURCE: Jewish Surnames/Siegel
PUBLISHED BY: Temple Israel Foundation. Leadville, CO; USA. 2021
STABLE URL: http://www.jewishleadville.org/siegel.html
