Joseph Sonnenberg
Born: Prussia, 1841
Died: ?
Mrs. Henrietta Sonnenberg
Born: Texas, 1848
Died: ?
Theresa Sonnenberg
Born: April 12, 1869
Died: ?
Samuel Sonnenberg
Born: 1871
Died: ?
It is unclear when Joseph Sonnenberg came to the United States, but he appears to have moved to Leadville in 1880 with his wife, Henrietta, children, Thresea and Samuel, and his brother-in-law, Al Levy. [1] In 1881, Joseph operated the Little Chief Restaurant and Saloon at 121 Harrison Avenue. [2] This is also the year that the Sonneberg family were first mentioned in local newspapers on August 5, Joseph was seriously injured when a two-horse team pulling his wagon became spooked and ran down Harrison Avenue at high speed before crashing into the Little Chief Saloon, breaking the front window. [3]
It is unclear when Joseph’s restaurant closed for business, but it was likely sometime in 1882. [4] Joseph operated an auction house at 415 Harrison Avenue in 1883 [5] and a horse-trading operation out of his home at 130 East 3rd Street during 1884. [6]
Joseph’s daughter, Theresa, was an original member of the Cloud City Social Club, [7] a club created by some of the local Jewish residents which held weekly dances. [8] On April 12, 1885, Theresa was honored with a surprise sixteenth birthday party at the family home. Teenagers from many well-known local Jewish families such as the Shoenbergs [9] and Kahns [10] were present. [11] Henrietta and the son, Samuel, never appear in Leadville newspapers.
Joseph wore many hats in Leadville: he continued his horse-trading enterprise from 1884 to 1885 [12] and began dealing cigars and liquor during 1886 from his shop at 326 Harrison Avenue. [13]
The Sonnenbergs disappear from Leadville records after 1886, and no further information on the family can be found at this time.
1 For more information on Al Levy, please visit: http://www.jewishleadville.org/levy.html .
"Colorado State Census, 1885," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8WN-86J : 1 April 2016), Henrietta Sonnenbery in entry for Joe Sonnebery, 1885; citing NARA microfilm publication M158 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 498,507.
2 TB Corbett and JH Ballenger. “Corbet, and Ballenger’s Thrid Annual City Directory: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms etc. in The City Of Leadville for 1882”. Corbet and Ballenger Publishers. Leadville, CO; USA. 1882. P263.
3 “A Runnaway”. Leadville, CO. USA. Leadville Weekly Herald. August 6, 1881. P7.
4 TB Corbett and JH Ballenger. “Corbet, and Ballenger’s Tenth Annual City Directory: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms etc. in The City Of Denver for 1882”. Corbet and Ballenger Publishers. Denver, CO; USA. 1882. P263.
5 TB Corbett and JH Ballenger. “Corbet, and Ballenger’s Fourth Annual City Directory: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms Etc. in The City Of Leadville for 1883”. Corbet and Ballenger Publishers. Leadville, CO; USA. 1883. P251.
6 TB Corbett and JH Ballenger. “Corbet, and Ballenger’s Fifth Annual City Directory: Containing a Complete List Of The Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms etc. in The City Of Leadville For 1884”. Corbet and Ballenger Publishers. Leadville, CO; USA. 1884. P227.
7 “Cloud City Social Club”. Leadville, CO. USA. Carbonate Chronicle. January 24, 1885. P8.
8 For more information on the Cloud City Social Club, Please visit: http://www.jewishleadville.org/cloudcitysocialclub.html
9 For more information on the Shoenberg family, please visit: http://www.jewishleadville.org/shoenberg.html
10 For more information on the Kahn family, Please visit: http://www.jewishleadville.org/kahn.html
11 “Surprise Party”. Leadville, CO. USA. Leadville Daily Herald. April 14, 1885. P4.
12 TB Corbett and JH Ballenger. “Corbet, and Ballenger’s Sixth Annual City Directory: Containing a Complete List Of The Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms etc. in The City Of Leadville For 1885”. Corbet and Ballenger Publishers. Leadville, CO; USA. 1885. P224.
13 TB Corbett and JH Ballenger. “Corbet, and Ballenger’s Seventh Annual City Directory: Containing a Complete List Of The Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms etc. in The City Of Leadville For 1886”. Corbet and Ballenger Publishers. Leadville, CO; USA. 1886. P235.
Bibliography
“A Runnaway”. Leadville, CO. USA. Leadville Weekly Herald. August 6, 1881.
"Colorado State Census, 1885," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8WN-86J : 1 April 2016), Henrietta Sonnebery in entry for Joe Sonnebery, 1885; citing NARA microfilm publication M158 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 498,507.
“Cloud City Social Club”. Leadville, CO. USA. Carbonate Chronicle. January 24, 1885.
Corbett, TB and Ballenger, JH “Corbet, and Ballenger’s Second Annual City Directory: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms etc. in The City Of Leadville for 1881”. Corbet and Ballenger Publishers. Leadville, CO; USA. 1881.
Corbett, TB and Ballanger, JH. “Corbet, and Ballenger’s Third Annual City Directory: Containing A Complete List Of The Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms Etc. In The City Of Leadville For 1882”. Corbet and Ballenger Publishers. Leadville, CO; USA. 1882.
Corbett, TB and Balanger, JH. “Corbett, and Ballenger’s Fourth Annual City Directory: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms etc. in The City Of Leadville for 1883”. Corbet and Ballenger Publishers. Leadville, CO; USA; 1883.
Corbett, TB and Ballenger, JH. “Corbet, and Ballenger’s Fifth Annual City Directory: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms etc. in The City Of Leadville For 1884”. Corbet and Ballenger Publishers. Leadville, CO; USA. 1884.
Corbett, TB and Ballenger, JH. “Corbet, and Ballenger’s Sixth Annual City Directory: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms etc. in The City Of Leadville For 1885”. Corbet and Ballenger Publishers. Leadville, CO; USA. 1885.
Corbett, TB and Ballenger, JH. “Corbet, and Ballenger’s Seventh Annual City Directory: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms etc. in The City Of Leadville For 1886”. Corbet and Ballenger Publishers. Leadville, CO; USA. 1886.
“Surprise Party”. Leadville, CO. USA. Leadville Daily Herald. April 14, 1885.
To cite any of the information in this biography, please use the following reference.
AUTHOR: Jeffrey P. Grant
EDITOR: William Korn
SOURCE: Jewish Surnames/Sonnenberg
PUBLISHED BY: Temple Israel Foundation. Leadville, CO; USA. 2018
STABLE URL: http://www.jewishledville.org/sonnenberg.html
