Louis/Lewis Sonshine
Occupation: Liquor distributor, saloon keeper
Born: Est. 1840
Birthplace: Germany
Died: N/A
Fanny Sonshine
Occupation: N/A
Born: N/A
Birthplace: N/A
Died: N/A
Scant details obfuscate the lives Louis and Fanny Sonshine. [1] The 1880 US census documents Louis, then a resident of Leadville, as being born in Germany in 1840 while vital records for Fanny are unavailable. [2] Fanny was most likely Louis’ wife, but no clear evidence defines their relationship.
The name Louis Sonshine sources this historical confusion. A Sonshine family made up of a Louis, Fanny, and their three daughters is enumerated in the 1880 US census as living in Illinois, [3] but a Louis Sonshine is also found in the 1880 census residing in a Leadville boarding house alongside Charles Weinberg. [4] Both men were in the liquor business; however, the man in Illinois reported his birthplace and birth date as Austria, 1832; and the Leadville Louis reported Germany, 1840. This discrepancy in birthplace and birth date, in addition to inhabiting two different locations simultaneously, makes it doubtful they were the same person — but it’s not beyond the realm of possibility.
For the sake of clarity, we use Louis Sonshine’s Leadville vital records in the census as the major point of reference.
Louis first arrived in Leadville in 1879, when he began a business partnership with Charles Weinberg [5] who came to Leadville from Lake City, Colorado. [6] They opened Sonshine & Weinberg Wholesale Liquor Dealers (and later saloon) [7] by March of that year at 27½ Harrison Avenue. [8] Their business partnership lasted until 1881, the third and final year local newspapers mentioned the liquor store. [9] During the three years he lived in the city, Louis resided at 22 E. Chestnut Street in 1879, [10] 110 E. 2nd Street in 1880, [11] and 328 E. 6th Street in 1881. [12]
Aside from appearing in an 1883 court case concerning a Samuel Schneider and Sonshine & Weinberg, [13] Louis does not surface in any local sources after 1881. The court case is also the only evidence of a Fanny Sonshine in Leadville. Louis and Fanny’s whereabouts after leaving Leadville are unknown.
1 Neither Louis nor Fanny are mentioned in relation to any Jewish events or organization in Leadville; however, nearly all individuals with the name Sonshine in the United States are buried in Jewish cemeteries.
2 "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFDJ-JH6: accessed May 26, 2021), Lewis Sunshine in household of John Crowder, Leadville, Lake, Colorado, United States; citing enumeration district ED 78, sheet 391B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,091.
3 "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXNT-289: accessed May 26, 2021), Louis Sunshine, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district ED 115, sheet 148D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,194.
4 “United States Census, 1880,” Lewis Sunshine in household of John Crowder.
5 For more on the Weinberg family, see: Quinn Whittington, Weinberg (Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation), 2021: http://www.jewishleadville.org/weinberg.html.
6 City and Vicinity (Pueblo, CO: The Colorado Daily Chieftain), February 19, 1879, P4.
7 License (Leadville, CO: Leadville Daily Herald), January 1, 1881, P4.
8 Sonshine & Weinberg (Leadville, CO: The Leadville Evening Chronicle), March 21, 1879, P6.
9 District Court (Leadville, CO: Leadville Daily Herald), February 10, 1881, P4.
10 W. M. Clark, W. A. Root and H. C. Anderson, Clark, Root & Co.’s First Annual City Directory of Leadville and Business Directory of Carbonateville, Kokomo and Malta for 1879 (Denver, CO: Daily Times Steam Printing House and Book Manufactory, 1879), P144.
11 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), P336.
12 T. B. Corbett and J. H. Ballenger, Corbett & Ballenger’s Second 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 1881 (Leadville, CO: Corbett & Ballenger Publishers, 1881), P271.
13 Judge Goddard’s Court (Leadville, CO: Leadville Daily Herald), December 19, 1883, P4.
Bibliography
City and Vicinity. Pueblo, CO: The Colorado Daily Chieftain. February 19, 1879.
Clark, W. M., W. A. Root and H. C. Anderson. Clark, Root & Co.’s First Annual City Directory of Leadville and Business Directory of Carbonateville, Kokomo and Malta for 1879. Denver, CO: Daily Times Steam Printing House and Book Manufactory, 1879.
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.
Corbett, T. B. and J. H. Ballenger. Corbett & Ballenger’s Second 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 1881. Leadville, CO: Corbett & Ballenger, Publishers, 1881.
District Court. Leadville, CO: Leadville Daily Herald. February 10, 1881.
Judge Goddard’s Court. Leadville, CO: Leadville Daily Herald), December 19, 1883.
License. Leadville, CO: Leadville Daily Herald. January 1, 1881.
Sonshine & Weinberg. Leadville, CO: The Leadville Evening Chronicle. March 21, 1879.
"United States Census, 1880." Database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFDJ-JH6: accessed May 26, 2021). Lewis Sunshine in household of John Crowder, Leadville, Lake, Colorado, United States; citing enumeration district ED 78, sheet 391B, NARA microfilm publication T9. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. FHL microfilm 1,254,091.
"United States Census, 1880." Database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXNT-289: accessed May 26, 2021). Louis Sunshine, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district ED 115, sheet 148D, NARA microfilm publication T9. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. FHL microfilm 1,254,194.
Whittington, Quinn. Weinberg. Leadville, CO: Temple Israel Foundation, 2021: http://www.jewishleadville.org/weinberg.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/Sonshine
PUBLISHED BY: Temple Israel Foundation. Leadville, CO; USA. 2021
STABLE URL: http://www.jewishleadville.org/sonshine.html
