Temple Israel
Zwilling

Oscar Zwilling
Occupation: Barber
Born: April 1, 1861. Germany.
Died: May 13, 1928.

Oscar Zwilling was born in Germany on April 1, 1861, [1] to Yetta [2] and Louis Zwilling. [3] The family immigrated to the United States in 1869 per their 1900 census record. [4] Their movements prior to Oscar’s arrival in Leadville and his parents settling in Chicago are unknown.

Arriving in Leadville in 1879, the first evidence of Oscar’s presence occurs in a newspaper article on the establishment of the city’s B’nai B’rith lodge. [5] Though he was not elected as an officer, he was among the founding members. He resided at 410 West Chestnut Street above the barbershop he co-owned with John L. Campbell. [6] Aside from the article regarding B’nai B’rith and its founding members, Oscar appears only once more in Leadville historic records in a brief newspaper article mentioning his attendance at the Standard social club in 1880. [7]

After his stint in Leadville, Oscar moved to Chicago and is found in the city’s 1882 directory living at 2521 State Street with his parents and a relative named Isidore Zwilling. [8] He returned to Colorado in the early 1890s, first settling in Denver [9] and then in Littleton until his death in 1894 at the early age of 32. [10] Oscar’s family had him returned to Chicago where he was buried at the Jewish Graceland Cemetery. [11]

1 Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40033304/oscar-zwilling: accessed October 6, 2024), memorial page for Oscar Zwilling (April 1, 1861 – January 8, 1894), Find a Grave Memorial ID 40033304; citing Jewish Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA.
2 Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40033319/yetta-zwilling: accessed October 6, 2024), memorial page for Yetta Zwilling (February 9, 1833 – May 9, 1905), Find a Grave Memorial ID 40033319; citing Jewish Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA.
3 Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40033287/louis-zwilling: accessed October 6, 2024), memorial page for Louis Zwilling (August 24, 1824 – October 26, 1901), Find a Grave Memorial ID 40033287; citing Jewish Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA.
4 "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSQD-W7S: accessed October 6, 2024), Lewis Zwilling, Chicago Precinct 15, Chicago, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 754, sheet 3B, family 55, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972).
5 “B’nai B’rith,” Leadville Weekly Herald, November 15, 1879, 3.
6 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), pp. 389.
7 “The Social Circle,” Leadville Daily Herald, October 24, 1880, 4.
8 Thomas Hutchinson, The Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1882 (Chicago, IL: The Chicago Directory Company, 1882), 1326.
9 J. H. Ballenger and W. H. Richards, Ballenger & Richards Thirteenth Annual Denver City Directory: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms, Etc. in the City of Denver for 1892 (Denver, CO: Ballenger & Richards, Publishers, 1892), 1117.
10 “Littleton Locals,” Littleton Independent, January 12, 1894, 1.
11 Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40033304/oscar-zwilling: accessed October 6, 2024), memorial page for Oscar Zwilling (April 1, 1861 – January 8, 1894), Find a Grave Memorial ID 40033304; citing Jewish Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA.

Bibliography

Ballenger, J. H. and W. H. Richards. Ballenger & Richards Thirteenth Annual Denver City Directory: Containing a Complete List of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Incorporated Companies, Manufacturing Establishments, Business, Business Firms, Etc. in the City of Denver for 1892. Denver, CO: Ballenger & Richards, Publishers, 1892.

“B’nai B’rith.” Leadville Weekly Herald. November 15, 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.

Find a Grave. Database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40033304/oscar-zwilling: accessed October 6, 2024). Memorial page for Oscar Zwilling (April 1, 1861 – January 8, 1894), Find a Grave Memorial ID 40033304; citing Jewish Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA.

Find a Grave. Database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40033319/yetta-zwilling: accessed October 6, 2024). Memorial page for Yetta Zwilling (February 9, 1833 – May 9, 1905), Find a Grave Memorial ID 40033319; citing Jewish Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA.

Find a Grave. Database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40033287/louis-zwilling: accessed October 6, 2024). Memorial page for Louis Zwilling (August 24, 1824 – October 26, 1901), Find a Grave Memorial ID 40033287; citing Jewish Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA.

Hutchinson, Thomas. The Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1882. Chicago, IL: The Chicago Directory Company, 1882.

“Littleton Locals.” Littleton Independent. January 12, 1894.

“The Social Circle.” Leadville Daily Herald. October 24, 1880.

"United States Census, 1900." Database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSQD-W7S: accessed October 6, 2024). Lewis Zwilling, Chicago Precinct 15, Chicago, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 754, sheet 3B, family 55, NARA microfilm publication T623. Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.

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AUTHOR: Quinn Whittington & Krista Zampacorta
EDITOR: William Korn & Andrea Jacobs
SOURCE: Jewish Surnames/Zwilling
PUBLISHED BY: Temple Israel Foundation. Leadville, CO; USA. 2024.
STABLE URL: http://www.jewishleadville.org/Zwilling.html 

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