The Reform Advocate. The story of the Jews of Denver.

              The Reform advocate.
EMIL Q.   HinSCJl.  ICdltor.
CHICAGO. OCTOBER 31, 1908.
I'lvOCI-I &  NEWMAN,  Publishers.
THE STORY OF THE JEWS OF DENVER.
By S. FRIEDENTHAL.
It is particularly fitting that this brief
and incomplete story of the Jews of Denver should see ihe light of day now, fifty
years after the first settlement of the
city. In this short span of time what
wondrous changes have been wrought
on ihe dry and arid plains upon which
the earliest settlers of '58 built their
cabins!
Even   among  the   very   first    comers
tlfe of law and: order the Jews took an
active part. From their arrival most of
those who catne entered mercantile pursuits, a few the professions. The merchants seized the. splendid opportunities
for material prosperity, and very early
in its history ranked among the leading merchants of the community. Of
these wAre A. Jiioobs & Co., Salomon
Bros.,  and   Deitsch Bros.
tlous he took part. It was through his
efforts that Its sessions were not opened
with prayer, believing that as church
and state wete separate in this country,
such services were unnecessary.
From the small hamlets clustered together, which were later Incorporated
into the City of Denver, has grown the
metropolis of over 200,000 souls. The
small town had  its catastrophes in the
Si
^&!$&
Bird's Eye View of Denver.
Jewish names are found; names of meV|
•who came and went, but in their brief
sojourn left an Impress on the changing,
fluctuating population of those distant
days. Others there were, who, braving
t1i£L,bardshlps and trials of, pioneer life,
came to stay and throw In thpir lot with
that of the young and struggling community .and have reaped a splendid harvest from that early, far-off sowing.
Denver was really a very orderly community for a frontier town, and In t.tis
The Jews entered into the social and
political life of the town, and soon established their own religious life. Among
those holding public office in these early
days -were Leopold Mayer, who -was a.
member of the City Council in 1862;
rred Z. Sale-men, who held lie office of
TerritortUl Treasurer, and Edward
Pisko, whose record In the Territorial
legislature Is still remembered, for the
name "No-Chaplain" legislature yet
clings to.ihat body iri whose delibeTa-
great Are of 1863 which destroyed most
of its stores, and In, the flood of 1864/
which washed down through the center
of the town, dealing death and destruction far and near, and forming that unsightly tract, now being beautified,
tailed Cherry C.re<-k. In this river bed
stood the City Hall, close beside 'the
place now occupied by the present City
Hall,
West Denver was the original site of
the   city,  which  gradually  moved east-