Aaron Fleishhacker

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Aaron Fleishhacker
BornFebruary 4, 1820
DiedFebruary 19, 1898 (age 78)
Resting placeHome of Peace Cemetery (Colma, California)
NationalityAmerican
OccupationBusinessman
Known forFounder of A. Fleishhacker & Co.
SpouseDeliah Stern
Children8, including Herbert Fleishhacker and Mortimer Fleishhacker

Aaron Fleishhacker (February 4, 1820 – February 19, 1898) was a Kingdom of Bavaria-born American businessman who founded paper box manufacturer, A. Fleishhacker & Co.[1] He had been active during the Gold Rush with the formation of Comstock silver mines.[2]

Biography[edit]

Aaron Fleishhacker was born on February 4, 1820, to a Jewish family in Kingdom of Bavaria.[3][4][5][6]

In 1845, he immigrated to the United States, first settling in New Orleans, where he opened a retail store and then briefly to New York City before moving to San Francisco in 1853.[3] He moved around the region selling his wares to miners traveling to Sacramento, Grass Valley, Oregon, Virginia City, Nevada, and Carson City, Nevada.[3]

He then returned to San Francisco, where he started a paper wholesale business[7][3][8] and then either founded or purchased the Golden Gate Paper Box Company which then was renamed A. Fleishhacker & Co.[9][3] The company was nicknamed the "Paper Bag House" and the company became the largest box manufacturer in the West.[6] His sons, Mortimer and Herbert, who had both started working in the business while teens, took over the company upon his death.[9]

Death and legacy[edit]

He died on February 19, 1898, in San Francisco, California.[3][10]

The Fleishhacker Pool, the Fleishhacker Playfield, and the Mother’s Building (or Delia Fleishhacker Memorial Building) was a complex that included a large public saltwater swimming pool in San Francisco,[11] as well as public wading pool for children, and a sports field; which was dedicated to the family.[7] Fleishhacker was a founding member of Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco.[3]

Personal life[edit]

In 1857, he married Deliah Stern of Albany, New York; they had eight children, six of whom survived to adulthood: Carrie Fleishhacker Schwabacher (married to Ludwig Schwabacher), Emma Fleishhacker Rosenbaum (married to S. D. Rosenbaum), Mortimer Fleishhacker (1866–1953), Herbert Fleishhacker (1872–1957), Belle Fleishhacker Scheeline (married to S. C. Scheeline), and Blanche Fleishhacker Wolf (married to Frank Wolf).[3][9]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Heymont, George (2013-07-13). "They Left Their Hearts in San Francisco". HuffPost. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  2. ^ Zinko, Carolyne (2016-08-03). "Delia Fleishhacker Ehrlich, noted SF philanthropist, dies at 85". SFGATE. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Aaron Fleishhacker & Sons, Mortimer & Herbert: Jewish Pioneer Merchants, Manufacturers, Bankers and Philanthropists of San Francisco". Jewish Museum of the American West.
  4. ^ Meyer, Martin A. (June 1916). Western Jewry; an Account of the Achievements of the Jews and Judaism in California, Including Eulogies and Biographies. "The Jews in California,". Congregation Emanu-El. p. 91. ISBN 978-1340295332.
  5. ^ Rosenbaum, Fred (2000). Visions of Reform: Congregation Emanu-El and the Jews of San Francisco, 1849-1999. Judah L. Magnus Museum.
  6. ^ a b Levy, D. Blethen Adams. "VIPS in San Francisco: 1800s: Fleishhacker". The Maritime Heritage Project.
  7. ^ a b Zerin, Edward (2006). Jewish San Francisco. Arcadia Publishing. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-7385-4683-4.
  8. ^ "Ship Passengers to San Francisco during the 1800s. The Maritime Heritage Project. Captains, Ships, Merchants, Merchandise, Immigration". www.maritimeheritage.org. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  9. ^ a b c Fleishhacker, David (21 June 2017). "A Journey of Discovery: The Fleishhacker Family From The Argonaut". San Francisco Historical Society.
  10. ^ "Ship Passengers to San Francisco during the 1800s. The Maritime Heritage Project. Captains, Ships, Merchants, Merchandise, Immigration". www.maritimeheritage.org. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  11. ^ "Ship Passengers to San Francisco during the 1800s. The Maritime Heritage Project. Captains, Ships, Merchants, Merchandise, Immigration". www.maritimeheritage.org. Retrieved 2024-02-09.

External links[edit]