Harris Newmark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harris Newmark
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | July 5, 1834 Löbau, West Prussia (now Lubawa, Poland)
|
| Died | 1916 |
| Nationality | Prussian American |
| Occupation | Businessman philanthropist |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Newmark (cousin and wife) |
| Children | Maurice Harris Newmark |
| Parent(s) | Phillip Newmark Esther Newmark |
| Relatives | Joseph P. Newmark (brother) Nathan Newmark (brother) Joseph Newmark (uncle and father-in-law) Leon Loeb (son-in-law) Joseph P. Loeb (grandson) |
| Signature | |
 |
|
Harris Newmark (born July 5, 1834 – died 1916) was an important Jewish American businessman and helper of his community. He was born in a city called Löbau in West Prussia (which is now Lubawa, Poland). Newmark moved to the United States in 1853. He traveled from Europe to New York City, and then sailed to San Francisco. He joined his older brother and other family members in Los Angeles. His family helped to found and develop the Los Angeles area, including the city of Montebello, California.
Newmark helped create many local organizations, like the Los Angeles County Library. He also supported groups that helped children. He wrote a book about his life called Sixty Years in Southern California: 1853–1913. This book is often used by historians and is seen as a very important record of early Los Angeles.
Contents
Early Life and Journey to America
Harris Newmark was born to Jewish parents, Phillip and Esther Newmark. He had an older brother named Joseph P. Newmark. Their father, Phillip Newmark, was a traveling salesman. He sold ink and other products in places like Sweden and Denmark.
In 1848, Harris's brother Joseph P. Newmark moved to California. He later asked Harris to join him. Many other Newmark relatives had already settled there. Harris sailed to New York City. Then, he took another ship to California, crossing a narrow strip of land in Nicaragua. He arrived in San Francisco in October 1853, when he was 19 years old.
After reaching Los Angeles, Harris got his first job in America. He worked as a clerk for his brother Joseph at a dry goods store called Rich & Newmark. At that time, Harris did not speak much English. He knew German and Swedish, and had learned some Spanish on his journey.
In 1854, Harris's uncle, Joseph Newmark, came to Los Angeles with his family. Harris lived with them for a while. His aunt helped him learn to read, write, and spell in English. On March 24, 1858, Harris married his cousin, Sarah, at the family home. Her father, his uncle Joseph, led the wedding ceremony.
Building Businesses in Los Angeles
Harris Newmark started several successful businesses. Many of his family members worked for him. He was mainly a grocer and a merchant who sold dry goods (like fabric and clothing). But he also tried other things, like sheep farming. He was very interested in buying and selling land in the Los Angeles area. Newmark bought and sold many properties in Southern California and became very wealthy.
He first worked for his brother Joseph P. at Rich & Newmark. In 1854, Harris opened his own clothing store. It was located on Commercial Street in Los Angeles. He had different business partners for eight years. In 1862, Newmark changed his focus to the commission business.
By the end of 1885, Newmark stopped working in the grocery business. He wanted to spend more time on his real estate and other investments. In 1886, he and four other businessmen bought a large ranch. It was about 5,000-acre (20 km2) and located in East Los Angeles. The ranch was called Rancho Repetto. Newmark's group bought the land for $60,000.
In May 1899, Newmark and his nephew divided a large piece of land they owned. They hired William Mulholland to design a water system for the new area. This land was between 1,200 and 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) in size.
A part of this land, near the railroad tracks, became a town site called Newmark. The rest of the land was divided into 5-acre (2.0 ha) lots. These smaller lots were good for small farms. The entire settlement, including the Newmark town site, was named Montebello. When the town officially became a city in 1920, it kept the name Montebello.
Family Life
On March 24, 1858, Harris Newmark married his cousin, Sarah Newmark. Her father, Joseph Newmark, who was Los Angeles's first lay rabbi (a religious leader who is not a trained clergyman), performed the ceremony. Harris and Sarah had eleven children, but only five lived past infancy. Their children included Maurice Harris Newmark (who married his cousin, Rose Newmark), Marco Ross, Ella Newmark Seligman, Emily Newmark Loew, and Estelle Newmark Loeb.
Lasting Contributions to Los Angeles
Newmark made many important contributions to the economy and culture of Los Angeles. He gave his time and money to many different causes. He was one of the people who helped start the Los Angeles Public Library. He was also a founding member of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. He helped organize the Board of Trade, which worked to bring railroad service to California.
He was very active in the Jewish community. In 1887, he became president of Congregation B'nai B'rith, taking over from his uncle and father-in-law, Joseph Newmark. He also helped found the Jewish Orphans Home of Southern California. Newmark helped establish the Southwest Museum, which is now part of the Autry National Center. He and other Newmark family members were also leaders in groups like the Odd Fellows and the Masons.
Newmark's book, Sixty Years in Southern California, was put together with help from his sons and a historian. It has been called "one of the great autobiographies" by an American Jewish writer. It is also described as "the single most valuable memoir" about Southern California in the 1800s. The Library of Congress has the entire book available to read online.
Harris Newmark High School, a school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, is named after him. The Harris Newmark Building in downtown Los Angeles is also named in his honor. This building, now called the New Mart building, was built in 1928 by Newmark's sons. It was one of the first tall buildings in the city.
Newmark was the grandfather of Los Angeles lawyer Joseph P. Loeb, who also helped check the facts in his memoir book.
