San Francisco County
Biographies
LEVI
STRAUSS
LEVI STRAUSS.—The firm of Levi Strauss & Co. Is one of the best known wholesale
dry-goods establishments on the Pacific coast.
Mr. Strauss, who is
the senior member and originator of the firm, is a native of Germany. He
came to the United States in 1848, and to San
Francisco in 1853, when he opened the wholesale firm, at the head of which he
has successfully stood for the past thirty-eight years. During this time
San Francisco has grown from a small and unimportant town to be the great
metropolis of the Pacific coast. He was first located on California street, but after three years found the store too small for
their business and removed to Sacramento street and rented the store which they
afterward purchased. Still needing more room and better facilities for
business, in 1868 they purchased the lot on Battery street
and erected their present building, 91-10/12 x 137-1/2 feet, four stories and
basement. The business of the firm is quite extensive. Their goods
find a market in Honolulu, British Columbia, Alaska and Australia, and all
along the Pacific coast and as far east as Chicago. The firm for years
manufactured a portion of their gents’ furnishing goods, and in 1885 engaged in
manufacturing more extensively. In their present factory they furnish
employment to 500 girls and men–all white labor– manufacturing large quantities
of shirts, overalls, etc. Mr. Strauss was a stockholder in the Pioneer
Woolen Mill of the Pacific coast. In 1887 he associated with him in
business four of his nephews, Jacob, Sigmund, Louis and Abraham
Stern. They are all men fully informed in the details of the business, and
possessed of marked ability.
Mr. Strauss had not
been long in business until he became convinced of the great future that
awaited the city of his choice. From time to time he invested his surplus
funds in city property and became one of the potent factors in building the
city. Many of the substantial business blocks on Kearny, Market, Post,
Powell, Sansome and other streets were built by
him. He has bought, built and sold much property, and is still the owner
of valuable holdings. He has been one of the directors of the Nevada Bank
since the organization of the new corporation, and is a director in the San
Fernando Land and Milling Company, director in the San Francisco Gas Company,
and director in London, Liverpool and Globe Insurance Company, besides having
various other business interests. In fact, his has been a life of great
business activity, and his good judgment and common sense have led him along
the lines which have usually resulted in success. He has been deeply interested
in the growth and prosperity of San Francisco, and has contributed his full
share in bringing about the grand results that have been achieved. He has
given but little of his time to either politics or fraternal societies; but
there is a large and generous side to his character that has led him to connect
himself with several of the benevolent and charitable societies of San
Francisco. The rules which have governed his business life and affairs
have been those of the highest integrity. To this and the business facilities
and growth of San Francisco may be attributed his success.
Transcribed
by 9-15-06 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: "The Bay of San
Francisco," Vol. 2, Pages 336-337,
Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
©
2006 Marilyn R. Pankey.