The Ohio State University 1971
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TEE EARLY JEWS OF HOUSTON A Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Easter of Arts by Helena Frenkil Schlam, B.A. The Ohio State University 1971 Approved by Adviser Department of History TABLE OF CONTENTS rage Preface , . , , . iii I - Earliest Settlers , , , . , 1 II - Demographic Growth, Economic and Social Life . , , , . , , , , . 22 III - Communal Development . 38 Conclusion . .56 Notes to Table . , , . 61 . 62 Table 1 . 63 Table 2 . 64 Table 3 . 65 Table 4 . 66 Table 5 . Table 6 . 69 . 71 Table 7 . , . 78 Table 8 . Bibliography . , 79 PREFACE Until recent years the study of American Jewish history has centered on outstanding Jewish personalities and their achieve- ments, and most of the serious work on Jewish communities has concentrated on the larger communities of the eastern United States. Thus, the study of the development of Jewish communities in Texas has been ignored just as such studies generally have been neglected west of the Mississippi River. Little has been written about the Jews of Texas except for a few articles, and most of the research done has been very limited. Therefore, a study of any of Texas' early Jewish communities would have proved fruitful, but I found Houston particularly interesting. Jews were among Bouston's early settlers in the 1840's and 1850's, but hardly any historical interest was shown in the community until after 1870, even though Houston Jews were thought to have established the first Jewish communal institutions in Texas before the Civil War. No prominent Jewish figures were written about in Houston as they were in Galveston and other places in Texas. Indeed, little seems to have been known of the early Jews of Houston, and they remained in the shadow of the more distinguished Jews of Galveston. This is because none of the early Jews of Houston left remarkable records, with the exception perhaps of Jacob De Cordova, iii and he was most often thought of simply as a Texan. Nonetheless, these early Jewish settlers established themselvesin Houston and growth and development played a small, quiet role in the economic of Houston that led to the city's becoming one of the great urban centers of Texas. At the same time, these Jews formed themselves institutions and created into a Jewish community with traditional the foundations from which the Houston Jewish community grew, iv I There were some Jews among the early settlers in Texas. There even seems tohave been one Jew, Samuel Isaacks, among Stephen F. Austin's first group of colonists, the Old Three Hundred, who came to Texas from the United States in 1821. However, one of Texas' main attractions for new settlers was the availability of good, cheap land, and according to Jacob De Cordova, writing in 1858, the limited immigration of "the children of Israel" to Texas was due to the fact that Texas was "emphatically an agricultural country."2 While it is true that Jews did not come to Texas to become farmers and ranchers, they were attracted to Texas, and they came and settled. Instead of cultivating the land, they became the marketers and sup- pliers for those farmers and ranchers who settled on Texas land. The Jews thus tended to settle in the young towns which began to develop in Texas following Texas' independence from Mexico. One of the most important of these early urban centers was Houston. Texas became independent from Mexico in 1836 after a decisive victory at, the battle of San Jacinto on April 21st of that year. Soon after, only 18 miles from the scene of that battle, the city of Houston was laid out, with lots being presented for sale by late August.3 Houston was named for the popular hero of the battle of San Jacinto and the first president of the newly founded Texas Re- public, Sam Houston. The city thus began with a psychological advantage, and it was probably that which gave Houston the lead in 1 2 November 1836. being voted the capital of the Texas Republic in because it had been The new city then became a boom town largely government.4 there were other designated as the seat of Still, though the capital reasons for the growth of Houston, and even only temporarily to Houston was moved to Austin in 1839, returning an important city from 1842-1845, Houston,continued to develop as in Texas. The site of Houston was chosen because of its location, fifty miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico and at the head of dependably Buffalo Bayou, the only stream in Texas which proved where land and navigable. Houston was thus located at a point be- water transport could meet, and so it was a likely choice to commerce.5 The city was able to serve come a center for trade and and the Brazos River the rich farmlands of the Gulf Coast area shipment and, in return, by bottom by receiving their products for outside through selling the farmers supplies brought in from the this in his Houston the port of Galveston. Gustav Dresel described Journal in 1840 as follows: removal of the Houston had lost a good deal by the government. However, many strangers still congre- main gated here because it was traversed by the roads from the interior to Galveston, the place of embarkation. Its trade, too, was considerable. No source of supply was situated more conveniently for the planters. Wagons from the country, therefore, with country produce and, came and went daily loaded requirements.6 on the home journey with household considered and Other sites for cities along Buffalo Bayou had been 3 them even begun as settlements, but for various reasons none of succeeded as Houston did. Houston's real growth and development began after 1845 when Texas was annexed to the United States. jgy| Houston Directory of lfá6_ tells us: The effect of annexation upon the industrial interests of the new State was electrical, new was the tide of immigration rushed life infused; states.8 in from the southern and western The United States Census of 1850 showed Houston as the third largest city in Texas, and it remained so in the 1850's and 1860's, later becoming even larger than its competitors, Galveston and San Antonio.* Hith the coming of the railroad to Texas in the 1850's, Houston's importance as a commercial center was enhanced, and by the eve of the Civil War, Houston was the railroad center of Texas.10 Houston, then, was attractive both to new immigrants from abroad and to settlers who moved along with the frontier into Texas, particularly those who were interested in business and trade. Therefore, it is not surprising to find that Jews settled early in Rouston.11 The first problem is how to ascertain who were the Jews in Houston. This is difficult since the United States census made no record of religious affiliation, and name alone is not sufficient of as an indication of Jewishness, both because of the popularity Jewish Biblical names among Christians gud because many of the early settlers in Houston had German surnames, as did an even larger the his- number of Christians who settled in Houston. Therefore, as a beginning torian is dependent on Synagogue and cemetery records those Jews point to identify Jews. This naturally must mean that or be butied in a Jewish who did not choose to join the synagogue in a few cemetery will not be dealt with in this study, except uncovered.12 have been cases when special circumstances or other sources 1854, Records of the first Jewish cemetery in Houston begin only in even in and the synagogue minutes which are preserved begin later, 1861,13 but there were Jews in Houston much earlier. consider Some accounts of the history of the Jews of Houston and report that Eugene Joseph Chimene to be the first Jew in Houston, 1835.14 because Houston was not he settled in This is not possible Beth yet in existence in 1835. /However, the interment records of was buried October 4, Israel Cemetery do show that Eugene Chimene Chimene might have ac- 1875, having been born March 4, 1820. Thus, a fact not tually come to Texas in 1835 as a youth of fifteen, a record of impossible in those days. Nonetheless, we did not find although the Cen- him in the first census of Houston, taken in 1850, who was born in France, as sus of 1860 does register a J. Chimene Under the household of J. Chimene we was his wife. (See Table 5.) appears find Alfred Chimene, age 12, who was also born in France. It since there are that he is the oldest son in the Chimene family, were also three other children listed, aged 10, 8 and 7, but they of Eugene born in Texas. It is possible that Alfred was a brother more that Chimene and immigrated from France later, but it is likely 5 Eugene Chimene came he is the oldest child in the family, and that born to Texas some time in 1850 as the ages of the other children Houston, in Texas indicate. If Chimene settled in Texas, and perhaps him to be the first no earlier than 1850, then we can not consider Jew in Houston. Jew come to We do not really know who was the first to Houston because in most cases it is difficult, if not impossible, to determine exactly when Jews arrived. Nevertheless, we do know of several Jews who were in Houston before 1850, some of whom even settled while Texas was still a Republic.