David Horowitz

Page 1.

Notes Regarding Page 1.

By “Big Michael’s Town” he may mean Velyka Mykhailivka….which is a small town near Odessa, 446 km from Kiev – translated – Velyka means “big or great” and Mykhalivka means “Michael’s or St. Michaels town”

“Daddy” – Al Horowitz

“your grandparents” would be Morris and Sarah Benioff Horowitz

“your grandfather” – Morris Horowitz

“Benjamin” was most likely named after Sarah Benioff’s father Benjamin

“The City of Lemberg” is now Lvov in Ukraine

Page 2.

Notes Regarding Page 2.

Argylle Press ???…

Rosensweig

The farm in Viola was probably that owned by Isaac Benioff, Al’s uncle.

Moved to LA on Aug 9, 1900

Uncle Simon is Simon Benioff, a ladies tailor

“mother and dad, and the rest of the family, except Simon, came to L.A. in 1905. – This Simon is Al’s brother Simon Horowitz.

“mother and I were married in 1909” – Mother is Hilda Topper (1889-1975).

“Blanche’s father Mr. Sofsky” – Blanche Sofsky Heany was Al Horowitz’s daughter Bettie’s mother-in-law. Bettie married George Albert Heaney.

“Russian section on East 1st Street, near L.A. Soap Co.” – In those days Russians lived in Boyle Heights and Claremont….so I am guessing this was in Boyle Heights – actually on 1st street between Vignes and Alameda Streets – not exactly Boyle Heights (L.A. Soap Co.).

In 1905 there is an article about a confederate bill passed to M. Horowitz at 363 East First Street; by 1908 the family was living at 922 West First Street. In 1910 they were living at 4414 Long Beach Ave. At some point Al started a store at 322 E. First Street, as noted here.

Page 3.

Notes Regarding Page 3.

“uncle” means Uncle Simon – a Lady’s Tailor…

Bright’s Disease – an outdated term – it used to represent a group of kidney diseases characterized by excess protein in the urine, edema, and hypertension…glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and chronic kidney disease.

“three daughters and four sons” – Isaac, Joel, Frida, Leo, Sarah, and Chaika. However, there was also Benjamin who died as an infant in Russia, as well as a still birth and another infant death, one in Russia, one in New York. Frida, Chaika and Joel were left behind when the family came to US.

Grandpa is Benjamin Benioff and Grandma was his wife Bertha Morosow or Maroz or Scheidt.

Page 4.

Notes Regarding Page 4.

Henry Klein, Star Clothing House, 102-104 S. Main St. Los Angles….???

It may actually have been “Klein-Norton Co. Henry Klein retired in August of 1909

Jim Gully is James Mathias Gulley (1870-1955), married to Elma Mae Dingman (Ellen) (1873-1959) and daughter Hazel Gulley Metcalf (1893-1977)

Historical Newspapers, Birth, Marriage, & Death Announcements, 1851-2003 Published in the Los Angeles Times – 29 Jul 1952, Los Angeles, California James M. Gulley Funeral service for James Mathias Gulley, 85, Insurance and Investment Broker, in West Hollywood will be conducted at 3 P.M. at Utter-McKinley’s Funeral Chapel. Internment will follow at Grandview Cemetery. Mr. Gulley, his grandparents Mathias and Elizabeth Swall were among the first West Hollywood pioneers. He resided at 835 No. Hillsdale Ave., and retired from active business in 1952. He leaves his wife Elma, His daughter Hazel G. Allen, a granddaughter and 2 great-grandchildren.

Hazel’s husband Bradley Revere Metcalf died in 1936 and she married Winthrop Salisbury Allen.

Al’s store in Sherman called “Horowitz” at 211 Santa Monica Blvd. in 1922 – shortly became “Horowitz Dry Goods Company”

Page 5.

Notes Regarding Page 5.

Engarita Dancing Club – article in the Los Angeles Herald, Vol 34, No. 363, 29 Sept 1907: Officers Elected – At the last meeting of the new Engarita Dancing club Al Horowitz of 922 West First street was elected president and S. Stein of 1435 West 39th street secretary. The Engaritas will give their dancing parties this year the second Tuesday of every month. Their opening dance for the season will be given Tuesday evening, Oct 8 at Goldberg’s hall, Fifteenth and main streets.”. …

https://lastreetnames.com/street/phyllis-avenue/

Phyllis Avenue/Street West Hollywood Phyllis Avenue/Street West Hollywood The Phyllis in question has got to be Phyllis Horowitz (1911-2000). Her father Al (1883-1976), a Russian Jew who came to California when he was eight, ran a department store nearby, back when West Hollywood was still called Sherman. More to the point: he subdivided a chunk of land at Hammond and Phyllis in 1923. Thus it’s a safe bet that he named this street after his eldest daughter. Betty Way, a couple of blocks east, is surely for Horowitz’s other daughter and Hilldale might even be a play on his wife Hilda’s name – the Horowitzes were here when that street was laid out, but I’m not certain that they owned the land yet. At any rate, Phyllis Horowitz was raised in Sherman, graduated from Fairfax High School, and married Victor J. Dollinger in 1931. They and their sons Steve and Terry settled in Reno in 1953; Victor owned a shoe store there. 1928 yearbook photo of Phyllis Horowitz

https://lastreetnames.com/street/betty-way/

Even though she spelled her nickname “Bettie”, this cul-de-sac is surely named after Alberta Horowitz (1914-2004), a neighborhood girl. Betty Way was carved out sometime between 1925 – a map published that year didn’t show it – and 1929, when an ad in the L.A. Times mentioned a house on the street up for sale by one Al Horowitz. County records from 1925 reveal that Horowitz, a local shopkeeper, and his wife Hilda were granted a sewer easement here on what was curiously called the “Pico Cahuenga Valley tract”, which was surveyed way back in 1896 but may not have been developed until the Horowitzes acquired the land. Since Phyllis Avenue is named for the Horowitzes’ other daughter and Hilldale might be for Hilda herself, it follows that Bettie/Betty would get her own street. In fact her 1934 marriage certificate with George Heaney (born George Goldenberg) revealed that she lived on Betty Way (as did her parents). The Heaneys and their sons Bob and Rick moved to Reno around 1946.

Page 6.

Notes Regarding Page 6.

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Page 7.

Notes Regarding Page 7.

Mabel Walker Willebrandt was a law partner of Fred’s.

Pioneer-Lucky Strike Gold Mining Company Was a court case that Fred and Dave were involved in.

Hildegarde Topper was Al Horowitz’s wife…so Dave Topper would have been her brother.

Harry’s 3 sons were: 
Frederick Lester Horowitz
Clarence William Horowitz
Robert Lester “Bob” Horowitz

The Thomas Flyer was an early automobile. The accident took place in 1908. On September 21, 1909, 13 year old Fred was awarded $2000 in damages (the suit was for $50,000) – against W.A. Morehouse. Simon Benioff, Fred’s uncle, acting as his guardian, brought the suit against Mr. Morehouse. At the time of the accident, Fred was out trying his new kite which he invented to receive wireless messages.

Eli Citron – I believe Al is mistaken, Jess Citron’s younger brother was named Joseph.