Levi Strauss
Loeb Strauss was born in Buttenheim, Bavaria (present-day Germany) on February 26, 1829 to Jewish parents Hirsch and Rebecca Strauss. He had three older brothers and three older sisters. In 1846, his father died of tuberculosis and two years later, he, his mother, and his sisters emigrated to New York. There, they were met with Loeb's brothers, who started a dry good business called J. Strauss Brother and Co. Young Loeb soon started to learn and trade himself, and by 1850, he was known among his family and customers as Levi.
When the news of the California Gold Rush made its way east, Levi immigrated to San Francisco to make his fortune, though he knew he wouldn't make it panning for gold. In late January 1853, he became an American citizen, and in February he headed for West Coast via the Isthmus of Panama. He arrived in loud, noisy San Francisco in March, establishing a dry goods business under his own name and also serving as the West Coast representative of the family's New York firm. His new company imported dry goods and sold them to small stores that we're springing up all over California and the West. It was these stores that helped outfit the miners of the Gold Rush, and eventually, the new families that begin to populate the western regions.
The first address where Levi conducted business was at 90 Sacramento Street, and the name of his firm was simply Levi Strauss. In 1861, the business relocated to 315 and 317 Sacramento Street and two years it was renamed Levi Strauss & Co. In his thirties, Levi was already a well-known figure around the city. He was active in the business and cultural life of San Francisco, and actively supported the Jewish community, including Temple Emanu-El, the city's first synagogue. Despite his stature as an important businessman, he insisted that his employees address him a Levi, not Mr. Strauss.
In 1872, Levi received a letter from Jacob Davis, a tailor from Reno, Nevada. Davis was one of Levi's regular customers; he purchased bolts of cloth from the company to use for his own business. In his letter, he told Strauss about the interesting way he made pants for his customers: he placed metal rivets at the points of the strain- pocket corners, and at the base of the button fly. He did this in order to make his pants stronger for laboring men who were his customers. He wanted to patent this new idea but needed a business partner to get the idea off the ground. So he suggested that the two men take out the patent together. Levi was eager about the idea and the patent was granted to both men on May 20, 1873. It was that moment when the denim blue jean was born. Levi would soon become one of the largest conglomerates in California during the late 19th Century.
Levi Strauss died on September 26, 1902 at the age of 73.
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