Meyer Rubinstein and Family in Chicago

Meyer Rubinstein was born in October, 1822, in Koerlin, Germany. Let's trace the U.S. records that are available for the family. These, and the photographs, are usually the only things we can use to piece together their lives. Please keep in mind that names in city directories and census returns were often misspelled. Also, the women never seemed to use the first names they were given at birth, instead adopting new "Americanized" first names.

Meyer Rubinstein

After the family's arrival in New York from Germany on July 29, 1871, the first time any of them appear in U.S. records is beginning in 1873 in Davenport, Iowa.

Meyer Rubinstein listed in the 1873 City Directory for Davenport, Iowa

In 1874, his occupation was listed as a cutter (clothes cutter). His son, Isidore, worked as an assistant bookkeeper.

1874 City Directory for Davenport, Iowa

According to the 1888 Voters' Registration Index for Chicago, a Meyer Rubinstein born in Russia moved to Illinois, specifically Cook County, 14 years prior, or about 1874. The Index indicates he had lived in that particular precinct in Chicago for one year. The date and court of where naturalization papers were filed were unknown. Even though the birthplace is incorrect, the address given matches the address in the 1888 Chicago city directory.

1888 Voters Registration for Chicago

Next in chronology is the marriage of Eda Rubinstein, Meyer's daughter, on January 2, 1876, to Joseph S. Spitzer. More on the Spitzer family in the next blog post.

The first listing in the Chicago city directory for the family is in 1876. Isidore and Meyer are both listed, living at 647 Hubbard. Joseph and Eda Spitzer lived nearby at 644 Hubbard. I noticed that a cabinetmaker named Mandella Rubenstine also lived on Hubbard, but I don't know what, if any, their connection was.

1876 Chicago City Directory

The 1878 Chicago City Directory listing for Meyer Rubinstein showed he lived on South Park Ave. in Chicago, which matches the address in the 1880 census below. There was another listing in the 1878 directory at 499 Clark, which was his work address (as his home and work address were combined in the 1890 city directory shown later below).

Meyer Rubinstein's son, Isidore, returned to Davenport, Iowa, as he is shown in the Davenport city directory in 1880, the year he moved to Honolulu.

1880 City Directory for Davenport, Iowa

The 1880 census in Chicago for Meyer Rubinstein and family lists his occupation as clothes cutter. His birthplace was Prussia. They lived on South Park Avenue.

1880 Census in Chicago for Meyer Rubinstein and family

In 1881 and 1882, the city directory lists Meyer Rubinstein's daughter, Selina. In the 1882 city directory below she is near the bottom of the page. The spelling of the last name for Meyer and Selina is different. Listings were posted according to what the directory or census takers wrote down, and they often didn't confirm the spellings. 

1882 City Directory for Chicago

Thanks for your patience as I list many of the city directories. Sometimes the most mundane detail can be important. 

The 1885 City Directory has two listings, one for "Rubenstein Myer, notions 431 Clark" and "Rubinstein M. house 3655 Vincennes av". These are for his work and his home.

1885 Chicago City Directory

In the 1887 city directory, Meyer's occupation is shown as "dry goods". 

1887 Chicago City Directory

The 1890 city directory is important because, as mentioned earlier, the work address and the home address are listed on one line. It also lists Joseph M. Rubinstein, Meyer's son.

1890 Chicago City Directory

The family moved often. Sometimes each year has a different address. How do I know I've got the correct address? I matched the addresses with those of Joseph S. Spitzer. They always lived on the same street and the same block.

Next in sequence, daughter Selina was married in September 1895 to Isaac M. Solomon. Unfortunately, the marriage record hasn't been located.

There is a naturalization index listing in 1896 for "Meyer Rubenstein", but it has no address or other identifying information to confirm it is the correct person. Perhaps the original document, which could not be found online, would have a clue. Not sure if this is the correct person, but the 1900 census (see below) indicates he was naturalized.

1896 Naturalization Index

In the 1900 census in Chicago, there was no occupation listed for Meyer Rubinstein. His birthplace was Germany. His wife, Rosalie, reported she gave birth to six children, but only four of them were living. Daughter, Selina, and her husband were living with them. Their address was on 46th Place in Hyde Park or South Side area of Chicago.

1900 census in Chicago for Meyer Rubinstein and family

In the 1880 census, I noticed that Eda Rubinstein Spitzer and her husband, Joseph, lived next to Charles Busch and his family. Because Eda's mother, Rosalie, had the maiden name of Busch, it got me to look at Buschs in Chicago, Davenport, and Hawaii. There was a Busch family in Davenport as early as 1852. And there were dozens of Buschs in Chicago between the years 1890 and 1900. It's certainly possible that Meyer and Eda Rubinstein joined some cousins in Davenport and Chicago. After all, Davenport seems to me to be an illogical location to emigrate to. I failed, however, to prove a family connection existed. 

It was surprising to discover some Buschs in the 1890 Hawaii directory living in Lihue, Kauai and on Niihau island, working as carpenters for a grove farm plantation. This connection may be just a coincidence. However, we do know that the Hyman cousins were in contact with the Rubinsteins and convinced Isidore and Joseph Rubinstein to move to Hawaii, so it's reasonable that the family was in touch with Busch cousins as well.

Rosalie (Rosalia on her death certificate) Rubinstein died on April 26, 1904, in Chicago. Meyer Rubinstein died on April 14, 1909, in Chicago. He was living at 451 E. 44th St., Chicago, with his daughter, Selina, and her family when he died. They are buried at Mt. Israel Cemetery, Chicago. His son, Isidore Rubinstein, appears on a passenger list departing Honolulu on March 5, 1909, hopefully to visit his ailing father. 

I didn't find any records that Meyer and Rosalie had visited Hawaii. 

Daughter Selina Rubinstein Solomon and her son, Raymond, visited Hawaii in 1925. Selina died in 1948 in Illinois. Her son, Raymond, changed his last name at that time to Selwyn. Selina's husband, Isaac M. Solomon, was a merchant in a retail electrical and gas fixtures company. In the 1910 Chicago city directory, he was listed as the president of Illinois Mantle and Fixture Company and, in 1928, as president of Illinois Fixture and Electrical Supply.

Son Joseph Rubinstein left Hawaii about 1895 after living there for 4-5 years. He moved back to Chicago and then to Detroit where he was listed in a city directory as the proprietor of the Weatherproof Clothing Company. He married Mary Petersen in 1910 in Ontario, Canada, and died in 1921. He was buried next to his parents in Chicago.

Son Isidore Rubinstein married Anna Louise Desser on December 5, 1906, in Manhattan, New York. He brought his wife to Honolulu to live, where he operated his dry goods store. He died about 1931. 

Daughter Eda Rubinstein Spitzer lived in Hawaii. More on her family in the next blog post.

References

The documents above were found on Ancestry.com or fold3.com (except the family photograph).