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| Joseph S. Spitzer circa 1876 |
Joseph S. Spitzer reported various birthplaces in his records: Hungary, Austria, and Germany. Often, people reported the political country at that moment in time for their birthplace, such as the Austrian Empire or Prussia, even though that birthplace was located in the name of a different country when they were born. I believe Joseph S. Spitzer's birthplace was within present-day Hungary, as reported in the 1880 census. Unfortunately, my efforts to trace the Spitzer family back to a town in Hungary have failed...so far. I am always hopeful more records will become available.
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| 1880 Census for Joseph S. Spitzer and family in Chicago |
Joseph S. Spitzer's birthdate is obtained from his passport application. Unfortunately, the naturalization records noted on the side of the application were destroyed in a fire in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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| 1873 passport application for Joseph S. Spitzer |
Evidence of when Joseph S. Spitzer came to the U.S. is found in the 1900 Chicago census. He was not living in Chicago in 1900, but his wife was and she included him and reported 1859 as his year of immigration. However, his son, Clifford Spitzer, reported on his passport application that his father immigrated in 1866 at around the age of 22, which seems more likely. However, there is a family story that he immigrated at the age of 16.
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| 1900 Chicago census for Joseph S. Spitzer and family |
Looking at the Hamburg passenger ship records, I found a Joseph Spitzer who immigrated in 1866 but not in 1859 or any year surrounding it. The 1866 record indicates the right year of birth but the occupation is listed as maschinenbauer (mechanical engineer). Did he fib or is this someone else?
The nice thing about this record is that it gives a town of birth: Comorn, Ungarn (in German), which is now Komarom, Hungary. It's located on the Danube River with Slovakia on the other side. The records available in the JewishGen website or Ancestry.com for this town are limited, but I will keep searching. And this may not be the right town, but I follow any lead as far as it will take me. There are a few dead ends already, but I enjoy the hunt.
By the way, I noticed in the JewishGen website that there are many families who spelled their last name as Spiczer, and sometimes the records show both spellings at different points in time for the same family.
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| 1866 Departures from Hamburg, Germany lists "Jos. Spitzer" near the bottom. It is uncertain if this is the right person. |
Even in the U.S., it has been difficult to trace where Joseph S. Spitzer lived. Various Joseph Spitzers appear in records around the U.S. and in passenger lists, but they don't give enough information to identify our Joseph S. Spitzer. In December, 1873, he lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was naturalized and applied for his passport.
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| 1888 Voter Registration in Chicago for Joseph S. Spitzer showing date of naturalization |
Why did he apply for a passport? Checking the passenger records, I discovered evidence that he made a trip to Europe. I found his return trip to the U.S. He left Hamburg on April 16, 1874 and arrived in New York on May 4, 1874. I believe it is him because he's listed as a U.S. citizen and his occupation is merchant. Unfortunately, no records were kept by U.S. ports for persons departing the U.S. as that record might have contained a destination. I don't know where he went but probably to Hungary to visit family.
Joseph S. Spitzer moved to Chicago after his trip to Europe. He married Eda Rubinstein on January 2, 1876. They had five children:
Arthur Joseph Spitzer, born October 8, 1876
Sidney Soloman Spitzer, born June 5, 1878
Josephine Valentine Spitzer, born February 14, 1880
Irma E. Spitzer, born September 27, 1883
Clifford Spitzer, born January 10, 1891
Joseph S. Spitzer's occupation in Chicago was salesman for 1875-6. Then, beginning in 1877 until his last listing in Chicago in 1898, he listed his occupation as either "trav. agt" or "com. trav."
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| 1899 Chicago City Directory for Joseph, Arthur J., Sidney, and Valentine Spitzer |
This photo was probably taken just before Joseph S. Spitzer moved to Hawaii in 1898. It includes his daughter, Valentine (who was known as Valle and didn't use her first name of Josephine); his son, Clifford; his daughter, Irma; his wife, Eda; his wife's parents; and the last person we think is his wife's brother, Joseph Rubinstein.
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| Standing L-R: Valle (Josephine Valentine) Spitzer, Clifford Spitzer, Irma Spitzer, and Joseph Rubinstein. Sitting L-R: Eda Rubinstein Spitzer, Joseph S. Spitzer, Rosalie Rubinstein, and Meyer Rubinstein circa 1898. |
Here's another photograph of Eda Rubinstein Spitzer with her two daughters, Valle and Irma, and one of her sons, Clifford.
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| Valle Spitzer, Irma Spitzer, mother Eda Rubinstein Spitzer, and Clifford Spitzer in Chicago circa 1898. Notice Clifford's short pants. I wonder what happened to the portrait hanging on the wall and who it is. |
References:
Census returns, Ancestry.com.
City Directory, fold3.com.
Hamburg Passenger List, Ancestry.com.
Passport application, Ancestry.com.
Voter Registration, Ancestry.com.
