Adolphus Hollub: Early Jewish Pioneer Merchant & Mason

Adolphus Hollub

Values Codes I – E – L – P

 

Adolphus Hollub was born in 1820 in Holitz, Czechoslovakia.

 

Along the way . . .

Hollub ar­rived in America during the mid-1840’s and became an American citizen in Wisconsin – on his way West.

Before the end of 1850, Adolphus Hollub was a resident of San Francisco, but he partnered with Joseph Isaacs in a dry goods and clothing store in Shasta, California.

In 1883, Hollub and Isaacs built one of the first brick stores in Shasta — a two-story structure.

Building a store of brick in those days not only told the local citizenry that one’s business was here to stay and fully reliable, it also made for lower fire insurance rates.

Of the nine brick stores in early Shasta, five were owned and occupied by Jewish merchants.

 

San Francisco

From San Francisco, Adolphus Hollub did the buying for the Shasta store and sold farm produce and gold dust taken in trade by the store.

In the late 1850’s and early 1860’s, Hollub was involved in a fur importing business with S. Konalsky and S. Silverstone. The furs came from the Amur River region of Eastern Siberia.

In 1865, Hollub and Simon Seelig entered the oil and lamp busi­ness.

In 1878, Hollub entered the insurance business, and also became an appraiser of property.

His wife, Susannah, continued the insurance agency after his death.

 

Civic

In 1861 and 1862, Adolphus Hollub was the Public Administrator for the City and County of San Francisco.

 

Fraternal

Hollub was active in California’s Masons.

He had joined the Davy Crockett Masonic Lodge in 1850, and in 1859 became a member of the Pacific Masonic Lodge No. 136 — a Lodge comprised largely of Jewish members.

Hollub developed great expertise with the laws of the Masonic movement. He visited Masonic Lodges throughout the State giving instruction on the Masonic ritual.

In May 1852, Adolphus Hollub was elected Senior Grand Warden of California Masonry, one of the highest offices.

 

Community

Soon after Hollub arrived in San Francisco, he joined Congregation Emanu-El.

In the fall of 1867, he was elected presi­dent of the Congregation. He served for five years.

During his administration, the wearing of the tallit by rabbi and cantor was abolished.

Adolphus Hollub was one of the first to publicly recognize the important work done by the women of Congregation Emanu-El in making the synagogue financially viable through fairs, which they conducted.

 

Family

Adolphus Hollub married Susannah Mays, a daughter of the Isaac Mays of Philadelphia.

They had eleven children.

 

Adolphus Hollub died in 1890, at the age of 70.

His fu­neral was held at the Masonic Temple with all the rites of the Order.

Sources

• Leon Strauss, “Adolphus Hollub of San Francisco,” Western States Jewish Historical Quarterly 15/2.
• Norton B. Stern, “Adolphus Hollub,” Western States Jewish History 41/1.