Henry Siegel, whose name is identified with those huge so-called
department stores, which are cities of commerce inclosed within four
walls, was born March 17, 1852, at Enbighein, Germany. His father was
the burgomaster of the village, and he himself was one of a family of
eight children. Two of his brothers, on attaining manhood, came to this
country and were fairly prosperous. The letters that they sent home
acted as fuel to the ambitions of Henry, and so when seventeen years
of age he sailed for America, and obtained a position in Washington,
District of Columbia, in a dry goods house at a salary of three dollars
per week. By dint of hard study at night schools he managed to get a
fair English education and next became traveler for a clothing house.
After some years of hard work, he and his brothers began business for
themselves in Chicago and fortune followed their efforts. In 1887 he
founded the well-known firm of Siegel, Cooper & Co., of Chicago, again
prospered, and in 1896, together with his partners, opened a vast
store on Sixth avenue, New York. In 1901 he sold out his interest in
the New York enterprise, but immediately acquired the old-established
firm of Simpson, Crawford & Co. He simultaneously disposed of his
interest in the Chicago concern. A year later he bought a half-interest
in the firm of Schlessinger & Mayer, of Chicago. Not content with these
undertakings, early in 1903, he began to build a store at Thirty-fourth
street and Broadway, New York, and also purchased an entire block in
Boston on which he proposes to erect a building which shall dwarf those
of which he is already the owner. And so the little German who began
life as an errand boy is now one of the merchant princes of America.