Herman W. Hellman
| Herman W. Hellman | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | September 25, 1843 Reckendorf, Bavaria |
| Died | October 19, 1906 Los Angeles, California |
| Cause of death | diabetes |
| Resting place | Home of Peace Cemetery |
| Occupation | Businessman, banker, real estate investor |
| Spouse(s) | Isa Heimann |
| Children | Marco Hellman Fred Hellman Irving Hellman Amy Hellman |
| Relatives | Samuel Hellman (uncle) Isaias W. Hellman (brother) Warren Hellman (great-grandnephew) |
Herman W. Hellman (1843-1906) was a German-born Jewish businessman, banker, and real estate investor in Los Angeles, California.
Herman W. Hellman was born on September 25, 1843 in Reckendorf, Bavaria. He emigrated to the United States with his brother Isaias W. Hellman, arriving in Los Angeles, California on May 14, 1859 as a sixteen-year-old.
He started working as a courier from Wilmington to Los Angeles for Phineas Banning. In 1861, he worked for his uncle, Samuel Hellman, who had a store in Los Angeles. Shortly after, he opened his own store at Downey Block.
He established a wholesale grocer's called Hellman, Haas, & Co. with Jacob Haas, the brother of Abraham Haas. They sold groceries in Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. As his business prospered, he became one of the wealthiest men in Los Angeles by the 1880s. The company later became known as Baruch, Haas, & Co.
In 1890, he became Vice President and General Manager of The Farmers and Merchants Bank, a bank established by his brother. He was later demoted by his brother, who found his lending practises too lenient. He resigned in 1903, and became the President of the Merchants National Bank instead. He also became a co-founder of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.
He was a large landowner in Los Angeles. In 1903, he hired architect Alfred Rosenheim to design the Hellman Building named in his honor. The eight-story building in Downtown Los Angeles still stands today, on the corner of Fourth Street and Spring Street.
He served as President of the Congregation B'nai B'rith, later known as the Wilshire Boulevard Temple.
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