Dallas County AlArchives Biographies.....Maas, Simon August 26 1843 - living in 1893
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Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 20, 2004, 1:06 pm

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
   SIMON MAAS, one of the prominent business men of Selma, was born in Bavaria,
Germany, August 26, 1843. His parents were Leopold and Eva (Simon) Maas, both of
whom were natives of Bavaria. The family came to the United States in 1853,
landing in New Orleans January 1, that year. They settled at Claiborne, Ala.,
where the father of our subject established himself in business, and remained
there until 1862, when he removed to Mobile. Afterward he moved to Canton,
Miss., and after being in business there a few years, died, the death of his
wife having occurred in 1856, at Claiborne. Leopold Maas, at the same time that
he was a merchant, was also a rabbi for the Jewish congregation at Claiborne,
which city was then about the third most important place in the state. Among the
inhabitants there were a large number of Israelites, whose rabbi Mr. Maas was
for several years. He was a man of learning, and was highly esteemed for his
high moral character. The subject of this sketch is of a family of four sons and
one daughter. He secured but a limited education, which, however, has been well
supplemented by business experience, and by extensive reading since. His first
mercantile experience was under his father, and at the age of twenty-one he
began in life for himself by establishing a mercantile business at Pleasant
Hill, Dallas county, where he remained for eight years. In 1875 he removed to
Selma and opened a wholesale grocery store, at first in company with a partner
for two years. He then conducted his business alone for fifteen years. In 1887
he formed a partnership with Isaac Schwarz, under the firm name of Maas &
Schwarz, cotton commission merchants, which continues to the present time. The
commission business is separate and distinct from the grocery business. In 1887
and 1888 he was mayor of the city of Selma. He is a member of the congregation
Mishkan Israel, of which he is president. He is a member of the Jewish order, I.
O. B. B. He was married in 1871 to Miss Esther Bloch; a native of Alabama, by
whom he has one son, Leo, and four daughters, Eva, Settie, Belle and Lillian.
Mr. Maas was instrumental in securing the construction of the bridge across the
Alabama river, being one of the organizers of the Selma Bridge company, besides
other public enterprises in which he has taken an active part.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 884-885
Published by
Brant & Fuller (1893)
Madison, WI

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