Our information about Edith’s husband Herman comes from family stories and from details gleaned from the Binghamton, New York, Press and Sun-Bulletin.
Herman was born in Trenton, New Jersey, 1900.JAN.15. He and Edith were married in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, 1922.JUL.04.
He and Edith purchased the house at 2 McDonald Avenue in July of 1923.
Herman Levy was the owner of a busy dry goods store in Binghamton, New York. The store advertised with great frequency in the Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin.
Running a business operation presented many small problems.
These were all reported in the Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin; 1927.JUN.21 (left), 1929.AUG.02, 1929.NOV.11 (right). In 1927 the store was located at 90 1/2 Clinton Street.
These were reported in the Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin, 1930.JUL.31 (left), 1932.JAN.18, 1932.OCT.08 (right). By 1930, the store was at 114 Clinton Street.
This ad of 1928.AUG.02 asked for care for Alan. The contact point was the store at 114 Clinton Street.
These item were in the Press and Sun-Bulletin 1929.AUG.02. Yes, small town news can get very petty.
The store was a very prominent Binghamton operation.
This announcement of 1932.APR.29 reveals some of the history of Herman’s store. The new operation was at 25 Chenango Street. Edith had a role at the new store, but this announcement was not particularly tactfully phrased.
Running a business has its issues. The left item, 1932.AUG.31 is a requisition for a street sign. The right item, 1932.OCT.08, covered an injury at the store.
The business incorporated 1933.JUL.05. And it celebrated too!
Herman Levy was an important person in the First Ward Merchants Association. The left item was published 1935.JUL.02, and the right item 1935.OCT.01.
The Levy store sponsored a team in the First Ward Merchants’ League. The article was printed 1935.FEB.05, the photo on the right 1935.FEB.19.
In 1939, business declined. The reasons are not known. The advertisements in the Binghamton newspaper ceased. Consider these two items.
On 1939.NOV.10, there were consecutive real estate transactions. Herman sold a lot on McDonald Avenue to Alec Rosefsky, who immediately sold the same lot to Edith. Mr. Rosefsky was an attorney, and this appears to be a pre-bankruptcy effort to move assets out of Herman’s name. The advertisement on the right, 1939.NOV.30, offered store assets for sale.
These items are from 1941; specifically July 11, August 1, September 13, September 17. All refer to the house on McDonald Avenue, not the store on Clinton Street. It would seem Herman made an effort to keep business going.
