Levi Strauss

Levi Strauss was a German-born American businessman who started the first company to make blue jeans. He was born on February 26, 1829, and died on September 26, 1902. His company, Levi Strauss & Co., began in 1853 in San Francisco, California. Today, his jeans are famous all over the world and are known for their classic style and durability.

Early life

Levi Strauss was born into a Jewish family on February 26, 1829, in Buttenheim, in the Franconia region of the Kingdom of Bavaria in the German Confederation. His parents were Hirsch Strauss and Rebecca Strauss (born Haas).

In 1847, when he was 18, Levi moved with his mother and two sisters to the United States to join his brothers Jonas and Louis. They had started a wholesale dry goods business in New York City called J. Strauss Brother & Co. After arriving, Levi traveled to sell items like kettles, blankets, and sewing supplies from his brother's store.

Business career

Levi's sister Fanny and her husband David Stern moved to St. Louis, Missouri, while Levi went to Louisville, Kentucky to sell supplies. Levi became an American citizen in January 1853.

The family wanted to start a business on the West Coast in San Francisco, which was busy during the California gold rush. Levi was chosen to represent them and arrived in San Francisco in early March 1854.

Strauss started his business called Levi Strauss & Co. and brought in items like clothing and bedding from New York. He also made tents and later Jeans. A tailor named Jacob W. Davis from Reno, Nevada became his customer. In 1871, Davis invented a way to make work pants stronger with rivets and partnered with Strauss to make them for many people. In 1873, they received a patent for this invention.

Death

Levi Strauss never married. He died on September 26, 1902, in San Francisco. His company is now owned by descendants of his nephew Sigmund Stern’s daughter, Elise Fanny Stern, and her husband, Walter A. Haas.

Dramatizations

In 1960, the TV series Death Valley Days had an episode called "The Million Dollar Pants." It showed Levi Strauss going to San Francisco to start his business. The story used some made-up characters to stand in for real people like Jacob W. Davis.

Legacy

Levi Strauss was a member of the Reform branch of Judaism and helped start Congregation Emanu-El, the first Jewish synagogue in San Francisco. He gave money to many charities, including special funds to help orphans. The Levi Strauss Foundation began with a gift in 1897 to the University of California, Berkeley to support scholarships.

There is a museum about Levi Strauss in Buttenheim, Germany, in the house where he was born. San Francisco also has a visitors center at the Levi Strauss & Co. headquarters with historical exhibits. In 1994, he was honored by being added to the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.