Friday's Faces from the Past: Today's faces from the past are not relatives but two people who crossed paths with my now notorious ancestor Max Crane, Mr. and Mrs. David A. Appell. I found this article, thanks to Thomas Sewell an Ancestry.Com member and descendant of the Appell's, who has generously agreed to let me share this article with my readers.The story of Max's employers, sheds some light onto his early years as a grocery clerk. In 1909, the year he was beaten by Waskowitz, a former employer, he was employed at Appell's New Britain store.
Couple Observing Wedding Today
1945Mr. and Mrs. David A. Appell Were Married In Colchester In 1892
The couple were married August 22nd, 1892, in Colchester where they both were employed in a bootmaking factory. Mrs. Appel is the former Sarah R. Appelbaum and was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1872. Mr. Appell was born in Rostov, Russia in 1870. Both came to this country in 1890 and first settled in Colchester, becoming citizens in 1895. Shortly after their marriage they were partners in various business enterprises, chiefly the merchandising of food products. In 1895 they settled in New Britain where they were proprietors of a meat and grocery business for approximately 20 years.
In 1915 they came to Bristol where they have lived since. Their first grocery and meat establishment, The Bristol Public Market, was located on the site of the present Glynn Shoe Store on North Main Street. A second store carrying the same food products was soon afterwards located in the Palomba block on lower Main Street. Twenty Six years ago the two stores were combined and moved to the present location.
Mr. Appell in later years did all possible to promote and advance the idea of a super-market. Mrs Appell during the many years of their business has taken an active part. She was cashier of the present store until her retirement three years ago. Six months ago Mr. Appell retired from active business life.
Both in New Britain and Bristol they have participated in many religious and charitable affairs.
Mr. Appell is a member of Beth Israel Synagogue, the Knights of Khorassan, Bristol Lodge of Elks, No. 1010, B.P. O. E', the Knights of Pythias and the Odd Fellows. Mrs Appell is a member of the Order of Hadassah and the Women's Auxiliary of the Beth Israel Synagogue.
Traveling, fishing and sport life in general have always interested Mr. Appell. Mrs. Appell takes keen interest in flowers and traveling.
They have four children: Paul H. Appell, Morris Appell, Mrs. Lewis H. Opolinsky, and all of this city, and Mrs. Harr I. Rifchin of Boston, Mass. There are seven grandchildren.
It sounds like, the Appells were completely different kinds of employers than Waskowitz was. While Waskowitz was in the papers repeatedly for shading dealings, the Applells were upstanding citizens. Their grocery store was a much larger operation than Waskowitz's. The couple owned two stores, one on West Main, the second, where Max worked, on Myrtle Street. Their business must have been more successful as they could afford to take out an advertisement they placed in the city directory. This ad even suggests that they were possibly wholesalers as well, since they were "dealing" with meats and groceries.
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| Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, New Britain City Directory 1909 p. 116 .Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. |
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| Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, New Britain City Directory, 1909 p. 37 Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. |
The fact that Sarah Applebaum was involved from the business from the outset, is remarkable. I'd like to think that she kept a mother's eye on the young Max and may have helped him recover after the beating. After all, Max was not only working at the 459 Myrtle Street store, he was also living there!
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| Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, New Britain City Directory, 1909 p. 288 Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. |
I would also like to think that this nice, upstanding couple were supportive of young Max Crane, as he was trying to make his way in the city. The documents you include remind me of Max's whole story.
ReplyDeleteYou are right Mariann, this newspaper clipping, although written many years after Max's death, and in reality has nothing to do with Max, brings back Max story. When there is so little out there about Max, find information about people who's lives brushed with his, does seem to shed light onto Max himself.
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