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Jacob Epstein and Baltimore Bargain House
Solid businessmen who once were peddlers were settled throughout the major cities and supplied goods for Jewish peddlers. Baltimore was one of the peddling station as a gateway to the South. Many peddlers stopped at Baltimore to lodge goods from the North and took their journey to the South to sell those items and geographical benefit attracted many Jewish peddlers to one of the Baltimore’s biggest wholesale house, Baltimore Bargain House. Jacob Epstein who is an Eastern European Jewish from Lithuania founded Baltimore Bargain House. He moved to the states in 1879 when he was 15. Soon after, he began to peddle and first opened a small wholesale store in Baltimore in 1881. Using geographical benefit of Baltimore as a gateway to the South, he focuses on South and Jewish peddlers. His business went successful and later provided goods to hundreds of peddlers who visit Baltimore to restock. Its gross sales were over $34 million in 1921 alone, comparable to over $410 million today.
Its success was collaboration between local Baltimore communities and Jewish peddler communities. Peddlers become settled small business owner of the local communities and relationship with the Bargain house still lasted as they settled. The Bargain house also provided needed wares and luxury goods to the rural housewives. Interestingly, goods from the Baltimore Bargain house were even reached into coal and lumber settlement located in central Appalachia where the small rail line was establish to deliver treasures of mountain out to another cities (Coalfield Jews: An Appalachian History). The success of Baltimore Bargain house exemplifies how Jewish peddlers integrated into American society deeply and its important role in its society.
Solid businessmen who once were peddlers were settled throughout the major cities and supplied goods for Jewish peddlers. Baltimore was one of the peddling station as a gateway to the South. Many peddlers stopped at Baltimore to lodge goods from the North and took their journey to the South to sell those items and geographical benefit attracted many Jewish peddlers to one of the Baltimore’s biggest wholesale house, Baltimore Bargain House. Jacob Epstein who is an Eastern European Jewish from Lithuania founded Baltimore Bargain House. He moved to the states in 1879 when he was 15. Soon after, he began to peddle and first opened a small wholesale store in Baltimore in 1881. Using geographical benefit of Baltimore as a gateway to the South, he focuses on South and Jewish peddlers. His business went successful and later provided goods to hundreds of peddlers who visit Baltimore to restock. Its gross sales were over $34 million in 1921 alone, comparable to over $410 million today.
Its success was collaboration between local Baltimore communities and Jewish peddler communities. Peddlers become settled small business owner of the local communities and relationship with the Bargain house still lasted as they settled. The Bargain house also provided needed wares and luxury goods to the rural housewives. Interestingly, goods from the Baltimore Bargain house were even reached into coal and lumber settlement located in central Appalachia where the small rail line was establish to deliver treasures of mountain out to another cities (Coalfield Jews: An Appalachian History). The success of Baltimore Bargain house exemplifies how Jewish peddlers integrated into American society deeply and its important role in its society.