Bio: Rothstein, Isaac (1914)

Poster:: Crysal Wendt

Surnames: Rothstein, Kohn, Hoffman, Aubner, Keller

----Source: History of Eau Claire County, Wisconsin (1914) pages 847-848

Isaac Rothstein, who has been a successful business man of Eau Claire since 1876, was born June 7, 1854, in the Province of Suwalki, in Russia, on the frontier near Germany. There he obtained a good education, mastering the languages of several nations, among them being German, Polish, Russian, Hebrew, Swedish and English, which aided him greatly in facing the world independently, as he did in early life, among strangers and away from his relatives. He left his home in 1874, and after enduring many hardships for two years in Germany and Sweden he finally in the fall of that year sailed for Quebec, Canada. From there he came West to Milwaukee, and obtained a position at selling linens on the road, which he followed for some time, and in 1876 he came to Eau Claire and engaged in the grocery business with his brother-in-law, Julius Kohn, the firm being J. Kohn & Co., until 1884, when Mr. Kohn died, and Mr. Rothstein carried on the business alone. The firm lost heavily in the floods of 1880 and 1884, but this did not affect the persistent efforts of Mr. Rothstein to make a success of their business, which was located at that time one-half block north of Fournier's Academy. In 1881 they built a store on Eau Claire street, where he continued until 1890, when he purchased the hardware stock of George E. Aubner, and took his brother-in-law, William Keller, as partner, the firm name being changed to I. Rothstein & Co., handling - furniture, crockery, hardware, etc. They occupied the store at 212 South Barstow street for five years, and during the panic of 1893 gave up that store and moved the business to 311 Eau Claire street, where it has since remained successfully handling all kinds of paper stock, wool, furs, iron, rags, rubber, hides, etc. Mr. Rothstein also has one of the modern homes in Eau Claire, having built his residence new in 1883. He belongs to the Independent Order of B'nai Brith, was a charter member, and is now (1914) its president. He is also a member of the A. F. & A. M., Eau Claire Lodge, No. 112. He was elected to the office of justice of the peace of the second ward, but declined to accept it. He cast his first vote for President Grant, and is a staunch Republican, public spirited and generous.

In 1876 he married Miss Sofie Kohn, of this city, and their children are Gizlla, Dalli and Nathan G., a successful advertising man of Chicago, Ill., married Miss Ruth Hoffman, September 11, 1913, of Chicago, Ill., and Tilly.