From 1855 until 1892, the first place immigrants to America saw was “Castle Garden,” the first immigration landing station. Located at the lower tip of Manhattan on the Hudson River within Battery Park, the circular sandstone fort, designed and built by the Army Corp of Engineers for the United States War Department as a fortress to defend New York City from foreign attack, it was originally known as West Battery, then later Castle Clinton. It was built on a land-filled isle and was connected to Battery Park via a 200 foot drawbridge. Castle Garden operated as the landing depot for immigrants until Ellis Island opened in 1892.  |
| "Castle Garden" Immigration Landing - 1888 |
Warshaw and Cohen
- From Russia to New York and Passaic -
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| Brooklyn, Kings, 4th Ward 1892 -73 Lawrence St. |
Herman Warshaw
As noted on the 1900 Passaic City Census, Elmer Warshaw’s father, was born in Russia in June 1870; both of Herman’s parents had been born in Russia. In 1888, during the reign of Russian Czar Alexander III, Herman immigrated to the United States; he became a citizen in 1891 and married Mary Cohen in 1896.
By 1900, Herman and Mary were living in Passaic City, Passaic County, New Jersey, with cousin Libbie Cohen 21 and Annie Husma, an 18-year-old servant; at that time Herman was a house painter. Their son Floyd Warshaw was born 20 September 1900; son Elmer Warshaw was born 8 June 1907.
Herman gave up painting to be a real estate baron. He traded his apartment building in Passaic for an Arkansas cotton farm.
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Herman’s friends in Passaic had thought he was crazy to go to Arkansas, sight unseen; they were evidently right, for, it wasn't long until the family returned.
Before the family made their way back to Passaic, Elmer graduated from Beebe High School about 1925. Beebe, Arkansas was the town nearest Hickory Plains - twelve miles away - and was where the family went for necessary supplies. Elmer rode his horse to school and carried a shotgun to shoot snakes if needed. Elmer was a good basketball player; his team went to Chicago for a national high school tournament and lost to Walla Walla, Washington. After graduating, he attended Georgia Tech for a year, but couldn't afford to stay.
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| Beebe, Arkansas - 1920 |
In 1927, the Passaic City Directory noted the Herman Warshaw family on Aycrigg Avenue; Herman owned or worked at a lumber yard.
By 1930, the Passaic census noted Herman as a real estate agent. In the household were: Herman 57, Mamie 55, chemist Elmer 22 and Mamie’s father Wolf Cohen 82. The family lived next door to the Hyman Zager family, life-long friends for generations to come.
Mary “Mamie” Cohen
Elmer's mother, was born December 1875 and died 1966/67. Mary’s father, Wolf Cohen, was born about 1848 in Russia/Poland. He immigrated to the United States in 1872 and married Lina (maiden name unknown) in 1874. Born about 1858, Lina arrived from Russia/Poland in 1873. The couple had six children: Mary “Mamie"; Hattie, born 1878; Abraham “Abe,” born 1879; Matthew “Mat,” born 1882; Benjamin, born 1885; and Bernard, born 1889.
1900 Passaic Census: Wolf Cohen (shoe dealer), Lina, Hattie 22, Abe 21 salesman, Mat 18 shipping clerk, Benjamin 15 salesman and 11-year-old Bernard.
1920 Passaic Census: Wolf Cohen (watchman at a cigar factory), Lina, daughter Hattie Levy and her children, Edward 12 and 8-year-old Miriam.
As noted above, by 1930, 82-year-old Wolf Cohen was living in Passaic with his daughter Mary and husband Herman Warshaw.
NOTE: An explanation of "Russia/Poland:" Before WWI, 1914-1918, most of Poland was under the rule of the Russian Empire, with other parts subservient to Austria and Germany. During WWI, parts of Poland were forced to fight against each other. Poland gained independence upon conclusion of war. Regarding immigrants to the United States, census takers noted what they were told by the family. In doing research for this site, on different censuses, the same person may have been noted as born in Russia/Poland, Russia or Russian Empire, depending on what the census taker was told at the time.
- From Russia and Austria
to Brooklyn and Passaic -
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| The Brooklyn Bridge - 1919 - the year Annette Solomon was born. Brooklyn is connected to Manhattan by three bridges: the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges; a vehicular tunnel, the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel; and several subway tunnels. The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge links Brooklyn with the more suburban borough of Staten Island. Though much of its border is on land, Brooklyn shares several water crossings with Queens, including the Kosciuszko Bridge (part of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway), the Pulaski Bridge, and the JJ Byrne Memorial Bridge, all of which carry traffic over Newtown Creek, and the Marine Parkway Bridge connecting Brooklyn to the Rockaway Peninsula. |
Samuel Solomon
Annette's father, Samuel, was born in Manhattan, New York, 14 Oct 1882, to Julius and Annie Solomon. Born about 1850 in Russia/Poland, Julius Solomon naturally spoke Polish. Julius immigrated to America in 1870, became a United States citizen in 1880 and married Annie about 1871. His wife Annie (maiden name unknown) was born about 1852 in Russia/Poland, immigrated to America in 1870 and died before 1915.
Julius and Annie Solomon had the following children: Fanny, born 1878; Morris, born 1880; Samuel, born 1882; and Jacob, born 1887. In the 1900 Manhattan Census, 50-year-old Julius was employed at a clothing store. In his household at that time were: Annie 48, Fanny 21, Morris 19 (cutter), Samuel 18 (bookkeeper), Jacob 12.
The 1910 Brooklyn, Ward 30, Kings, New York Census noted: Julius 59 (real estate), Annie, Samuel 27 (real estate) and grandson Solomon “Sollie” Bearman 12.
In the 1915 New York State Census, at 1235 51st Street in Brooklyn, Kings, NY, were widower Julius 65, Samuel 32 and 18-year-old Sol Bearman.
About 1917, 35-year-old Samuel Solomon married 23-year-old Hermanie Silverman about 1917. Their daughter Annette was born 23 Jan 1919.
Samuel’s 1918 WWI registration noted Solomon as a “Collector of Rent” at employer J. [Julius] Solomon at 1235 51st Street, Brooklyn, Kings, NY. Hermanie Solomon, wife; their address Brooklyn, Kings, NY.
Hermanie Silverman
Annette’s mother was born New York, September 1894 to Max Silverman and Mollie Crook.
Max Silverman was born in Austria, October 1867, immigrated to the United States about 1882 and married Mollie Crook in 1892. Mollie Crook was also born in Austria, April 1864 and immigrated about 1885. Both of their parents were Jewish and born in Austria.
The 1900 census found the Silverman family on E. 79th Street in Manhattan. In the household were Max, Mollie, 5-year-old Hermanie (noted on the census as “Ernie”), 2-year-old Mortimer, brother-in-law “Moe” Crook and Nettie Pacleror, a 16-year-old Russia servant who had immigrated two years earlier.
The 1920 Brooklyn,
Kings County, New York Census noted real estate agent Samuel Solomon on
51st Street with wife Hermanie and almost-one-year-old Anna. Next door,
on the same page of the census, were Hermanie’s mother, father and
brother—Max, Mollie and son Mortimer Silverman 23 (born September 1897), an underwear salesman.
Sometime after 1930 and before 1940, Hermanie married widower Frank Slaff of Passaic, husband of Jean. Frank Simon Slaff was born in Russia 15 Oct 1885 and emigrated in 1888 or 1889, with parents Simon and Mary Slaff. He later owned a lumber yard in Passaic. By 1940, in the house on Garfield Street, Passaic, were Frank, Hermanie, son Alexander Slaff 27, son Saul 25, brother-in-law Mortimer Silverman and maid Betty Vetek. The men were in the lumber business except for Mort, who was a wholesale carpet salesman. Hermanie and Frank later lived at 60 High Street in Passaic. Hermanie Silverman Solomon Slaff died in Passaic about 1970.
Richard Warshaw's memories of his grandmother Hermanie Silverman Solomon Slaff, mother Annette and father Elmer:
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| The Alvin Theater - Built 1927 |
Hermanie owned a candy shop in Passaic. I vaguely remember it. Not a great success.
Annette's only job was as a girl Friday at the Alvin Theater (renamed the Neil Simon Theater) in NYC in 1937 during the depression; her salary was $35 week. She worked for Norman Pincus who along with his brother Irving inherited the place from their father Alex, a real estate developer. Annette was there for "The Boys from Syracuse,"* one of the most successful Rodgers and Hart shows. She knew them both, Rodgers especially, and watched them writing music on stage. She also met George Cohan there, when he was doing his comeback show called "I'd Rather be Right." I recall a rose Cohan gave her for her birthday. Having lunch with Norman and a parade of famous people seemed to be her job - Henry Fonda and Cole Porter are two I recall.
The Pincus brothers went to Hollywood and produced TV shows. The Real McCoys was a big hit; Ellery Queen, too.
Dad lived next door to songwriter Harold Arlen who would play new songs for him and see the response. Dad recalled saying, "Harold, you're wasting your time with that one. It will never sell." Oops... that was "Stormy Weather," soon a big hit from Lena Horne and still played today. Dad was living on 86th street then.
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| "Stevie" |
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| SMW |
By 1944, the Nutley directory listed the family at 40 Cathedral Avenue and Elmer as a chemist in Passaic.
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| 40 Cathedral Ave. - Nutley |
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| 1966 Ad |
The family was in Passaic/Clifton Directory by 1950; listed as Elmer Warshaw—home 14 W. Parkway and 425 Dwasline Road, which was actually the same house, angled on the lot with one side on W. Parkway, the other on Dwasline Road.
Beginning in the early ‘50s, sons Steve and Dick went to summer camp at Brant Lake Camp in New York’s Adirondack Mountains.
The 1954 Clifton Directory listed Elmer as president of Berkshire Color & Chemical Company, Inc., home the same, office at 250 Delawanna Avenue.
Steve and Dick attended school at Montclair Academy in nearby Montclair, New Jersey. Steve graduate June 1960 and Richard in 1961.
Steve went to Tulane University in New Orleans for two years then transferred to New York University (NYU,) the uptown campus, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1964.
Dick went to the University of Cincinnati in September of 1961 and transferred two years later to the University of Pennsylvania. Both Steve and Richard joined the Air National Guard, Steve in 1965, Richard in 1966; they served six years.
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- To help imagine what it was like when ancestors immigrated
to America and settled in Passaic, New Jersey -
