Happy Hanukkah! In recognition of Hanukkah, Old Independence Regional Museum presents the history of Simon Adler, one of Batesville’s first and most respected businessmen.
Simon Adler is well remembered for his three-story building at 151 West Main Street in Batesville as well as being one of Batesville’s most prominent businessmen. Born in Bavaria in 1832, Adler emigrated to the United States and found his way to Batesville in 1856, where he joined his brother, Israel, who was a partner in a general store.
Adler and three of his brothers thrived in retail, farming, and mail couriering into the 1860s. All four Adler brothers left Batesville at the onset of the Civil War. While his brothers remained in other areas of North America after the war’s end, Simon returned to Batesville, but had to start over from scratch since his brother, Israel, had removed most of the business’s possessions when he departed the city. Regardless, Simon eventually gained full ownership of the general store and the accompanying land. Adler was the sole Jewish resident in Batesville for ten years directly after the Civil War. In 1880 the numbers grew as Simon and Emilie Altschul married and subsequently had two sons, Nathan and Ray.
Adler’s store was housed in the Batesville Institute building until 1880 when a fire destroyed the building. He rebuilt Adler Hall, a two-story building, on the same lot. A general store was located on the ground floor with an opera house, ballroom, and offices on the second floor.
Adler is remembered for his People’s Savings Bank located at 161 West Main Street and his method of conducting business as he walked down Main Street by pulling bills and notes from his hat and distributing them as he saw his business acquaintances.
Simon Adler died in 1904. Nathan, his son, kept the Adler business thriving in half the downstairs space of the Adler Building, opening the remaining space to other Jewish merchants new to the city. Nathan sold the building to the Yeatman-Gray Grocery Company in 1916. We are happy to celebrate Simon Adler and his family this first day of Hanukkah. Happy Hanukkah to all our friends of the Jewish faith!
