Name Jacob Frankfort | ||
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Jacob Frankfort (born 1801, date of death unknown) was the first Jew to come to Los Angeles. He immigrated from Poland in 1841. He would be joined by other Central European Jews. By 1855, there were 60 Jews living in Los Angeles.
Jacob Frankfort arrived in Los Angeles as a member of the Rowland-Workman exploratory party. The party had come to the city from Sante Fe, New Mexico. Jacob's position in the team was bolstered by skills of tailoring and ownership of a rifle.
Business
Jacob Frankfort was a wealthy man. This fact is reflected in Rafael Gallardo's declaration of bankruptcy, which states that Jacob Frankfort was owed $400 in 1845. Frankfort started his business with a tailoring and men's apparel store in the Bell's Row, an adobe building. When Mr. Mellus bought Bell's Row from Mr. Bell, it was Frankfort who lent him the money. Subsequently, Bell's Row was changed to Mellus' Row. Bell's Row was fantastically located: All the traffic coming in from the L.A. River arrived at the corner of Aliso & Los Angeles Streets, which was where the Bell's Row sat.