Here is history from the bottom up. Jacob Best emigrated from Prussia in 1869 to settle in Chicago. He carved out a life for himself and his family as a saloonkeeper in the Lake View neighborhood. By 1887 he had a well-established business, only to die and leave his four children destitute, thanks to a conniving stepmother. His two youngest children--a son, the second Jacob in this story, and a daughter--were even sent to an orphanage. Though he had little formal education, Jacob in 1909 founded what would become one of the largest wholesale/retail coal businesses in the United States. Along the way, he established himself as a civic leader and philanthropist; Jacob also found true love that began with a chance encounter one day at Marshall Field & Company. This rags-to-riches story is must reading for anyone interested in some fascinating Chicago history.
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
David P. Bridges was raised in the suburb of Wilmette, north of Chicago. He has a BS in Agricultural Economics from the University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky and a Masters in Divinity from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky. He studied at the University of Chicago in American Historical Studies.
The author is an avid outdoorsman, hunter and fisherman. Mr. Bridges is single and resides in Alexandria, Virginia, DPBridges@AOL.com. He has written two books which are family histories: The Bridges of Washington County, Spanning Work and Nature and The Best Coal Company In All Chicago, And How It Got That Way. His current book near completion is: Major James Breathed Civil War Hero of General J.E.B. Stuart's 1st Virginia Cavalry & 1st Horse Artillery, C.S.A.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Coal Company In All Chicago And How It Got That Way,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Best Coal Company in All Chicago, and How It Got That Way (Hardcover)
A great history of a Chicago family from 1869 through 1963. The book tells how the Jacob Best family helped to shape the industrial growth of the "Miracle City."
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome,
A Kid's Review
This review is from: The Best Coal Company in All Chicago, and How It Got That Way (Hardcover)
This book is a great rea for anyone who is interested in Chicago life in the 1920's. I thought that this book would be boring, but actually it is very interesting, especially the Genealogy section on Jacobs descendants.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
On August 19, 1869, the marriage book for Hettenleidelheim Kirchenbuch recorded that, "Jacob Best and his bride Katherine Ness Best walked out of the Catholic Church in the small town of Hettenleidelheim, Prussia" as man and wife. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
coal business, coal company Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Jacob Best, Lake View, Marshall Field, Gross Park Hotel, The Black Diamond, United States, Pauls Church, Edgewater Yard, Mayfair Yard, Perry Duis, Chicago Public Library, Lake Michigan, Rogers Park, Barbara Ann, Clark Street, Donald Miller, New York, Thursday December, William Hammerstroem, World War, Chicago Fire, City Council, Father Venn, Fullerton Avenue, German Chicago New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
On August 19, 1869, the marriage book for Hettenleidelheim Kirchenbuch recorded that, "Jacob Best and his bride Katherine Ness Best walked out of the Catholic Church in the small town of Hettenleidelheim, Prussia" as man and wife. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
coal business, coal company Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Jacob Best, Lake View, Marshall Field, Gross Park Hotel, The Black Diamond, United States, Pauls Church, Edgewater Yard, Mayfair Yard, Perry Duis, Chicago Public Library, Lake Michigan, Rogers Park, Barbara Ann, Clark Street, Donald Miller, New York, Thursday December, William Hammerstroem, World War, Chicago Fire, City Council, Father Venn, Fullerton Avenue, German Chicago New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 6
books:
See all 6 books this book cites
1
book
cites this book:
- Ethnic Chicago by Melvin G. Holli in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Grover Cleveland (Presidents) by Jeff C. Young on page 31
- City of the Century: The Epic of Chicago and the Making of America by Donald L. Miller in Back Matter
- Amazing World of Wild West by Peter Harrison on page 31
- Ethnic Chicago: A Multicultural Portrait by Melvin G. Holli in Back Matter
See all 6 books this book cites
- The Bridges of Washington County: Spanning Work and Nature by David Bridges in Back Matter
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