Samuel Schutz

The first Jews were drawn to the area as it became a center for international trade. Brothers Samuel and Joseph Schutz were among the first. Samuel came first, arriving in 1856 and opening a grocery business; his brother soon followed. Ernest Angerstein settled south of the river in Mexico, opening a general store. Although El Paso was situated in the far west corner of the westernmost southern state, secession and the Civil War unsettled the small town. The Schutz brothers opposed secession while Angerstein ended up siding with whichever army was in charge of the area. When Confederate soldiers controlled El Paso, Angerstein claimed to support the South’s cause. Once the Union forces took charge, Angerstein expressed support for the U.S. When Angerstein got a U.S. Army contract to provide corn for the troops, his competitors complained that he was pro-Confederate. The army’s Inspector General studied the charges and concluded that Angerstein, as a foreigner pursuing his own financial interest, was simply trying to avoid being involved on either side of the conflict. http://www.isjl.org/texas-el-paso-encyclopedia.html Image Description: Black and white photograph shows Samuel Shutz from his chest up. His body and face are slightly facing away from the camera, but he is directly looking into the lens. His face expressionless, is decorated by a long gray beard at his sides below his cheeks and as a mustache. His hair is very short with a receding hairline. He wears a dark suit with a dark vest underneath, a white shirt under the vest and a dark bowtie at his neck.

Area: Central / Downtown

Source: El Paso County Historical Society

Reference ID: 013-1985-025

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History