Eppstein Family

1854	Eppstein brothers emigrated from Germany, settling in St. Joseph Missouri where they established a soap factory.  (Sullivan, Jack.  Those Pro-Whiskey Men!: "Milton Eppstein's Texas Cocktail was Whiskey & Cream".  Sunday, March 4, 2012; viewed July 21, 2020.) Submitted by Brian Ray to Facebook's I Grew Up in Denison."
April 24, 1874	Denison Daily News                  Los Angelos Wine. A superior article of Los Angelos (California) wine, warranted the pure juice of the grape, for sale in any quantity by Eppstein Bro.'s, Main street. The Great Liquor House Eppstein Bros., at the Kentucky Whiskey Depot, keep a large stock of their celebrated whiskey's always on hand for the trade. Their Paris Bourbon is very choice. Prices to suit the times. Store on Main street.
September 23, 1876	“The Old Reliable. At the old reliable wholesale liquor house of Eppstein Bros. is a complete stock of choice wines of all kinds, brandies, and whiskies. This house still makes a specialty of the old and popular Kentucky whisky, which has had a steadily increasing sale since the opening of the house in the spring of 1873. They also keep a full line of Key West and Havana cigars, as well as the best native brands.” [Source: Denison Daily News, September 23, 1876]
December 9, 1879	Denison Daily News December 9, 1879 FOR THE HOLIDAYS The Kentucky Whiskey Depot has just been stocked up with some choice old wines and brandies, pure Kentucky whiskies, imported and domestic cigars, and a general assortment of desirable bottled goods especially for the holiday trade.  Dealers and heads of families are respectfully invited to call and examine our goods, which for quality and low prices we believe are unsurpassed in North Texas. Eppstein Bros.
Denison Daily News Jan 6, 1880 Pg.1	EPPSTEIN BRO’S Proprietors of the Kentucky Whiskey Depot It is hardly necessary to call the attention of our readers, and especially dealers, to this popular house, the oldest dealers in liquors and cigars in the city.  The history of the Kentucky Whiskey Depot is interwoven with the history of our city – they have grown and prospered together.  The Messrs. Eppstein are recognized by everybody who is acquainted with them, or ever had any dealings with their house, as gentlemen of the strictest integrity.  Their business has extended far and wide over North Texas and the Indian Territory, and we have yet to hear of a man that does not give the house and the men connected with it a good name. They carry in stock from $20,000 to $30,000 worth of goods, so that they are always prepared to fill orders without a moment’s delay.  Their assortment of liquors is complete.  Their whiskies all come from the distilleries of Kentucky, including such popular brands as McBryer, R. Monarch, Anderson, Cooke, Darling, McGibbon, Elkton, O.K. and they have a full stock of imported and domestic brandies and wines. CIGARS AND TOBACCOS They make a specialty of cigars and tobaccos, and carry all the more desirable brands to meet the demands of the trade.  When they “took stock” the first of the year, they had 140,000 cigars on hand. The fire happened just 2 days after the Eppstein family was enumerated on Gandy Street in the 1880 census.  A few days afterwards they rented a house in the 100 block of W. Sears Street.  In a June edition of the Denison Daily News reported that Mr. Eppstein intended to replace his burned frame house with a 2-story brick on the same site.  With a gap between the 1880 and 1883 newspapers online, it is unsure whether or not the brick house was built in 1880.  If so, it must have burned, too, because he built the 2-story frame house on that site 3 years later, 1883.
1883	Leopold Eppstein's contractor, William Waltz (1849-1888) was from Indiana.  In the 1880 census Mr. Waltz's occupation was listed as "carpenter."  The 1887 City Directory lists his occupation as "contractor and builder."
1887	In 1879, Jews organized the Denison Hebrew Mutual Relief Association, whose purpose, according to its constitution, was to “aid the needy, care for the sick and bury the dead.” By 1887, it had 25 members, held monthly meetings, and had a board with L. Eppstein as its president, S. Weisman as its secretary and H. Casper as its treasurer. By 1900, it had shrunk to ten members with an annual income of $60; Henry Regensburger served as its president. [Source: Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities, Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, http://www.isjl.org/history/archive/tx/sherman.html, accessed Feb. 12, 2013]
1895	Denison Opera House: 114-116 West Woodard. Opened by John Wilkinson in 1893. This was the second Denison Opera House, the first having been started by John B. McDougall. Wilkinson sold out in 1895 to Milton L. Eppstein, the first of several owners. The theater operated until 1917.
November 19, 1896	“Denison Opera House, Milton L. Eppstein, proprietor.” [Source: Program, Denison Opera House, November 19, 1896]
November 19, 1896	“L. Eppstein & Son. Wholesale Liquors and Cigars.” [Source: Program, Denison Opera House, November 19, 1896]
1899-1900	Eppstein & Son wholesale liquors, wines, and cigars. Owned by Leopold Eppstein and his son Milton. [Source: Denison City Directory]
1899-1900	Milton L. Eppstein is proprietor and manager of the Denison Opera House, 114-116 West Woodard Street. He lives at 331 West Gandy Street. [Source: Denison City Directory]
January 1900	Leopold Eppstein passed away and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery @ Denison.
January 1904	Dr. Isaac Yeidel moved from Denison to Ft. Worth to operate the liquor house of L. Eppstein & Son.
September 1904	Reportedly Martin L. moved the business to Fort Worth, Texas.
1905	Editor Thompson of the Denison Herald and Louis Eppstein brought a “beautiful steamer” to Denison via the Red River. [Source: Denison Sunday Gazetteer]
1907	Milton L. moved to a facility at the intersection of Throckmorton, 8th and Monroe Streets, Ft. Worth
1908	The Sunday Gazetteer Sunday, July 5, 1908 pg. 1
1911	HENRY GILLIAN DEAD Henry Gillian, one of the very first colored persons to cast his lot here in 1873, died with dropsy Monday night.  (The Denison Sunday Gazetteer, April 9, 1911)  He was buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Denison, Texas alongside his young son.
1916	Texas voted statewide Prohibition.
April 20, 1925	Milton L. Eppstein died while on a visit to Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas.  He was buried in New York City. FOUND FATALLY SHOT by Associated Press Fort Worth, April 20 - Milton Eppstein, investment banker and former wholesale liquor dealer, was found in his home here today suffering with a bullet wound in his head.  Eppstein has been in ill health for 2 years.  He is a bachelor.  (Brownwood Bulletin, Monday, April 20, 1925, pg. 3)

Leopold Eppstein

Leopold was born in Augsberg, Bavaria, Germany, on April 14, 1828. He was in Missouri by 1863. He married Henrietta Westheimer. Their children included Rosa (born 1864), Milton Leopold (see below), Fannie (born 1866), Louis B. (born 1869), and Yettche (born 1874).

Milton L. Eppstein

Source: "Makers of Fort Worth" (Fort Worth Newspaper Artists Association, 1914).

Milton L. Eppstein, lawyer, banker and merchant, was born at St. Joseph, Missouri, November 30, 1866, son of Leopold Eppstein, and his mother, Henrietta Westheimer Eppstein. The family later moved to Texas, settling at Denison, where the elder Eppstein established the business which is now known in almost every part of the State — that of L. Eppstein & Sons.

Milton Eppstein is a trained lawyer as well as a successful merchant and banker. However, he follows the legal profession no longer, devoting his time entirely to his Fort Worth business interests and to his noted hobby — Jersey cows. Speaking of the latter, he owns one of the finest stock farms in the Southwest, where he spends most of his time after business hours.

Milton Eppstein came to Fort Worth in January, 1904, moving here from Denison. Besides being president of the big wholesale liquor business on Throckmorton Street, he is also the Kentucky distiller of the famous brand of Jersey Cream whiskey. He is a member of the Elks and other clubs and lodges. He is a high school and law graduate. He is unmarried.

Besides the raising of fine Jersey cows, the Eppstein farm is noted for its blooded hogs. In addition to the flesh and blood Jersey cows, for which his stock farm is noted, Mr. Eppstein is the owner of the famous Jersey Cream herd of iron cows which furnished the sacred bovines that accompanied the member of the Forth Worth Ad Club to Toronto upon the occasion of the national convention of advertising men held in that city in 1914. He is known everywhere as a genial companion and good fellow and has a large host of friends.