Résumé

In 1880, Haas worked as a 23-year-old carpenter in Savanna, IL.

Partner, Caukin, Haas and [William A.] Boring, Architects, Los Angeles, CA, 06/1886-1887. Caukin, Haas and Boring lasted about one year, from 1886 until 1887. A legal notice in the Los Angeles Herald appeared in 1886: "We, the undersigned, hereby certify that we are partners, transacting business as architects, in Los Angeles city and county, State of California, under the firm name and style of Caukin, Haas & Boring; that the full names ofthe partners are E.L. Caukin, S.I. Haas and W.A. Boring; that our places of residence are in the city and county of Los Angeles, State of California. In witness we have hereunto set our hands this first day of June, A.D., 1886." (See "State of California," Los Angeles Herald, vol. 25, no. 84, 06/10/1886, p. 4.)

Partner, Caukin and Haas, Architects, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1887-1889.

Principal, Solomon I. Haas, Architect, Los Angeles, 1890-1893; it appears that he worked from his residence in 1893. (See Los Angeles City Directory 1893, p. 857.)

In 1900, Haas lived with his family in Chicago, IL, where he worked as an architect; ten years later, they lived in Pittsburgh, PA, where continued architectural work. When living in Wilkinsburg, PA, in 1920, Haas was listed in the US Census as a "contractor."

Relocation

Haas was born in Galena, Jo Daviess County, IL in 1857. In 1870, Solomon Haas lived with his brother, sisters and parents in Savanna, Carroll County, in northwest IL, a small town located on the Mississippi River and Plum River. He resided with his grandparents and brother, Frank, in Savanna in 1880; his two sisters were not reported at this time. According to Los Angeles, CA, "City Electors" voting records of 1888, he resided at 13 Council Street. The Los Angeles City Directory of 1890 placed him living at 13 Welcome Street. Voter records of 1892 indicated that he lived at 1527 West Council Street, and had his office address at 114 North Spring Street.

Possibly due to the disastrous effects the Depression of 1893 had on the construction industry, Haas left CA c. 1895, and relocated to Chicago, IL. In 1900, he resided at 169 Monticello Avenue in Chicago. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Chicago Ward 13, Cook, Illinois; Roll: 261; Page: 17B; Enumeration District: 0398; FHL microfilm: 1240261,accessed 11/05/2015.)

The Haas Family lived in a small apartment building (or triplex) at 1409 Dunbar Avenue in Pittsburgh, PA, by 1910. Haas had moved to Wilkinsburg, PA, by 1920, where he lived in rented accommodations on Hay Street with his daughter, who worked as a stenographer at a high school. The Pittsburgh City Directory of 1943 indicated Solomon and Sarah Haas resided at 559 Braddock Avenue South. (See Pittsburgh City Directory, 1943, p. 717.) Haas passed away at home from complications due to arteriosclerosis. (See Source Information Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, accessed 11/05/2015.)

Parents

His father, George Haas, Jr., (born 1832 in PA-d. 1918), worked as a furniture dealer in 1870. His mother was Emily Amelia Irmscher Haas (d. 1859), but she died early in his life, perhaps giving birth to his brother B.F. Haas. George remarried to Phebe A. Haas, (perhaps spelled "Phebe" or "Phoebe," born c. 1845), a homemaker, who had come from IL, PA or Saxony, depending on which census record consulted.

Solomon's grandfather was George Haas, Sr., (born c. 1800) a native of Wurtemberg, Germany; his grandmother, Mary (born c. 1808), also came from Wurtemberg. The US Census of 1880 indicated that the 79-year-old man worked as a gardener. As reported in the 1870 Census, Solomon had one full brother, Benjamin Franklin (born 1859 in IL-d. 1937). He also had at least four half-sisters, Millie A. Haas (born c. 1866 in IL), and Hattie H. Haas (born c. 10/1869 in IL), Alma Haas Wilson (1881-1920) and Mina P. Haas (1885-1972).

Spouse

Haas married Sarah Bishop Haas (born 05/1865 in NY-1947), c. 1886. Her parents had come from NY, according to the US Census of 1900, from VT, according to that of 1910. A note in the Los Angeles Herald of 06/26/1887 stated: "Mrs. Haas, wife of S.I. Haas of Caukin & Haas, architects, started for New York yesterday afternoon." (See "Personal Mention," Los Angeles Herald, vol. 27, no. 82, 06/26.1887, p. 12.)

Children

He had two children with Sarah, one of whom died before 1900; the surviving child was Mildred, (born 12/1888 in CA).

Biographical Notes

In 1892, the voter's rolls indicated that Haas stood 5-feet 8-inches tall, had a dark complexion, gray eyes and dark hair. Architect Henry F. and his wife Elsie Rathburn Withey, in their architect's biographical dictionary, referred to him as "Sidney J. Haas." (See Henry Withey and Elsie R. Withey, Biographical Dictionary of American Architects (Deceased), [Los Angeles: Hennessey & Ingalls, 1970,] p. 66; apparently this was a mistake, as an LAPL card stated: "NOTE: name given incorrectly as 'Sidney J'; after checking 1887-1897 in the city directory, it was ascertained that this was 'Solomon I. Haas.''' (See LAPL California Index card, "Haas, Solomon I." The Los Angeles City/County Directory of 1886/1887 indicated that Haas was in partnership with William A. Boring at that time (p 180).) Two US Census forms, those for 1900 and 1920 identified him as "Solon" Haas. It is unclear whether he called himself this after setting himself up in a new city (Chicago) or whether it was a mistake. If he referred to himself as "Solon" it may have been an attempt to make his name sound "less Jewish." Discrimination against Jewish Americans was widespread in the US at this time, and Jewish architects often did not receive commissions because of their faith.

• Pittsburgh, PA (Architect's Death)
  Pittsburgh, PA

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• Galena, IL (Architect's Birth)
  Galena, IL

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