Henry Simon

Henry Simon is believed to have been the first Jewish settler in Birmingham. Simon, who had been a successful merchant in Selma, moved with his family to the newly-created city in 1871. He built a large house on the corner of 5th Avenue North and 17th Street, and, by 1886, had erected a commercial building, known as the Simon Block, on the corner of 3rd Avenue North and 19th Street.

Simon was one of the founding members of Temple Emanu-El in 1882. Simon closed his store in 1894 to focus on "banking and exchange", and retired from business altogether in 1897.

References

• Elovitz, Mark H. (1974) A Century of Jewish Life in Dixie: The Birmingham Experience. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press ISBN 0817369015