Isaias W. Hellman (1842-1920), L.A.’s first banker, was one of the most important figures in California’s commercial development. He and his brother Herman (1843-1906) were Bavarian Jews who came to L.A. in 1859 to work in their cousins’ stationery shop. Later running his own dry goods store, Hellman – the “W” stood for “Wolf” but was often written “William” – allowed customers to store their gold in his safe. This side business would lead to a powerful banking career, especially with the famously failsafe Farmers & Merchants Bank, which Hellman founded in 1871 with John G. Downey. He financed railroads, water companies, vineyards (Hellman Avenue, named by 1894, is a nod to his share of the San Gabriel Winery), educational institutions (he, Downey, and Ozro W. Childs donated the land for USC), and much more – all while acquiring thousands of acres for himself. In 1890, Hellman left L.A. for San Francisco to take the reins of the failing Nevada Bank; he merged it with Wells Fargo in 1905 and the rest is Big Bank history. After the Great 1906 Earthquake, Hellman was fundamental in the rebuilding of his adopted city. By then, his California Wine Association had a near monopoly on the state’s wine production. Hellman died from worry over the health of his son Isaias Jr. (a.k.a. “Marco”), who then passed away a month later.
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