Springfield-Greene
County LibraryEarly and Recent History and Genealogical Records
of Many of the Representative Citizens
DANIEL H. HERMAN. For a period of thirty-five years the name of Daniel H. Herman has stood for the highest grade of tailoring known in southwest Missouri, and his business advancing with the years has long since assumed very large proportions, and, owing to the excellent quality and style of the work from his establishment, his prestige is such that many of his customers come from nearby towns, and the fact that many of them have remained with him for a quarter of a century or more is a criterion of not only good service but courteous and honest treatment. Mr. Herman has devoted practically his life to this line of business and no one is more thoroughly conversant with the various phases of the same than he. As a man of affairs and a citizen he has been one of the influential men of Springfield for many years.
Mr. Herman was born June 2, 1857, in Syracuse, New York. He is a son of Henry and Hannah (Stern) Herman. The father, a native of Bavaria, Germany, emigrated to the United States about 1832 and settled in Syracuse, New York, where he was an extensive live stock, dealer until 1868, when he went to Chicago, where he continued the same business. In 1871 he went to Rochester, New York, and followed the same vocation, subsequently moving to Elmira, that state, where his death occurred in 1904, at the home of his daughter, and he is buried in the lot adjoining that containing the grave of Mark Twain. His wife, Hannah Stern, was also born in the province of Bavaria, Germany. She came to America when young and married Mr. Herman in Syracuse, New York. Her death occurred in 1894 in Rochester, that state, but she was buried in Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Herman were the parents of five children, namely: Hannah is the wife of Albert Samuel, of Elmira, New York; Fanny is, the widow of Henry Klopfer, the great Chicago packer; Benjamin lives in Rahway, New Jersey; Daniel H., of this review; and Charles, who lives in New York City. Politically, the father of these children was a Democrat. He belonged to the Masonic order, and he was a member of the Hebrew Reformed church.
Daniel H. Herman spent his boyhood in Rochester, New York, and there received a good common school education. When sixteen years old he went to Elmira, that state, and began learning the tailoring trade and clothing business in which he seemed to have a decided natural bent and consequently made rapid progress. He remained there until he was twenty-two years old, 1879, in which year he came to Springfield, Missouri, and opened a tailoring and clothing establishment on Boonville street and has continued in this line to the present time. Successful from the first, he managed his affairs with honesty and good judgment until in due course of time he became one of the substantial business men of the city, and now his establishment would be a credit to cities many times the size of Springfield. He had the distinction of setting up and running the first full page advertisement in a newspaper in this section of the country, for which he paid ten dollars per month. On his opening day here he hired a brass band to play in front of his establishment and an orchestra on the inside. Later he opened branches in the same line at Lamar, Joplin, St. Louis, Ft. Smith, Arkansas; and Dallas, Texas, all of which were successful under his able management, and progressive methods. In a few years he opened up where the Globe Clothing Company is now located on South street and the public square. In 1885 he sold out on the public square and devoted his business on Boonville street to tailoring exclusively, then moved where the Union National Bank now stands. Selling his lease there he moved on South street, where he remained four years, and in 1912 moved to his present location on St. Louis street, where he has a modernly appointed, neat, inviting and convenient establishment and carries an extensive and carefully selected stock of goods and employs several skilled tailors, including two expert cutters and about forty other employees. Prompt and high-grade service is his aim as it has ever been. In 1889 the company was incorporated as the Herman Tailoring Company. Mr. Herman and family are sole owners. They handle all the best domestic and imported cloths, which are made up for an exclusive clientele from southwest Missouri, southeastern Kansas and northwestern Arkansas. The firm has patrons even from New York City, Boston, St. Louis, Kansas City, the far West and Mexico. They have also unquestionably the highest class of haberdashery in this part of the United States. They are exclusive agents for Crofut & Knapp, Knapp felt and the Dobbs hats, Keyser cravats, Mark-Cross gloves, Vassar underwear, Manhattan shirts, S. Stein & Company, importers of woolens, Burberry's of London, England; Waterhouse & Resher Company, of New York City.
Mr. Herman was married, June 16, 1885, to Nellie Langsdorf, of St. Louis. She was born, December 7, 1864, and is a daughter of Morris and Hannah (Rosenstine) Langsdorf, an old and prominent family of the Mound City, where Mrs. Herman grew to womanhood and was educated. She is a lady of culture and has long been a favorite in the best social circles of St. Louis and Springfield.
The union of Mr. and Mrs. Herman has been graced by the birth of four children, namely: Hortense, wife of Nathan S. Rose, of St. Paul, Minnesota; Edgar S., who is in business with his father, was born in Springfield, Missouri, November 25, 1888, was graduated from the common schools, after which he spent a year in high school and a year in Drury College; from a mere child he has shown an aptness and interest in cutting, fitting and designing clothes and now has full charge of that department of the Herman Tailoring Company; at the age of twenty-one years he took his first honors at the National Clothiers' Association in New York City. He has refused flattering offers from large tailoring concerns in Chicago and New York to act as their designer at a large salary. His ideas are always in advance of others and he is indeed a genius in his line. The third child of our subject and wife is Blanche D., who is attending Soldon high school in St. Louis; Ruth, the youngest of the children, is at home and attending Springfield high school.
Mr. Herman has always been a supporter of laudable movements for the general improvement of Springfield, whose interests he has had at heart from the be inning of his residence here, and he has ever enjoyed the good will and confidence of his fellow citizens as a result of his industry, public spirit and manly principles.
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