Physical description: December 19, 1920. Advertisement for “K. LEVINE” Do Your Christmas Shopping at K. Levine. 3555 Navajo Street. Denver, Colo.
This photograph is a digital scan of an original photograph lent for copying during the Italians of Colorado project. The original photograph is not owned by History Colorado. The digital scan was donated with permissions (see permissions in Registrar's file) and accessioned into the History Colorado collection.
Project description:
In 2002, the Colorado Historical Society (now known as History Colorado) founded the Colorado Italian American Preservation Association (CIAPA). A volunteer organization, CIAPA’s mission is to work collaboratively with the Society and other organizations to develop, support and coordinate projects that preserve, promote and celebrate Italian American culture and heritage. Since 2002, CIAPA has carried out its mission by meeting with people from the Colorado Italian American community, recording their stories and creating an archive of research materials that includes oral histories, photographs, moving images, sound recordings and artifacts. To date, CIAPA has helped the Society acquire over 200 oral histories, 600 artifacts and nearly 6,000 photographs. Since 2002, CIAPA has developed over 4,000 research files, all of which document the history, culture and traditions of Italian American families in Colorado.
Notes:
See MSS.02595 Gus Levine files for additional information and images.
See MSS.02595 Gus Levine files for additional information and images., Non-Italians in Denver’s Little Italy
In the 1880s, the number of Italians living in Denver increased significantly. By the 1890s, more and more Italians were moving into north Denver and opening businesses that catered to Italians, giving rise to Denver’s Little Italy. This trend continued into the 1960s. Although predominantly an Italian community, there were non-Italian residents and businesses in Little Italy. The four most popular were: Daniel Lucy’s doctor’s office, Louis Zimmerman’s mercantile, K. Levine’s general store, and Se Cheverall-Moore, a drugstore owned by Eddie Moore.
Kadish Levine
Kadish Levine, a Russian immigrant, came to the United States around 1904. His wife Minnie was born in Palestine, and immigrated to America in 1893. After landing in New York, she made her way to north Denver’s Jewish neighborhood, where her sisters lived and owned grocery stores. After their marriage, Kadish and Minnie opened K. Levine Dry Goods at 3659 Navajo Street. The couple lived above the store with their three children: Bonnie, Helen, and Guscile “Gus.”
The K. Levine Dry Goods store dealt in goods of every kind, including a small selection of clothing, shoes, undergarments, stockings, bedding, kitchenware, and hardware, as well as plumbing and electrical supplies.
After the death of Kadish, Minnie and the children (son Gus, son Bonnie and daughter Helen) ran the business. During World War II, the Levine boys served in the Army while Minnie and daughter Helen ran the store. After the death of Minnie in 1967, the K. Levine Dry Goods store closed.