The Lowensteins establish a landmark

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Fanny Rapp Lowenstein was born Sept. 23, 1861, in New York City, and died at Pagosa Springs Aug. 15, 1919.

She came West in 1882, settling in Lake City with her brother, Dr. Rapp. In 1883, she married David Lowenstein who also lived in the San Juan mining town of Lake City.

She and her husband moved to Silverton, another San Juan Mountains mining camp, in 1883. They remained in Silverton six years before moving to Durango, where they lived another seven years. They then moved to Pagosa Springs in 1900, where they lived the remainder of their lives. Her daughter was Hortense Lowenstein.

David Lowenstein, a prominent merchant in Pagosa Springs for 18 years, was born Aug.13, 1846, at Tochan, Austria. He came to the United States when 13 years old, first living in the St. Louis area before moving to Denver, Colo., at the age of 15. A few years later, he moved to Lake City, where he married Fanny Rapp in 1883. The couple moved to Pagosa Springs in 1900, arriving in town on the first train traversing the newly-built Pagosa and Northern rail route connecting Pagosa Junction and Pagosa Springs. Lowenstein was active in community affairs and served several terms on the town board.

Lowenstein was well-known for his sense of humor, represented by such antics as actively advertising Lowenstein’s odorless socks.

He was an early San Juan Country pioneer and had served in the Colorado militia during the early days of settlement in Colorado.

Much could be written about this Jewish immigrant’s career.

His daugther, Hortense Lowenstein, married Louis D. Goodman in Pagosa Springs Oct. 8, 1922. Goodman had been born Aug. 4, 1890, in St. Louis, Mo. Hortense and Louis later took over the Lowenstein mercantile business in Pagosa Springs and changed the name of the establishment from Lowenstein’s to Goodman’s. The store continues to operate under the Goodman name and is the oldest continuously operating business in Pagosa Springs.

Thomas Lucas was born in Madison, Wisc., and, while still a small boy, moved with his parents to Colorado. Traveling in a covered wagon, also known as a prairie schooner, they reached the central Colorado gold mining community of Central City in 1861. They moved to Durango in 1900. He worked in print shops at Silverton, Durango, Mancos, Cortez, Farmington, Aztec and Pagosa Springs, coming to this town in 1918. He never married. Lucas passed away in June of 1928.