The Hartzell/

Hertzog Family

In 1865, Emanuel Hertzog arrived in Girard, Ohio with limited financial resources but with determination to succeed, in what was then a small settlement outside of Youngstown. Shortly after arriving, he changed his surname to Hartzell, a prominent Welsh name, in accordance with the strong ethnic influence that group had on the area in the late-nineteenth century. Within three years, Emanuel had saved enough money through menial labor to open his own small grocery store. From the initial store, Emanuel branched out to several enterprises. His first major commercial venture was Hartzell-Lambert Co., a general store which prospered for over two decades. Later he would also be the entrepreneur behind the Hartzell Clothing Co. in Brier Hill.   

Emanuel’s brother Isaac arrived in Ohio from Germany in 1866 and together the two opened Hartzell Brothers & Co., a men’s store. Isaac would later partner with Samuel Weil and establish the Weil-Hartzell Co. In 1878, their brother Henry arrived in America to work at the Hartzell Brothers’ firm.  

Ike Hartzell was born in Girard in 1876. After working for Hartzell Brothers clothing store as a manager, he decided to leave the family business to go into theatre. Ike opened the first movie house in Youngstown, the Princess Theater. He married Blanche Kaufman in 1904 and had twin daughters.  

Though the Hartzell family no longer owns the businesses they pioneered in Girard and Youngstown, their influence in the nineteenth and early twentieth century is undeniable. The variety of businesses they dabbled in firmly established the Hartzells as influential Jewish entrepreneurs. [1]