This is the Levine Brothers storefront in Negaunee during later years as can be seen with a 1960s or ‘70s vintage automobile parked out front. (Photo courtesy Virginia Paulson)

Leaving his wife and six children behind, Abel Levine’s father Bernard Levine came to America from Poland in the early 1880s.

He came to America to escape being drafted into the military service by the Russian army and to seek his fortune and to eventually make a new life for he and his family in their new country.

Bernard, Barney as he became known, came directly to the western Marquette County hamlet of Champion, which at the time was a thriving mining and lumbering town. His dream was to earn enough money to send for his family and to own his own business.

Being an ambitious man, he worked for his cousin, who owned a general store. On his own time, he went peddling merchandise from door to door, carrying a cumbersome display of trunks on his back.

In two years, he was able to send for his wife and children, four sons and two daughters. He fulfilled his dream and opened his own general store in nearby Republic, which he operated with his wife and children.

When they were old enough and not attending school, the boys’ jobs were to hitch up the teams of horses and make house-to-house deliveries, no matter what the weather was like. The business thrived and when they were old enough, Bernard gave each of his sons a “stake” to start their own business.

Daughter Annie married Jake Davidson, and they owned a store in Negaunee which they purchased from Jacob Anderson. Ester married Harry Davidson and they ran a tavern in Champion. Morris opened a Levine’s department store in Houghton. The younger son, Louie, continued to work in Republic with his father.

In 1901, Abe and Phil Levine moved to Negaunee and purchased a store on the corner of Iron and Gold streets, known as The Savings Bank Store, from their brother-in-law Jake. Jake then moved to Palmer and opened Davidson’s Department Store.

In 1914, Abe and Phil Levine bought the adjoining building from the Neely family and did extensive remodeling to make it into one large store with two distinct departments, women’s and men’s. The store was then named Levine Brothers.

In October 1920, one of Negaunee’s few robberies took place in Levines’ store. Burglars entered at night by way of an alley door in the basement, and holes were bored in other doors so that the bolts could be manipulated. The crooks had run of the store. About $2,000 to $3,000 worth of merchandise was taken and no trace of the culprits was ever discovered.

After the death of Phil, Abe bought out Phil’s share and began changes in partnerships.

Abe and Jennie were parents of four children, Dorothy, Donald, Carl and Charlotte. Charlotte owned a business on Iron Street called The Chocolate Shop. Don and Carl would become partners in the retail business. Levine Brothers continued in business until 1978, when the business was sold to Arlin “Buzzy” Violetta.

Don Levine graduated from Negaunee High School and was employed for seven years at Lyttons in Chicago before returning to Negaunee. Carl graduated from Negaunee High School and was employed by Essens Theaters in Chicago, and then served two years in the Army during World War ll, spending 15 months overseas. He returned to Essens, then left to become associated with his father in the retail business.

The Levine family right from Abel on down took an interest in everyone and were always known to help a neighbor in need, as many an old-timer would tell you.                    

Virginia Paulson has been a trustee with the Negaunee Historical Society for more than two decades, previously having been on the Negaunee Public Schools board of education for 23 years and MARESA board for 17 years.