Edward Gray Remembered
An immigrant boy made good in America
1906 - 1962
by Melvin Gray, 2022
Remembering Edward Gray
AKA Joshia Groman, sometimes spelled Grauman
From what my father told me and from later research
Edward was born Yoshia Groman, sometimes spelled Grauman, in 1892 in a small town about 15 miles from Chelm, in Poland, then part of the Russian empire. Dad referred to his birthplace as Shedlishta. actually Siedliszcze in Polish. Gromans were born in Shedlista for generations, but some moved to the nearby city of Chelm. A few to Warsaw, about 140 miles away.
Shedlishta today (Google):
Max and Esther Groman uprooted their family and fled from their small town home to Warsaw in 1904. They moved into an apartment with their daughter and 3 teen-aged sons. This was accomplished with help from a relative believed to be Itzhak Groman, a brother of Max, who had established a glass and mirror business there. Dad said it was a large building with a big courtyard fronting on a busy street. The location is not documented, but is believed to be Modowa (sp?) Street.
Dad described chaotic conditions in Warsaw and across Poland and the Russian Empire at the time. The historical record is clear that between 1904 and 1908, Russia and its Polish territory were in widespread upheaval. War with Japan coupled with revolutionary activity across the empire accompanied by economic collapse, strikes involving hundreds of thousands of workers and rioting in the streets drove the family to search for refuge in America. One of the Czar’s reactions was to foment pogroms against Jewish populations within the empire, as Jews were among the intellectuals calling for reforms.
Max (aka Motel) and eldest son, Josef left first. In July of 1905 they embarked on the ship, Etruria from Liverpool, England.
Max Groman: Troubles in Warsaw
Per the passenger manifest July 18,1905, Motel aged 43 and Yossel age 18 (son Joe) arrived on the ship Etruria, from Liverpool, England, bound for Lewiston, Maine, stating last place of residence as Warsaw.
A Bernhard Cohn and his wife, from Warsaw, were fellow passengers. Occupation stated was “Merchant”. They were going to Lewiston to meet Motel’s brother-in-law, Mr. M. (Maurice) Potter at 387 Lisbon St. Rose Potter, his wife, (b. 1898) was Esther’s sister. The Potters had 7 children. Pearl said Maurice Potter was a skilled baker.
Wolf (later named William), the second son was next. Max and Joe quickly found work in Lisbon Falls, a few miles south of Lewiston. This evidently enabled them to send money back to the family in Warsaw for Wolf’s passage costs. As dad told it, a frightening event in Warsaw changed things. Wolf was “on the street corner with 2 or 3 friends when they were arrested for violating the curfew then in effect”. His mother, Esther was terrified for fear the boy would be conscripted into the Russian army. The army presence in Poland was bigger than the army fighting Japan in the far east, and “recruits” were being picked up off the streets to fill the ranks.
Here is a painting done in 1905, illustrating Russian army activity of this kind:
Violent revolutionary activity included bombing in the streets of Warsaw. Here is a photo taken in May of 1905 in the aftermath of one of those bombings:
Migrating to the United States
Esther arranged for younger son, Joshia (AKA Edward) to take Wolf’s ticket and go to America by himself. He travelled under the assumed name of his brother Wolf Groman. He never told any details of his trip and refused ever to cross the Atlantic to revisit Europe. One can only imagine the wrenching fear and anxiety surrounding those travels. The route took the 13 year-old to Hamburg, Germany where he boarded ship for New York. We were unable to find any record of his arrival at Ellis Island, because of this assumed name, until Sue and I visited Warsaw several years ago. There, we found a researcher in the Jewish Museum, employed by the Lauder Foundation. She helped us unravel that mystery.
By 1905 immigration to the U.S. had become a flood. Here is a clipping from the New York Daily Tribune dated March 28, 1905 reporting arrival of 26,000 the previous week:
The boy found his way to Lisbon Falls, Maine where he joined his father and brother Joe, and got a job at the Worumbo Mills plant where they worked processing wool into yarn.1
It was not a pleasant working environment. Dad described it as air filled with wool fibers, a lung killer. He soon found other ways to earn money as we will see.
Here is the site of the demolished mill as seen today from 900 feet above:
The family subsequently relocated to Providence, R.I. where mother, Esther and sister, Etta rejoined them in 1908.
Immigration of Esther Grauman (Groman) into the United States – June 1908
Esther entered from Canada at the Vermont border with her daughter Yette (Etta), 11 bound for Providence, Rhode Island
They reportedly came from a town in “Russia-Poland” called Sedlez, by way of Vienna, landing at Halifax, Nova Scotia on May 28th 1908. Esther’s age was shown as 44 on one document, 37 on another. She identified her husband as Max Grauman, 388 N. Main Street, Providence, R.I. The name of the ship that brought them is not clearly written, but appears to be the Sultana.
Business Opportunities
Edward, the young man found new opportunities in Providence. He found work at the Brown & Sharp machine shop, where he learned a lot about the operation and functions of machinery. It is well known in the family that he harbored a deep love of music all his life. His early expression of that love included learning to play the violin.
As Pearl described it:
He had a love for music that was born in him. That was something that came with him. His love of music was insatiable. Classical music. You know what kind of libraries he had. He loved poetry. He'd keep a book of poetry by his bedside. I remember sometimes, he was always very tired, but if he had time he'd read a little bit. He loved music, of course, like nobody's business. If he had one hour to spare, if he was in New York on business, he was at Carnegie Hall. If that is all the time he had, he was there, listening to the symphony. He was the only one, really, in his family that was that cultured innately. He used to play the violin. Took violin lessons. He played the Thereman. He was one of a handful of people in the world that had that Thereman. He learned to play that. He was such a lover of music.2 (1978 Interview, Bill Ury)
He went to night school in Providence, where he met and befriended Jim Goldman, also a recent immigrant.
Together, they formed a window cleaning business.
James Goldman was born Yanis:
James Yanis Jana Goldman
1888 - 1966
|
Birth |
Apr 1, 1888 Krasnostav, Russia |
|
Occupation |
Owned A Window Cleaning Company |
|
Death |
Dec 11 1966 Providence, RI |
|
Burial |
Lincoln Park Cemetery, Warwick, RI |
Eddie was born in 1892, so it appears from this record that Jim was a few years older, although Pearl said they were the same age. She told it this way in 1978 according to Bill Ury’s transcript of the conversation: 3
He went to night school in Providence. He met a fellow his own age. His name was James Goldman. He subsequently became a very prosperous man, too. The two of them cooked up a deal, that they would go partners in that window cleaning enterprise, which you know about. Because they decided that they would hire the people to do the work, and all they have to do is get the business. Drum up the business. Get buckets and sponges and show a guy how to do it. They'll wash the windows in the town. They'll get contracts with the office buildings. So, the two of them went into business together.
Opportunities Everywhere
The window washing business was successful, but Eddie was restless. One of the things I heard him say was: “opportunity is everywhere, all you have to do is reach out and get it”. And his friend James also did well. He remained in Providence and married Francis (Fanny) Levy, who was born in Krasnatsav, Russia in 1890. They had 5 children
Their oldest son, Leonard Yale Goldman founded an exterminating company which today is reportedly the largest pest control company in New England. Big Blue Bug Solutions (formerly New England Pest Control) is headed by his son Stephan whose sons Scott and Brian also work in the business. I recently spoke with Stephan, who was thrilled to see a newspaper clipping from 1910 that I had found. 4
Eddie moved on to start another successful window washing business in Cleveland. The 1910 Cleveland Census shows 18 year old Eddie and 6 family members living there. When a competitor bought him out, he and the family all moved on to St Louis. The rest is history as they say. Pearl put it this way:
He was an extraordinary man. He wasn't just an ordinary person. Unfortunately, he was not in any position to get an education. By the time he got here, he was fourteen years old. With nobody to help him, no one to direct him, he had to do it all by himself. He made the wonderful success he did. He did all that by himself. Well, you know, he permeates my world yet. Therefore, I feel his presence always, and always will. As long as I live. He was that forceful. That strong a personality.
– Pearl Gray, as told to Bill Ury in 1978 5
Acknowledgements
The work of Matthew Gray and William Ury contributed to this narrative. Digitization of family movies through the efforts of Harry Gray enabled inclusion of the above image.
Melvin Gray
November 14, 2021
1 (Gray, 1978, p. 15)
2 (Gray, 1978, p. 39)
3 (Gray, 1978, p. 37)
4 See Clipping below
5 (Gray, 1978, p. 41)