Sam Rosen Papers:
A Guide
Descriptive Summary | ||
| Creator: | Rosen, Sam. | |
| Title: | Sam Rosen Papers | |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1902-1957 | |
| Bulk Dates: | 1902-1946 | |
| Abstract: | Sam Rosen was a Fort Worth businessman with interests in real estate. He owned the Fort Worth and Rosen Heights Street Railway Company and the Rosen Heights Amusement Company, and was the primary developer of the Rosen Heights area near the Stockyards in North Fort Worth. Sam Rosen Elementary School in Fort Worth is named in his honor. The collection is primarily comprised of business ledgers but also includes two photographs and two artifacts. The ledgers represent the financial records of Sam Rosen and his various business interests -- Fort Worth and Rosen Heights Street Railway, Rosen Heights Amusement Company, and Rosen Heights Land Company -- from 1902-1957. | |
| Identification: | AR537 | |
| Extent: | 3 boxes (0.9 linear feet) | |
| Language: | Materials are in English. | |
| Repository: | Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Library | |
Biographical Note
Sam Rosen (1868-1932) immigrated from Kovarsk, Russia, to Galveston in 1883. Moving to Dallas, he first worked with his brother on an Oak Cliff farm and later clerked in a crockery store. Having saved his money, Rosen moved to Fort Worth and opened a dry goods store in “Hell’s Half Acre.” He remained in the dry goods business in Fort Worth for eleven years. In 1901, Rosen began to acquire investment real estate in North Fort Worth. He subdivided the land calling the new area Rosen Heights. In 1903, he sold his dry goods store and conducted his real estate business full time.
To attract buyers, Rosen kept lot prices reasonable, averaging $250 to $400, with payments as low as $5 per month. He also promised to provide street car service from Rosen Heights to downtown Fort Worth. Rosen acquired franchises to provide electric service to North Fort Worth in March 1904 and to build the street car line the following October. His competitor, the Northern Texas Traction Company, refused to permit the Rosen Heights line to join their tracks from downtown Fort Worth. It is said that Sam Rosen paid workers with whiskey and coffee on a cold, stormy night to build Rosen Heights Street Railway tracks across those of North Texas Traction Company.
Other Rosen ventures included the Rosen Heights Amusement Company, subsequently known as White City Park, which opened in 1905 and was later destroyed by fire. He donated land for Sam Rosen Elementary School, built in 1909, as well as for numerous churches in Rosen Heights.
Sam Rosen married Betty Gordon (1873-1936), of Beaumont, Texas, in 1896. They had two sons, Ephraim (1899-1967) and Joel (1904-1973). Betty Rosen was a member of the National Council of Jewish Women. The family is buried in Greenwood Memorial Park, Fort Worth.
Scope and Contents
The Sam Rosen Papers are primarily comprised of financial records of Mr. Rosen and his various business interests. Among them are a Sam Rosen trial balance ledger (1903-1925); Fort Worth and Rosen Heights Street Railway ledger (1903-1916); Rosen Heights Amusement Company ledger (1902-1920); and Rosen Heights Land Company ledger (1904-1944). A business checkbook used by his wife, Betty Gordon Rosen, a payment book for Rosen customer J. A. Bennett (1924-1946); a book of free passes to the Fort Worth and Rosen Heights Street Railway, and photographs of a Sam Rosen portrait and Sam Rosen Elementary School are also included.
Organization | ||
| Arranged alphabetically by name or record type. | ||
Restrictions
Access
Open for research.
Literary Rights Statement
Permission to publish, reproduce, distribute, or use by any and all other current or future developed methods or procedures must be obtained in writing from Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Library. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards.
Index Terms | ||
| These materials are indexed under the following headings in the catalog of The University of Texas at Arlington Library. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings. | ||
| Persons | ||
| Rosen, Sam--(1868-1932)--Archives. | ||
| Organizations | ||
| Fort Worth and Rosen Heights Street Railway Company (Fort Worth, Tex.)--Records and correspondence. | ||
| Rosen Heights Amusement Company (Fort Worth, Tex.)--Records and correspondence. | ||
| Rosen Heights Land Company (Fort Worth, Tex.)--Records and correspondence. | ||
| Subjects | ||
| Businessmen--Texas--Fort Worth--Archives. | ||
| Business enterprises--Texas--Fort Worth--Records and correspondence. | ||
| Jewish businesspeople--Texas--Fort Worth. | ||
| Places | ||
| Rosen Heights (Fort Worth, Tex.) | ||
| Alternate Titles | ||
| Historical Manuscripts Collection. | ||
Related Material
Map of Rosen Heights, North Fort Worth, Texas, 1903. Special Collections, 98/11, 87-640. |
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Separated Material
Duplicate photographs and materials of no archival value have been deaccessioned from the collection. |
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Administrative Information
Provenance
The Sam Rosen Papers were donated to The University of Texas at Arlington Library Special Collections, on October 23, 1992 and October 14, 1994, by Jenkins Garrett and Johnny Cabluck. The materials were accessioned by Chandler Jackson.
Citation
Sam Rosen Papers, AR537, Box Number, Folder Number, Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Library.
Acquisition
Gift; 1992 and 1994.
Accessioned as 96-12
Processing Information
Letters and other loose items found in these business records have been removed and placed into separate folders. The Sam Rosen Papers were processed and finding aid prepared by Margaret Knox-Kruschke.
Note to Researcher
Ledgers are fragile. Please exercise care in handling.
Container List