Schwabacher Family photograph collection, approximately 1899-1950

Schwabacher Bros. & Company was founded in 1860 in Walla Walla by three Bavarian Jewish immigrants, Louis Schwabacher, Abraham Schwabacher, and Sigmund Schwabacher. In 1869, the brothers opened a wholesale mercantile store in Seattle which was headed by Bailey Gatzert, who later served as mayor of Seattle in 1893. The business grew to encompass dry goods, clothing, groceries, hardware, and much more, and supplied prospectors on their way to the Yukon during the Klondike gold rush.

Nathan Eckstein (1873-1945) was the German-born son-in-law of Abraham Schwabacher. Eckstein became vice president and later chief executive officer of the company, also serving on the Seattle School Board (1913-1920), Washington State Tax Commission, the City Charter Commission, and many other civic organizations. He received the 1926 "Seattle's Most Useful Citizen" award.

Forms part of the Washington State Jewish Archives.