Abraham Minis (commonly known as Abram Minis; November 4, 1820 – November 6, 1889) was an American merchant, prominent in Savannah,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, in the 19th century.

Early life and career

Abram Minis House, 204 East Jones Street, Savannah, Chatham County, GA

Minis was born on November 4, 1820, in Savannah, Georgia, to

Isaac Minis Isaac Minis (July 30, 1780 – November 15, 1856) was a private in the War of 1812 and a member of several administrations of Savannah's city council. He later became an associate of future Confederate general Robert E. Lee. Early life and care ...

and Dinah Cohen. His paternal great-grandparents were

Abraham Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Je ...

and

Abigail Minis Abigail Minis (August 11, 1701 – October 11, 1794) was a businesswoman and landowner, prominent in Savannah, Province of Georgia, during the American Revolutionary War. She was a European immigrant, along with her husband, Abraham Minis, to t ...

, two of the city's early Jewish settlers. His brother, Philip, was a Savannah physician. On October 22, 1851, he married

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native Lavinia "Venie" Florence (1825–1923), who had been living in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, and with whom he had five children, two of whom (sons Jacob Florance and Isaac) he went into partnership with. A third son, Abram Jr. (1859–1939), became a prominent lawyer in Savannah. The other children were daughters Maria (1853–1941) and Rosina Florance (1855–1856). The family lived at today's 204 East Jones Street. Its architect was

Stephen Decatur Button Stephen Decatur Button (June 15, 1813, in Preston, Connecticut – January 7, 1897, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was an American architect and a pioneer in the use of metal-frame construction for masonry buildings. He designed commercial buildin ...

. In 1846, Minis had built a property (now known as the Abram Minis Building) in Savannah's Franklin Square. Nine years later, at the eastern end of the same block, he built another property at 302–304 West St. Julian Street. The business of A. Minis & Sons continued beyond Abram Sr.'s death. Jacob closed the business upon his retirement. Minis was physically unable to serve in the field during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. Though not in favor of

secession Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...

, he supported the

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cause. He was given a position in the commissary's office at Savannah. Post-war, the Minises summered in

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, where they met inventor Alexander Graham Bell. Abram turned down an opportunity to invest in a prototype of the telephone, saying, "I cannot invest in the hope of a solid wire being able to carry a voice."

Properties

File:Abraham_Minis_Property_%281%29.jpg, 20–22 Montgomery Street, built by Minis in 1846 File:Abraham_Minis_Property_%282%29.jpg, 302–304 West St. Julian Street, built by Minis in 1855

Death

Minis died while in New York on November 6, 1889, two days after his 69th birthday. His wife survived him by 34 years. They are both interred in Savannah's

Laurel Grove Cemetery Laurel Grove Cemetery is a cemetery located in midtown Savannah, Georgia. It includes the original cemetery for whites (now known as Laurel Grove North) and a companion burial ground (called Laurel Grove South) that was reserved for slaves and fr ...

. He has been described Minis as "one of Savannah's leading merchants and a citizen of the highest integrity and social influence."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Minis, Abraham 1820 births 1889 deaths American businesspeople Businesspeople from Savannah, Georgia Jews from Georgia (U.S. state) Jewish Confederates