Henry Kahn (March 31, 1860 – August 14, 1934) was an American businessman and tailor who lived in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

, Indiana, and founded the Kahn Tailoring Company.

Early life

Henry Kahn was born in Bloomington, Indiana, on March 31, 1860, to Isaac (1829–1887) and Bella (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Hirsch) Kahn ( – 1886). Isaac emigrated from France in 1844 and settled in Bloomington, where he married Bella in 1856. Bella was the daughter of French immigrants who arrived in Louisiana prior to 1850 and eventually settled in Cincinnati, Ohio. Henry had two sisters, Clementine (1858–1914) and Cora (1868–1898). Isaac Kahn was a businessman and owned several clothing stores in Bloomington. In 1866, the Kahns moved to Indianapolis where Henry attended public schools before studying at Butler University.

Career

Kahn entered the clothing business in 1886 when he opened a small tailoring shop on East Washington Street in downtown Indianapolis. In 1903, he founded the Kahn Tailoring Company and by 1913 Kahn had grown his business to include a retail building located at 7 North Meridian Street and a four-story manufacturing plant at 800 North Capitol Avenue. Kahn Tailoring Company eventually grew to become the largest manufacturer of men's and women's suits in the United States, with two thousand dealers and twelve retail stores located across the country. Kahn was also a major supplier of military uniforms to the United States during World War I and World War II. Kahn Tailoring Company became the largest employer of Jewish immigrants in Indianapolis by working with the

Industrial Removal Office The Industrial Removal Office (IRO) was an agency assisting European Jewish immigrants to the United States in the early 20th century. It was formed in 1901 by the Jewish Agricultural Society. The Jewish Immigrant Information Bureau was founded in 1 ...

(IRO) in New York City. The local IRO office in Indianapolis assisted newly arrived Jewish immigrants in locating jobs. The company offered support to its employees through its social welfare department that organized social gatherings, a baseball team, and a factory orchestra. After his death in 1934, the Kahn Tailoring Company was managed by his son-in law. In 1954, it merged with the Globe Tailoring Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, and sold its manufacturing facility on Capitol Avenue. By 1970, there were no more Kahn stores in Indianapolis.

Personal life

Henry married Sarah F. Lang (November 18, 1862 – June 30, 1952) in 1886. They had a daughter, Claribel. In 1908, Kahn built a home at 101 E. 27th Street in Indianapolis. He later sold the home to the State of Indiana, where it served as the

Indiana Governor's Mansion The Indiana Governor's Residence is the official home of the family of the governor of Indiana and is located in Indianapolis, Indiana. In use since 1973, it is the sixth official residence of Indiana's governors. The current tenant is Governor ...

from 1919 to 1945. When the Governor's Mansion was moved to 4343 N. Meridian Street, the house was sold to the nearby

Marott Hotel Marott Hotel is a historic residential hotel building located at Indianapolis, Indiana. It was built in 1926, and consists of two 11-story, reinforced concrete structures faced in red brick with ornamental terra cotta and glazed tile trim in the G ...

and was slated to serve as an exclusive clubhouse. However, due to prohibitive costs this plan was not carried out, and the house was demolished in 1962. Kahn died on August 14, 1934, at the Marott Hotel in Indianapolis.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kahn, Henry 1860 births 1934 deaths Businesspeople from Indianapolis American fashion businesspeople American tailors People from Bloomington, Indiana Butler University alumni 20th-century American businesspeople 19th-century American businesspeople American people of French descent