Samuel W. Berger

SAMUEL W. BERGER, Merchant, Capitalist and Manufacturer, Gadsden, was born in Hungary, Austria, May 12, 1857; came to America in June, 1870, and landed in New York City, the possessor of Austrian coin, equivalent in value to forty cents.

His father, Joseph Berger, was a farmer and flour dealer in Austria, and there died in 1864.

The subject of this sketch was educated at the schools of Hungary, and since coming to America, by dint of close application and perseverance in study, he has possessed himself of a fair English education.

From New York Mr. Berger came direct to Nashville, Tenn., where for the first two years he did little else than attend school. In 1872 he came into Alabama, located at Tuscaloosa, and was there in the capacity of a salesman in a mercantile establishment eight years. He came to Gadsden in 1880 from Chattanooga, whither he had gone from Tuscaloosa, and here engaged in the dry goods business, carrying a line of clothing, boots, shoes, etc., under the style and firm name of S. W. Berger & Co. His partner, Mr. Loveman, died in the spring of 1887, since which time Mr. Berger has been sole proprietor of the immense business.

In addition to his mercantile interests, in which he has regularly invested about $40,000, Mr. Berger is identified with various other important industries. He was one of the incorporators and prime movers in the establishment of the Gadsden Metallic Paint Mill, and is its vice-president. He is a large stockholder and a director in the First National Bank. Altogether, he is one of the active, progressive business men of Gadsden.

Source: McCalley, Henry, Northern Alabama : historical and biographical.  Birmingham, AL: Smith & De Land, 1888, pp. 835.