Solomon Bibo

The Europe of Solomon’s youth is tired, at war, simmering with anti-semitism… Solomon’s grandfather Lucas escapes fighting in the Napoleonic Wars by going to America. He comes back full of amazing tales of adventures, Indians and the mythical El Dorado. As Solomon grows up, his very Jewish parents try to fit in to the bourgeois world around them. But the seeming emancipation of the Jews is tempered by the rise of nationalism and the ensuing anti-semitism. With Germany standing on the brink of another war with France in 1869, like his grandfather before him, Solomon is about to be drafted. Instead he leaves for America… 1812 NAPOLEON INVADES RUSSIA - Solomon Bibo’s grandfather Lucas Rosenstein avoids the draft into Napoleon’s army and sets sail for America 1824 LUCAS ROSENSTEIN RETURNS TO PRUSSIA - Solomon’s grandfather returns to Prussia to reunite with his bride who didn’t want to leave for the New World 1853 SOLOMON BIBO IS BORN - On July 15th, Solomon is born in Brakel, in the Westphalia region of Prussia, to Isak and Blümchen Bibo. Solomon’s father is a teacher and a cantor.

1869 Solomon travels from Bremen, Germany, on October 16, 1869 on a steamboat and pays 55 thaler (about $40.00) for his passage to the US. The transatlantic journey takes about 7-8 days. It’s an exhausting and nerve-wrecking affair, especially for the 16-year old Solomon who yearns for adventure but can’t really imagine what lies ahead. The ship is full of all manner of characters, from families to cutthroats. Solomon lands in NYC where he spends some time learning English before heading westward to Santa Fe, where work with family friends, the Spiegelbergs, is waiting for him. Also waiting in the Wild West are a few of his brothers who immigrated to the US a few years earlier.

Solomon leads a fascinating life in New Mexico…

Solomon does not find the El Dorado but works hard and becomes successful. He and his brothers work as merchants, often trading with the indigenous people of the local pueblos. In particular, they often deal with the Acomas, the Lagunas and the Zunis. The brothers learn the local languages and customs and become an important part of settling the Southwest. Solomon becomes an important ally of the Acoma Pueblo, fighting on behalf of its territorial rights with the US government and other pueblos. He is trusted, earning the nickname “Don Solomono”. His romance with Juana Valle, grand-daughter of the tribe’s former governor Martin Valle, leads up to marriage. Despite a bitter dispute with the Indian agent Pedro Sanchez who works on behalf of rival interests, the respect Solomon gains from the Acomas materializes in his appointment as the tribe’s governor. Never has a white man, a Jew above all, served in such a capacity. 1865 JUANA VALLE IS BORN - Juana is the granddaughter of Martin Valle, former governor of Acoma pueblo 1869 SOLOMON BIBO COMES TO AMERICA - inspired by tales of his grandfather, Solomon comes to America on a steam boat 1885 SOLOMON MARRIES JUANA VALLE 1885-1889 SOLOMON IS GOVERNOR - Solomon Bibo serves as Governor of Acoma Pueblo

After serving several terms as the governor of Acoma Pueblo, Solomon moves his family to San Francisco… Solomon and Juana have six children. The daughters are Rose, Irma, Clara and Celia. And the two boys are Leroy and Carl. Solomon is respected as the Acoma governor, but eventually tensions arise between him and the pueblo Elders on account of his support for the Indian schools. Due to that and the necessity of finding better education for his children, Solomon moves his family to San Francisco. While there, Juana and Solomon raise their kids in the Jewish faith, even though Juana was born Catholic. Solomon goes through a number of major crises, including the Great Earthquake of 1906 which nearly wipes out all his life’s savings. He often returns to his beloved New Mexico to take care of the sheep business he still has there. While eventually rebuilding his fortunes once again, his estate is devastated by the Great Depression that begins in 1929. Juana outlives Solomon by seven years, long enough to see the world change dramatically yet again, as World War 2 rages on. Solomon and Juana’s descendants are many and include Hispanics, Native Americans and Jews. 1898 BIBOS MOVE TO SAN FRANCISCO 1906 - The great San Francisco Earthquake and fires of 1906 decimates the businesses of the Bibo family 1912 NEW MEXICO BECOMES U.S. STATE 1929 THE GREAT DEPRESSION BEGINS 1934- Solomon dies and is interred at the cemetery of Temple Emanu-El in Colma, California 1941 JUANA BIBO DIESBirth: Jul. 15, 1853 Death: May 4, 1934 Colma San Mateo County California, USA

Solomon Bibo was the first Jewish American Indian "Chief". Bibo was born in Brakel, Westphalia,Prussia. He emigrated, eventually establishing himself as a merchant and supplies trader near the Indian Pueblo settlement of Acoma. He developed a reputation for honesty and fairness with the Acoma Indians and began to represent their interests to the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the 1880s. He married Juana, a Acoma woman and was accepted into the tribe as a respected member. 1885-1889, he was elected the tribe's governor by the Acoma people, a position equivalent to "Chief." Because of Bibo's "progressive" representation of the Acoma Indians and struggles against Acoma land expropriation, he was forced out and off the reservation. Bibo and his wife relocated to San Francisco. It was reported that his son, Carl was Bar-Mitzvahed at the Bush Street synagogue (Ohabai Shalom) before returning to Acoma for the Indian ritual of manhood.

Solomon Bibo was cremated at Hills of Eternity, and buried at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, Colma, CA

More details:

http://www.jmaw.org/bibo-acama-jewish-new-mexico/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Bibo

http://swja.arizona.edu/content/solomon-bibo-jew-and-indian-acoma-p...