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Joseph Levy (1844-1922) with his brother Bernard "Ben" Levy (1849-1908) established the J. Levy & Bro. livery business in Galveston in 1868. Raised in the family livestock business in the French region of Alsace, the Levy brothers came to America with a keen knowledge of horses. They began by offering horses, mules, wagons, and buggies to a Galveston community emerging from the debilitating effects of the American Civil War. About 1880 the Levy brothers began offering a horsedrawn hearse and other carriages for use in funeral services. They also maintained a high profile in other areas of the horse business by participating in races at a track they operated until 1900. Their position as the city's preeminent undertakers was solidified by Ben Levy's appointment as overseer of the extraordinarily high number of burials in Galveston following the devastating hurricane of 1900. About 1916 J. Levy & Bro. introduced their first motorized coaches and, in 1918, formally discontinued the use of horse-drawn vehicles. In 1926, the company built a new funeral home, believed to be one of the earliest in the state. Both brothers and their sons who inherited the business in the 20th century were active in religious and civic affairs in Galveston. |
