From Proud Heritage, Vol. 1 by DCPA, not currently in print.
Abraham and Caroline Dysterbach were both natives of Central Europe. They met and married in New Orleans and decided to move to the little town of Dallas and arrived there in 1862.
The Dysterbachs opened a small grocery store on Elm Street and were moderately successful. To this couple were born five children (listed in order of their births): Sallie, Rose, Samuel, Amelia and Sylvan.
Abraham Dysterbach died in Dallas in 1898 at the relatively early age of 56. His wife, Caroline, died in 1912.
Sallie, the oldest daughter, married Albert Cohn in 1892. Rose, the second daughter, married Edward Bauser of Bunker Hill, Illinois and moved to that city, where she lived the remainder of her life. Samuel, the oldest son, married Lillian Beakman and lived in Dallas. Amelia and Sylvan, the youngest of the five children, never married, but lived in Dallas their entire lives.
Samuel, or “Sam” as he was known, went into business with his cousin, Edward Titche. The two boys (they were very young teenagers) opened a store at Elm and Pearl Streets in They continued to operate this business for several years until the partnership was dissolved on a friendly basis about 1900. Sam continued to run the business which was known as Sam Dysterbach and Company. Edward Titche went into business with Max Goettinger. The department store of Titche Goettinger was very well known in Dallas, as was Sam Dysterbach & Co.
Sam continued to operate his department store at the corner of Elm and Pearl Streets until his death. The store was one of the most respected mercantile institutions in all of north Texas. Farmers would come to town on Saturday to “trade with Mr. Sam.” Sam Dysterbach had an amazing memory for names. He would always greet his regular customers by name and was able to remember the names of everyone in the family including the small children.
In 1915, Sam’s younger brother, Sylvan Dysterbach, left his employment at Sanger Brothers and came to work as a partner with his older brother. The two brothers worked closely together until Sam’s death in June, During their association, the firm grew into one of the largest department stores in Dallas.
Sam was a well respected Mason. He achieved the 33rd degree in the Hella Masonic Temple in Dallas – a rare and deserved honor. He was a founder and vice president of the Liberty State Bank which was later to become known as the National City Bank of Dallas and was finally merged with the Republic National Bank.
Sam Dysterbach was very well thought of. During the Great Depression, he did not know how to say “no” to any of his customers who were in need of clothing but were unable to pay. He would grant anyone credit, even though he was well aware of their inability to repay him in the foreseeable future. This practice almost put him out of business, but as the recovery from depression came in the early 1940’s, they came out of their financial difficulties.
As age began to advance for the Dysterbach brothers, the main store was sold at Elm and Pearl in 1945 and the two brothers opened a uniform factory immediately next door at 2108 Elm Street. This factory continued to operate until Sylvan’s retirement in 1959.
I take pride in the fact that my family have been residents of Dallas since the Civil War. I joined Sam Dysterbach as a very young boy in 1935. I date the origins of my company, Doc Miller Cameras and Luggage, to the 1862 date of my great grandfather.
By Carol M. (Doc) Miller, Dallas
