Choynski (Harriet Ashim) recollections and family history, 1917

Harriet Ashim (1843-1925) was the daughter of California pioneers Morris B. and Rachel Ashim. She married Isidore Nathan Choynski, prominent San Francisco antiquarian bookseller. Harriet was born in London, spent her early childhood in Louisville, Kentucky, and came to San Francisco in 1850 with her family.

Three-page typescript letter sent from Harriett Ashim Choynski to a Mrs. Neumann in 1917 describing the history of the Ashim family in San Francisco. The letter describes the arrival of California pioneer Morris B. Ashim in San Francisco in 1850, his journey to San Francisco from Louisville, Kentucky via Saint Louis, Missouri, and the early experiences of the Ashim family in San Francisco. The letter also describes some of the other early Jewish pioneer families in San Francisco and early activities of the city’s Jewish