Goldsmith-Schiffman is an unusual name. One we have seen if you have lived in Huntsville. There is this old field where you might have watched your son play football or your daughter play in the band or played their yourself. Or there is a new school in Southeast Huntsville past Hampton Cove that is the new Goldsmith-Schiffman Elementary School or the wildlife preserve. So where did this name come from? Here is the story behind the name….
Oscar Goldsmith was born in NYC in 1849. He was a jewelry salesman and came thru Huntsville on business where he met and married Betty Bernstein. Here he set up a dry goods & clothing store. Later the Goldsmith Grocery Store. They were one of the first Jewish families to settle in the Huntsville area and were instrumental in donating land and money for building the first Jewish Synagogue. He was president of the Huntsville Land Company and was one of the organizers that led to the development of East Huntsville and the present day 5 Points. He helped get Dallas Mill to the City and was one of its major stock holders. Oscar gave freely to help those in need in the community. He died in 1937.
The Schiffman family started with brothers that came to the USA in 1857. They moved to Huntsville before the Civil war and opened a dry goods and clothing business on the courthouse square. Their nephew Isaac joined them from Germany in 1875 and married Bettie Herstein. They had 3 children Robert, Irm and Annie. Their son Robert and son in law Lawrence Goldsmith joined the business which expanded into cotton and land leasing. Isaac died in 1910.
That year the business incorporated as I. Schiffman & Company and still operates today at its courthouse square location.
As the historical marker states this was the city's first athletic field opened in 1934. The land was donated by Oscar and family and was donated to the memory of their wives and mothers. The dedication was during the first night game on October 4, 1934, when 1000 fans saw Coach Milton Frank's Huntsville High team defeat Gadsden High.