HALLE, MANUEL (11 Feb. 1832-24 Nov. 1932) and MOSES HALLE (1834-interred 4 Dec. 1905) were Bavarian immigrants who made a fortune as wholesalers in Cleveland. Moses fathered SALMON PORTLAND CHASE HALLE† (1866-1949) and Samuel Horatio Halle (1868-1954), two of Cleveland's finest businessmen who founded the HALLE BROTHERS CO..
Born in Wilmars, Bavaria, Moses came to Cleveland in 1848 via the Erie Canal to live with his older brother Manuel and cousin Aaron Halle. Moses worked alongside Manuel as a clerk at the City Mill Store.
In 1865, Manuel dissolved his partnership with William C. Schofield in Schofield Refineries and used the proceeds from the sale of his oil shares to go into business with Moses as M. Halle and Co., wholesalers of men's furnishings and notions. Their warehouse and showroom was at 145-147 Water Street, four blocks northwest of PUBLIC SQUARE.
Their wholesale company prospered and, in 1882, Manuel and Moses sold out to their nephews. By 1886, Moses and Manuel had each reached the age 50 and had retired from "active" business. They formed a new firm called M. & M. Halle to manage their banking, real estate holdings and develop real estate. When his sons founded the Halle Bros. Co., Moses became a director.
In 1887 Moses Halle joined a building committee to select a site at Scovill and Henry streets for a new $85,000 temple seating 1,500 persons of the ANSHE CHESED Congregation (later Euclid Avenue Temple).
Manuel Halle married Augusta Weil in 1863 and had five children, Ida, Nora, William, Delia and Eugene. Moses Halle married Rebecca Weil (Augusta's sister) in 1865 (d. 187l) and had sons Salmon and Samuel. He married Rosa Lowentritt in 1874 and had two daughters, Jessie and Minnie. Manuel and Moses Halle are buried in Mayfield Cemetery.