On the street side elevation of the building are a trio of terra cotta decorative elements which make copious use of foliar elements. The smaller outside two elements take the shape of thick crosses with half of the year of construction (19 to the left and 14 to the right) inside a circle with foliage beneath. The much larger centre element takes the form of a long scroll with the company name
Jos. Hirshberg & Co., below which is the date of establishment, 1895 and more foliage.
Joseph Hirshberg was born in Posen, Germany, 28 Jan. 1847. He came to the U.S. at age sixteen and spent the next fifteen years wandering around the West, establishing stores at various towns, with little success. In 1879 he established a partnership with A. Nathan, brought a large stock of goods up the Missouri River to Fort Benton, and opened a store. This time he was successful, and that business continued until 1889. In 1886 he purchased the Burd and Armstrong store in Choteau, in partnership with his younger brother Julius, and renamed it Joseph Hirshberg and Company. The brothers also engaged successfully in sheep raising, and opened a bank. Joseph Hirshberg died in Santa Barbara, Calif., on 15 Dec. 1926.
From Geni Dot Com
Doubtless part of the success of the Hirshberg's was their advertising campaign, an example of which follows. Leading up to Christmas of 1922 the store placed the following half page ad on page 7 of the December 14, 1922 issue of the Choteau Acantha.
