On November 6, 1956, Jeanette Worley sold the Knoch Building to Tony and Hersoula Legatos for $69,500. It marked the end of era of the Knoch family’s influence in Susanville history.
It all began in 1864, when her grandfather David Knoch opened a general mercantile store at 722 Main Street. In 1877, Knoch made Jules Alexander, a junior partner in the business. Eleven years later, Alexander married Knoch’s only daughter, Rae. They had two children; Jeanette who married Jesse Worley and Edythe who married Justh Fehr.
In 1893, Knoch turned over the operations of the store to his only son, Isaac “Ike” Knoch and son-in-law, Jules Alexander, and the business became known as Alexander & Knoch. Knoch kept busy with his numerous investments, and in time became the owner of the Masonic Building later to be known as the Knoch Building.
At the end of 1911, Alexander and Knoch retired from the store, and it was turned over to Alexander’s two son-in-laws Fehr & Worley. These two men carried on the family business under the name of the Big Store.
Neither Alexander or Knoch were ready to retire. Knoch focused on real estate investments and Alexander in the financial sector. It was Alexander who was the leading figure behind the Lassen Industrial Bank. The iconic bank building constructed in 1922, became Bank of America in 1928. Alexander remained as the bank manager until his death in 1935. When Ike Knoch passed away in 1943, his only heirs were his two nieces who inherited the Knoch Building. The previous year, Jesse Worley who operated the Big Store by himself since the passing of Just Fehr in 1938, closed the business.
Besides the Knoch Building, the Big Store Building is now home to Margie’s Book Nook. Four of the family residences still exist and two streets Alexander Avenue and Knoch Street remains a part of the family legacy.
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Thank you for publishing this information about our Uncle Emil Justh Feher.
Siblings: Emil Justh Feher and Berta (Feher) Popper.
Berta Feher Popper ☞ Alexander Popper ☞ Alexander Popper Jr. ☞ MaryAnn Popper (myself)
“Uncle Justh” was a legend in the family’s conversations about that branch of the family tree. When Edythe Alexander (Feher) Marquard moved to Chico, CA in the mid-60’s to be near my G’mother (widow of Alexander Popper), those conversations became much more frequent.
What wasn’t much discussed was the tragedy in Europe during WW2 and the fact that the families were Jewish. Edythe and Justh , along with my grandparents and father (who was a small boy) visited their relatives prior to the war. Then the war took their friends and relatives and all that had been built.
Like the Jewish families in Chico who were our friends, that generation wanted to “blend in” with society to become successful in their businesses and cultural life. Anti-semitism is ever-present and can pose obstacles to success. Edythe Alexander converted to Christian Science, as did my grandmother.
You mentioned in your article that residences still exist there. Would you happen to know the addresses? If I have their addresses, I can use Google to see them, a street view.
Again, THANK YOU for your very informative and respectful article about a branch on our family tree. We were quite excited to read it and grateful to you for writing it.
Warmest wishes,
Mary Ann (Popper) Hardy
Vancouver Island/British Columbia, Canada