(SWJA)

Rosa Katzenstein-Drachman

Rosa Katzenstein was born January 6, 1848 in Baltimore, Maryland. She married Philip Drachman on April 21, 1868 in New York City. On May 1, 1868, they started their journey to Arizona on the steamer "Arizona." They sailed to Panama, travelled overland to the Pacific, and sailed on to San Francisco, California. They stayed a few weeks and then preceeded on another steamer to Los Angeles, California. Here they changed their mode of transportation and boarded a stagecoach to San Bernardino, California, arriving on July 6, 1868. They finally departed for Tucson on the 21st of October 1868. They traveled in a four horse ambulance with their provisions and camped out along the way. They traveled approximately 25 miles per day, arriving in Tucson on November 15, 1868 after the six month journey to the vast southwest.

When Rosa arrived in Tucson there was only two other Anglo women living there. Rosa's first born child was Harry Arizona Drachman, who was the first child born in Tucson to both American parents, on February 1, 1869. Rosa and Philip preceeded to have nine more children named: Mose, Emanuel, Rebecca, Myra, Albert, Minnie, Lillian, Esther and Phylis. (The last seven children left Tucson in their adult years and resettled mostly in California). Philip died on November 9, 1889 leaving Rosa to raise all the children alone and continue to Philip's saloon and cigar store. The three older Drachman boys worked with their mother, Rosa, to continue the businesses. In later years, the remaining Tucson branch of Drachmans continued to be involved in community and business ventures and made a mark in the development of Tucson's life. On Rosa Drachman's tombstone it is marked "Mother Drachman," she was a great matriarch who helped to build Tucson's community.

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