The Amazing Levi's

The Mordecai Levi family was not your average run of the mill folks. Every one of them were successful in their own way, and in ways that most people today have no idea.  Mordecai Seniors  interests were anything and  everything. For instance,  Mordecai Levi Sr. is credited with paving the first brick street in the United States. This was done on Summers Street in downtown Charleston WV in 1870.  Mordecai Sr. made coal oil from cannel coal at Cannelton, operated steamboats and constructed Charleston's first waterworks.  The Levi's were Christianized Jews. Mordecai Levi Jr. was also a Jack of all Trades, but his specialty was selling property.  The area called Rand, was originally called "Levi" after him and his brother because he and his brother "Plus" sold all the property in that area, But the name was later changed to Plus Levi's son's middle name of Rand, same as Plus's. Plus Noyes Rand Levi was just as industrious as his brothers. Brother John Hale Levi, named after the famous Dr. John Hale who also was a pioneer in Charleston and who backed Mordecai Levi Sr. in paving the first brick street is credited with establishing one of the most popular beach resorts in the world, Miami Beach, Florida. That's the quick view of the Levi's, so lets take a closer look at who they were and what they did that few people know. Mordecai Levi Senior  The method of laying the first brick pavement in the U. S. was invented by Mr. Mordecai Levi, a Charlestonian, and a piece of it was first laid on Summers Street in 1870, as an experiment. In 1873 the entire block was paved by this method (between Va. and Kanawha Sts. on Summers), and Mr. Levi was also the contractor. Dr. Hale, his business associate for many years here, financed the paving, by public subscription. (I am sure Dr. Hale, who was the promoter in the business partnership, not the inventor, would not have wished to get the credit for inventing said brick paving method, but he sometimes is given credit, mistakenly because he financed it). The street paving was by no means the only work of public improvement in which Dr. Hale and Mr. Levi were associated. Charleston’s first Capitol, and also the Hale House were built of the same partnership with Mr. Levi as contractor.  Mr. Levi built the Hale House in 91 days, after contractors in the East had said it would take them six months … and this saved the Capitol for Charleston. Mr. Levi superintended the construction for Dr. Hale, who financed these structures. To Levi as builder, as well as to Dr. Hale, Charleston owes much today.  Mr. Levi was for many years, superintendent of the Charleston Water Works System.  He built the mechanical part and installed the Levi High Pressure Filter, a great improvement on earlier methods of filtration for the city water supply. Mr. Levi was also associated in brick making with Dr. Hale. This is Mordecai's Patent. It was filed years after he had made the first paved street. He filed a second Patent for improvements to this. Plus Noyes Rand Levi         Son of Mordecai Levi Senior This man named the town of Rand after his adopted son, Noyes Rand Levi

This is one of the Ads that Plus Noyes Rand Levi ran when he was selling the property that became Rand WV.

When  Plus Noyes Rand Levi died in 1965, more of his legacy came forth in this article.

Not only did he furnish land for the DuPont plant, but also developed parts of St Albans and Chesapeake WV.

Now.... about that name RAND

MOVING ON TO HIS BROTHER JOHN HALE LEVI.

Side Note:

In the area around Burning Springs, was a nitroglycerin plant. In 1932 it blew up.  This article mentions the surrounding area's where the blast could be heard.  Plus and Levi are two of those names, both belonging to Plus Rand Levi. Also notice the names when the telephone service went out. I have never discovered where "Plus" was located.

Final notes: Interesting that the Levi's had a summer place in "Rand".

My interest in in this family came to me one day as I was walking through the Spring Hill Cemetery in Charleston.  I noticed the two Mordecai Levi markers side by side and thought what interesting names. Then it came to me that I knew exacly who Levi Sr. was, due to the brick street history,  but as I started researching the rest of the family, I became amazed at what I didnt know about them.