Sophie Irene Loeb

Henry St., Market St., E. Broadway

Manhattan

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

Born in Russia, Sophie Irene Simon Loeb (1876-1929) immigrated with her family to the United States when she was six years old. Soon after settling in Pennsylvania, Loeb’s father, Samuel Simon, died, leaving the family with no means of support. As the eldest of the six children, sixteen-year-old Sophie was forced to work in a store to help her mother support their large family. These financial struggles prompted Loeb’s later concern for social reform and welfare.