Page 39 : Beale Ciphers Analyses
This line appears on page 5 of The Beale Papers:
"His private residence, the house now owned and occupied by Max Guggenheimer, Esq., at the head of Main street..."
It is entirely gratuitous, having no apparent connection to the story. Only when we examine his life history does his involvement become not only apparent, but central to the characters and events of this treasure story. His name is hidden in plain sight.
Mendel "Max" Guggenheimer was the scion of the Guggenheimer family which arrived in Lynchburg in the early 1840's. They became influential citizens establishing department stores well before the Civil War and stores bearing their name continued until the 1960's. Max was a prominent citizen having served in the Confederate Army, elected to the city council, and owning a department store.
This sales receipt is dated 1873.
Note the address 144 Main Street, and it is a receipt for a hat.
Their stores were frequent advertisers in the Lynchburg Virginian newspaper, thus creating a close relationship with Charles Button, the owner of that newspaper and of Virginia Job Print, the publisher of The Beale Papers.
This was an early ad dated September 9, 1859.
Note "receiving from Northern cities" and "HATS and CAPS".
Note also the signature "N. Guggenheimer". Nathaniel was the original founder of Guggenheimer stores in Lynchburg and he was a Captain in the First Regiment of Cavalry of the 12th Brigade and the first Division of the Virginia Military.
Nathaniel (1817-1866) was the eldest of eleven children and Max (1821-1898) was the fifth.
By 1854 Max became active in the business with Nathaniel and the ads reflected the change.
 |
 |
In 1866, after the end of the Civil War and the events at Danville, Colonel Robert Enoch Withers moved to Lynchburg and established the Lynchburg News newspaper. The Guggenheimers were frequent advertisers in that paper as well. This is an example dated July 25, 1873. Note again the mention of Hats.
1866 was also the year that Nathaniel Guggenheimer passed away and Max became the sole proprietor of the business.
The business was very successful and a new Guggenheimer department store opened in 1887 by the then owner, Charles Max Guggenheimer, Nathaniel's son. Note the address at 1029 & 1031 Main Street, adjacent to Charles Button's Lynchburg Virginian and Virginia Job Print offices at 1001 Main Street.
With that background, the following is a summary of the main characters involved in the Beale story, their relationships and their roles. It is consistent with all the historical facts.
Colonel Robert Enoch Withers was the commander of the Confederate forces in Danville and with his subordinate Major Edward Sixtus Hutter was responsible for the disposition of the CSA archives and treasury.
Withers and Charles Button, both senior freemasons in Virginia, and both newspapermen, knew each other well.
Nathaniel and Max Guggenheimer, both Conferate forces veterans, and with close connections with Charles Button, introduced them to the Simontons of Paterson, New Jersey, makers of hats and caps, and familiar with Machias Seal Island. In 1865 Max was 44 years old; James Simonton was 31.
Click here for the full story.
Of all the names cited in The Beale Papers, Max was one of only two who were still alive in 1885 when the pamphlet was published. The other was James Beverly Ward.
