Barron Family
Jacob B. & Ameila Barron
Jacob Bell Barron was born on January 1st, 1888 to Joseph and Elizabeth (Bell) Barron, both of whom had immigrated from Russia to Winnipeg, Manitoba around 1882. Both Jacob and his brother Abraham (Abe) Lee Barron (1889-1966) attended and sequentially graduated as the first graduates of Dawson City High School (1901- Calgary where he was admitted to the Law Society of Alberta the following year.
On July 8, 1914, Jacob was married to Amelia Helman, born to John and Esther (Finklestein) Helman on September 24, 1888, after their immigration from Russia in 1882. Amelia had two siblings Miriam Leith (1889-1986) and Samuel Joseph Helman, Q.C. (1894-1981). She moved to Calgary to live with Jacob where they raised their three children; William (born July 28, 1915), Robert (November 29, 1916) and Richard (April 13, 1921).
In 1923 Jacob acquired the Palace Theatre in Calgary, where he brought many great concert artists, among whom where Rachmaninoff, Heifitz, and the London String Quartet. Jacob operated the Palace Theatre until 1928 when Jacob Barron resumed the active practice of law up until 1936 when he acquired the Grand Theatre. He operated that theatre as well as the Uptown, the Odeon and the 17th Avenue Drive-in until his death on September 27, 1965.
In 1948 he built the first office building constructed in Calgary since the 1920’s called the Barron Building, it was responsible for anchoring the headquarters of the oil industry in Calgary rather than in Edmonton.
Apart from her work as both a school teacher, and as a piano teacher Amelia Barron was very active with Hadassah from its inception in Calgary. She became President of the Calgary Chapter and held that office for many years until her death on May 3, 1959. As Hadassah President she brought many outstanding women speakers to Calgary, including Goldie Myerson (later Meir) and Elanor Roosevelt.
