Levi Knee Jeans

On February 26, 1829, a Jewish boy named Loeb Strauss was born in a cottage in the Bavarian village of Buttenheim.  As a young man, Loeb changed his name to Levi and wound up in California where he opened a textile company in San Francisco.  One day a gold miner walked into Levi’s shop and assailed the young merchant.

            “Look at these,” said the miner, pointing to his pants.  “I bought’em six months ago, and now they’re full of holes!”

            When Levi asked why, the miner explained, “We work on our knees most of the time.”

            “What you need is some really strong material,” replied Levi. “We have some canvas.  It’s used to make tents.  If we make your trousers out of canvas, I’m sure they won’t get holes.”

            A tailor was called, and presently the miner had a set of trousers—and the rest is history.  Soon miners across the West were wearing Levi Strauss’s jeans.

David Jeremiah, Signs of Life, p. 83