Sam Lewis served as a Captain in the Civil War, where he participated in the siege of Chattanooga, battles at Peachtree Creek, Chattahoochee River and Jonesboro. He married Mary Agnes Witmer in 1865 and in 1884 became a partner with my Great Uncle, Henry Clayton Witmer, in our family's bank in Wisconsin, the Citizen's Bank of Monroe. He remained an investor as the family moved to Los Angeles and opened the first downtown bank, California Bank.

The Lewis house is still standing today at 1425 Miramar Street in Los Angeles. The home has been used throughout the years for different movie sets and backdrops.