Buffalo East Side: Story of John Kraus
Submitted and edited by George Richmond
Last Updated 29 Dec 2000
Buffalo Illustrated Times, Sunday, June 13, 1909
BUFFALO OF THE OLDEN TIME
By GRACE CAREW SHELDON
One of the cosiest and prettiest examples of Gothic style is the house shown today which stands on the corner of High and Ellicott Streets. While it is in the estate of John Kraus, it is no longer occupied by any of the family, but is kept in good order, and evidently well taken care of by its tenants.
[Ed. Note: The house stood on the southeast corner. It was purchased in 1919 from the Kraus estate by the Buffalo Turn Verein, which erected a new exercise facility there. Today it is a parking lot for the Buffalo Medical Group.]John Kraus came here as youth with his father with whom he was associated in the tailoring trade. From 1832 to 1838 they lived at No. 235 Main Street, "opposite the Academy," and from 1838 until 1840 the directory says that they "lived "opposite" the high school."
[Ed. Note: The family arrived in Buffalo in 1834, and first appears in the city directory in 1835.] John Kraus, Sr, continued to live at No. 581 Main Street until his death about 1856. [Ed. Note: He died 22 May 1855.]By "The Academy" is doubtless meant facing the original Academy of Music,
[Ed. Note: Buffalo's first high school was called 'The Western Literary and Scientific Academy' and was located in a brick building now called 'Pearl Block' on what was then Pearl Place, now St. Louis Place. The City Directory reference is undoubtedly to this Academy.]and by "The High School"
[Ed. Note: The same place. He didn't move. Main St. was likely renumbered at various times.]is meant the row of buildings facing Main Street in Pearl Place, for in those days there were no buildings where now stands the Williams Block, and Mr. Kraus lived just below Burton Alley on Main Street.
[Here appears a two-column cut of the house captioned THE JOHN KRAUS HOMESTEAD.]In 1841 John, Jr, as he was called no doubt, married and went to live at No. 577 Washington Street, near Goodell Street, and here he remained until his death about 1892, at the age of 82.
[Ed. Note: He actually built and moved into the house at 61 High Street, the subject of this article, in 1865. It was here that he remained until his death in 1894.]Almost to the last he was in the directories as "merchant tailor." He was born in Bavaria, and his wife, Elizabeth Zinns, came from Alsace. They were married in Buffalo, and had ten sons and two daughters, six of whom are still living. The sons are John III, Andrew, Leo, Albert and Edward, and the one daughter, Frances, Mrs. John Dorschel, lives on Ellicott Street below High Street.
Mrs. Kraus lived for a few years in No. 61 High Street after her husband's death, and then went to live with Mrs. Dorschel about 1896 where she died, aged 83 years.
[Ed. Note: she was 83 when she died, but it was 8 Jul 1902, not 1896.]John Kraus, III, was the eldest son, and when of age he sought a mate in Caroline Riehl, and they were married at St. Louis' Church on June 3, 1862. Their home was at No. 306 Franklin Street and he was with the firm of Dahlman & Co., at 211 Main Street. In 1864 he moved to 21 East Tupper Street. In 1867-68 he lived on the corner of Elm and Tupper, and in 1869 moved to No. 39 Mariner Street, where he remained until 1888, when he purchased the William Thurstone house at 1001 Main Street, where he still resides.
John Kraus, III, was born in Buffalo on July 27, 1841, and Mrs. Kraus was born December 9, 1842. They had four children, Edward, born March 19, 1863, died September 19, 1864; Alexander J., born March 28, 1865; Delia E., born January 13, 1867, and John A., born October 3, 1868. Delia E., is the wife of Edward A. Weppner of No. 563 Lafayette Avenue, who is the popular cashier of the German-American Bank.
[Ed Note: There was a fifth child, Elizabeth, born 1879, died 13 June 1889.]Mrs. John Kraus died June 24, 1895, a much beloved wife, mother and friend. Probably there is not in Buffalo today a better informed drygoods man than John Kraus. He began as a mere lad with Sherman & Barnes, going then to Dahlman & Co., then to Marvin, Dodd & Co., which became Dodd, Best (Albert) & Co., being where the Hudson Clothing store is now in the American block, then to A?. H. Chester & Co., in the early '70s. In 1883 he formed a partnership, which was Kraus & Sheehan, then being at No. 446 Main Street, which later on became his personal business, and for 20 years he was at No. 446 Main Street, where are the new Knox stores, near Court Street. Mr. Kraus retired from business about 1904, and lives quietly at his delightful home on Main Street, where he has many memories of a well spent life of business, enlivened by travel and opportunity.
Albert Kraus was in the city surveyor's office in 1869, and became assistant city engineer in 1874.
[Ed. Note: Albert was in fact a drygoods merchant on Genesee Street, and was born in 1858, so he was certainly was not in the city surveyor's office at age 11! The author probably meant Andrew, who would have been 22 in 1869.]Christian Kraus, now dead, was for many years of the popular firm of Hausle & Kraus. Edward H. Kraus, an adjuster, has offices at No. 906 D. S. Morgan Building and lives at 610 Plymouth Avenue.
[Edward Kraus is the grandfather of the author of these editorial comments.]Leo Kraus, a dealer in hides and leather at No. 766 Babcock Street, lives at 998 Fillmore Avenue. William J. Kraus, who was a wood-carver of talent, died some years ago.
Thus have these sons rewarded their industrious father and mother, and helped carry on their good name, which has been known in Buffalo for five generations, three of which have been born in this city.