USA > Ohio > Putnam County > A Portrait and biographical record of Allen and Putnam counties, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of many prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States, and biographies of the governors of Ohio, pt 2 > Part 28
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L. F. Konst, on arriving at New York from Europe with his father, passed seven months in that city, and then lived five years in Medina county, Ohio, then came to Ottawa township, Putnam county, where he grew to manhood. He was fairly educated in German and English in the common schools, and in 1856 left the home farm and went to Cincin- cinnati, found employment at carpentering, and remained there until January, 1861, when he returned home, and in the fall of the same year, October 8, married Miss Caroline Burk- hardt, who was born in Ottawa township, Put- nam county, in 1843, a daughter of Adam Burkhardt, a German by birth and a stone- mason, who came to this locality in an early day and did much work for the county, and was also a prominent farmer. For six years he has been living in retirement, being now eighty-seven years of age. Mrs. Burkhardt died about 1885, a member of the Catholic church and the mother of seven children. viz:
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Louis, a saw-mill man; Theresa, widow of Charles Stine; Caroline, wife of subject; Jo- seph, a saw-mill man; Elizabeth, who first married H. Radebaugh, then William Mc- Crary, and then a Mr. Inman; Henry, a car- penter and a fariner, and Martha, wife of John Farley, a farmer. The happy union of Mr. and Mrs. Konst has been blessed with ten children, nine boys and one girl, viz: Frank, proprietor of a brick and tile factory, Conti- nental; Charles, employed by his brother Frrnk; John, a barber of Geneva, Ohio; Jo- seph, Louis and Thomas, farmers; and Martha, Rudolph, William and Matthias, at home. All of this family are devout Catholics. After his marriage Mr. Konst continued carpenter- ing for six years, then rented lands and farmed until 1882. when he bought a half-interest in a saw-mill at Elin Center, and the same year purchased a tract of land, of which a small piece was cleared, but on which there was no house. Being a carpenter he soon had a fine two-story dwelling erected and moved into it. He conducted his saw-mill several years and had his farm of fifty acres cleared up and im- proved and placed in a good state of cultiva- tion. His dwelling, barn and out-buildings are model structures and are ornaments to the neighborhood and show evidence of being erected by a master mechanic, while his farm is a model of neatness and thrift.
Mr. Konst was first to suggest the estab- lishment of a post-office at Elin Center, and in 1887 he succeeded in his design. He was made the first postmaster and still holds the position, having been appointed during the first administration of President Cleveland by Postmaster-General William 1. Vilas. Mr. Konst kept the office the first year in his own house, and in 1888 he erected a building to which he transferred the office and also placed therein some articles of merchandise on sale. In 1894 he erected a more pretentious build-
ing, in which he now conducts the post-office and also keeps for sale a well assorted stock of groceries, tinware and miscellaneous mer- chandise, and is doing a thriving trade. As will be surmised, Mr. Konst is a democrat, is greatly interested in public affairs generally, is now serving his second terin as township trus- tee, and is president of the board, and has also filled several of the minor township offices. In fact, he is the most active public man of his locality. By persistent effort he has succeeded in securing a telephone at his place of business, and seldom fails in accomplishing anything he undertakes, especially if it is to result in a benefit to the public. Although he started in business with no outside assistance, and with but slender means, he has reared his ten chil- dren in respectability and acquired a handsome competence. Mr. Konst remembers when Ot- tawa was a hamlet of four families, and when quite a large lad his father was in the habit of sending him to mill at Glandorf on foot with a bushel of corn on his shoulder, with which he had to wade through mud and water a dis- tance of three and a half miles, and it is such early lessons of endurance, intrepidity and per- sistency that have placed him in the front rank of the business men of Liberty township and Putnam county, where he is well known and highly respected.
A ART KORTIER, a well-known citi- zen. of Jennings township, Putnam county, Ohio, was born in the village of Sprang, Holland, April 13, 1841, and was brought to America by his father in 1848. His parents were Cornelius and Arnolda (Haverhaultz) Kortier, the former a shoemaker, who, on coming to America, made his way directly to what is now known as Delphos, Ohio, bringing a stock of shoes, with the inten- tion of engaging in business, but died six weeks
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after his arrival, a member of the Dutch Re- form church. He had been twice married, his wives having been sisters; to his first union were born two children, Maria and Wantrina, and to his second marriage four children were born: Arnolda, Aart (our subject), Arnoldos and Maria, who were left in comfortable cir- cumstances. His widow, Arnolda, a few years after her husband's death, married Frederick J. Smit, bore one child, Johanna F. Smit, and is still living in Fort Jennings, at the advanced age of eighty-three years.
Aart Kortier attended school at Delphos until about fourteen years of age, studying the English language and the usual primary les- sons, although he yet retains his knowledge of Dutch. From the time of his quitting school until reaching his majority he assisted his step- father on the farm, one-half mile east of Fort Jennings. He then ran a threshing machine. April 5, 1866, he was united in marriage with Miss Catherine Elizabeth Raabe, who was born February 6, 1844, a daughter of Henry and Anne Catherine (Peters) Raabe. Henry Raabe was born in Germany, November 16, 1815, and came to Jennings township when a young man, married here, and had born to him nine children, and is still living at the age of eighty years. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Kortier settled on a farm of eighty acres, and subsequently purchased the one on which they still live. They have had born to them five children, named as follows: Frederick, Cor- nelius, Arnold, Charles and Henry. Mr. and Mrs. Kortier are members of the Lutheran church, of which he is one of the trustees, and in politics he is a democrat. When a young man he served as constable, and has since held the office of assessor, township treasurer three terms, and township trustec. Aart Kortier made manifest his patriotism in 1862, when he enlisted, October 8, under Capt. John Hamm, in company A, Thirty-seventh Ohio
volunteer infantry, at Fort Jennings, to serve nine months. He took part in the siege and battle of Vicksburg, Miss., and was in the bat- tle and at the capture of Jackson, Miss., and in many skirmishes beside. He served ten months, and was honorably discharged at Camp Sherman, Miss., Angust 7, 1863. Mr. Kortier has proven himself to be a good and worthy citizen in all respects, and he and family are justly entitled to the high esteem m which they are held by the entire population of the village and township.
a HRISTOPHER KORTOKRAN, de- ceased, was one of the pion ers of Monterey township, Putnam county, Ohio, and one of its most respected citizens. He was born in Prussia in Septem- ber, 1830, but the names of his parents can not be recalled; it is known, however, that he had a brother Henry, and two sisters, Maggie and Annie, who all remained in Germany. Christopher received a good education in the common schools of his native land and was reared on his father's farm. In 1851. he came to America, located at Delphos, Ohio, where he worked in the Clark House, the first hotel of that city, until 1854, when he moved to Ottoville and was employed in a saw-mill. November 19, 1856, he married, at Ottoville, to Miss Anna Mary Schroder, who was born July 25, 1839, a daughter of Matthias and Elizabeth Schroder, natives of Germany and the parents of five children; Henry, Catherine, Anna M., Angust and Clara. Mr. Schroder was a farmer and came to America about the year 1842, making settlement one mile north- west of Delphos, Ohio, deep in the woods. About 1848 he moved to Ottoville and settled one mile west of the present village, on 100 acres of woodland, from which he created a fine farm and a most comfortable honn He
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was one of the earliest pioneers and one of the organizers of the township of Monterey, helped to found the Catholic church at Ottoville, as- sisted in building the first church edifice and was a member of the first church council. He was well known for his integrity, as well as his public spirit, reared a family of respected chil- dren in the Catholic faith, and died, about 1854, at the age of fifty-five years, honored and beloved by all who know him.
Christopher Kortokras and wife, at their marriage, settled on the Schroder homestead, where all their children were born. These were thirteen in number, and those who grew to years of maturity were named Elizabeth, Agnes, Otto, Caroline, August (died at the age of thirty:, Joseph (died aged twenty years), Maximillian, Bernadina and Catherine-the remaining four dying in their infancy. Mr. Kortoras was a very hard-working pioneer citizen, cleared up the greater part of the Schroder homestead, and through his untiring industry increased its dimensions to 115 acres; he also acquired an additional farm of eighty acres in the southern edge of Paulding county. He was a pious Catholic, aided in building the first church of that denomination in Ottoville, and also contributed freely to the erection of Saint Mary's. In politics he was a democrat. He lived to reach the age of fifty-eight years, and died February 4, 1887. He was an affec- tionate husband and an indulgent father, and an honest administrator of the estate of his father-in-law, and was highly honored for his sterling worth.
Mrs. Kortokras has been appointed admin- istratrix of the estate of her deceased husband, and well hus she fulfilled the duty imposed up- on her. She is now one of the oldest of the pioneers living at or near Ottoville, and al- though she has endured the many hardships of a frontier life, she is still well preserved and is honored by all her neighbors. Of her children,
Agnes married Henry Hunningford, a cooper of Ottoville, and has sis children; Eliza- beth, who is married to Henry Friemoth, a farmer of Van Wert county, and has four chil- dren; Otto married Caroline Wank, and is the father of five children; August married Mary Kramer, but died without issue, and Max, a butcher of Ottoville, married Effie Carpenter, and to this union one child has been born; Bernadina is married to Alexander Hind, and has one daughter; Caroline married John R. Friemoth, and has five children, and lives in Van Wert county, Ohio.
ATTHIAS KRAMER, a popular cit- izen and employee of the tile factory at Ottoville, Putnam county, Ohio, was born in Glandorf, in this county. March 14, 1862. His grandfather, Theodore Kramer, was born near the river Rhine, in Prussia, and worked in an extensive iron furnace when the iron was smithed or forged by hand. He was the father of seven chil- dren, named Laurence, Christian, Antony, Maggie, Eva, Annie and Clara. These chil- dren all finally settled in America, coming at the same time, with the exception of Lan- rence, the eldest, who came last.
Christian Kramer, the second born of the above family and father of Matthias, onr sub- ject, received a good common German educa- tion, worked at the trade followed by his father and also at mining, and was still a young man when he came to America, arriving at New York city; thence he went to Buffalo, in the same state, where he arrived at noon, and at one o'clock, the same day, was at work as at- tendant on a brickmason. He next moved to Youngstown, Ohio, and there married Cather- ine Klee, a native of Germany and a daughter of Charles Klee, a miller and farmer, who died in his native land. Mr. Klee had been twice
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married, and to his second union were born four children-Barbara, Frank, Charles and Catherine, who all came to America, as did their half-brothers and sisters. From Youngs- town Mr. Kramer moved to Beaver county, Pa., where he was overseer in a cannel coal mine at Cannelton for three years. In 1861 lie came to Glandorf, Ohio, and bought forty acres of cleared land, on which he lived until March, 1875 or 1876, when he sold his farm and came to Ottoville. Here he bought a cleared farin of sixty acres one mile east of the town, and on this he lived until his retirement from active life, in 1892, when he went to live with his son Antony, in Stark county, Ohio. In politics Mr. Kramer is a democrat. In re- ligion he and his wife are Catholic, and liber- ally contributed toward the erection of Saint Mary's Catholic church at Ottoville, which is a monument to the zeal and munificence of the Catholic population of the county. To Mr. and Mrs. Kramer have been born eleven children, viz: Margaret, Antony, Mary (who died at the age of eight years), Clara, Law- rence, Frank, Matthias, Mary, Lena, Annie and Theodore.
Matthias Kramer came to Ottoville with his parents when about fourteen years of age, and worked on the home farm until he was twenty-three, when he went to Beaver county, Pa., and worked in the same mnine his father had worked in years before, and also worked as a farm hand, making a stay there for two years; he then returned to Ohio and mined coal in Stark county; in 1894 he returned to Ottoville, and May 1, 1895, married Miss Ielizabeth Zahner, who was born in Crawford county, Ohio, May 9, 1873, a daughter of Thomas and Margaret ( Gruber ) Zahner. Thomas Zahner was born in Germany, was there married and is a farmer. There have been born to him and wife nine children, in the following order: Mary, John, Lena, An-
drew, Albert, Katie, Elizabeth, Francis and Ann-the first three in Germany and the re- maining six in America. From Crawford county, Ohio, the Zahner family moved to Van Wert county, with the exception of Mary, who is married and resides in Huron county, Ohio, and all are devout Catholics in religion. Mr. Zahner and his family live on a productive farm of eighty acres and are highly respected by their neighbors. May 8, 1895, Matthias Kramer accepted his present situation as fore- man of the tile works at Ottoville. He is a first-class business man and well fitted for the position; he has won the esteem of his em- ployers, and stands high with many of the old German pioneers of the township and with the community in general. With his wife he is a member of Saint Mary's Catholic church, and both live well up to its teachings.
ILLIAM C. G. KRAUSS, a promi- nent member of the Putnam county bar and senior member of the law firm of Krauss & Eastman, of Ot- tawa, is a native of Ohio, born June 7, 1838, in the county of Fairfield. His parents. Will- iam and Catherine (Glauner) Krauss, were na- tives of Germany. Mr. Krauss was mostly reared and educated in Putnam county, to which his parents moved in 1847, and supple- mented his common-school training with a partial course at Wittenberg college. He en- tered that institution for the purpose of com- pleting the full course, but the prosecution of his studies was hindered by the breaking out of the late war, at which time he laid aside his books and tendered his services to the de- fense of the national Union. He enlisted Au- gust 17, 1862, in company E, Eighty-third Ohio volunteer infantry, with which he served until July, 1864, at which time he was mus- tered out for the purpose of becoming hospital
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Wuchshauss
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steward in the regular army. During his mili- tary experience at the front Mr. Krauss partici- ยท pated in Sherman's attack on Walnut Hills, Port Hudson, Port .Gibson, Champion Hill and Vicksburg, in the last-named of which he was severely wounded, necessitating his removal to the hospital. While here confined he took up the study of medicine and pharmacy, passed the required examination and was made hos- pital steward in the year previously referred to at Memphis Tenn. Subsequently he was trans- ferred to Atlanta, Ga., where he served until June 6, 1866, when, by special order of the war department, he was finally discharged. Returning to Putnam county in the fall of 1866, he entered the law office of Swan & More, Ottawa, and under the instruction of those gentlemen pursued his legal studies until May, 186S.
In the year last named Mr. Krauss went to Europe with his father, and upon his return he was duly admitted to the bar, February 28, 1869. His well-known abilities soon won for hiin a large and lucrative business, and in due time he won his way to the very front rank among his professional brethren of the Putnam county bar. He has served one term as prose- cuting attorney, and in that position discharged his official functions with credit to himself and satisfaction to the public, and has given since his whole attention to his profession, making real estate and commercial law a specialty.
After his admission to the bar, Mr. Krauss practiced alone until 1887, in October of which year he became associated with E. R. East- man, under the firm name of Krauss & East- inan, a partnership which still exists. Politic- ally Mr. Krauss has been a stanch democrat ever since attaining his majority, and he is active in the work of his party and contributes much to its success. His profession has proved very remunerative, and his naturally fine busi- ness abilities have won success where many
other mnen would fail. He has been fortunate in the accumulation of wealth, owning three good farms in the county and also valuable city property, including a fine residence and an interest in the Star block, one of the best busi- ness blocks in Ottawa. Mr. Krauss was largely instrumental in organizing the Ottawa Home & Savings association, of which he has since been attorney, and he was the originator of the Putnam County Abstract company, formed in 1894, and is now president of the same. Mr. Krauss began a set of abstract books a number of years ago, and now has a complete set -- the only ones in the county. The officers of this company at the present time are Wil- liam C. G. Krauss, president, J. C. Jones, secre- tary, Joseph Justice, treasurer, E. R. East- man, Ella Eastman, W. C. G. Krauss, J. C. Jones and Joseph Justice, directors. Revert- ing to the Ottawa Home & Savings association, which was organized in 1888, the records show that the following persons were the first offi- cers of the same: W. W. Kelly, president, J. C. Light, vice-president, E. R. Eastman, secretary, N. E. Mathews, treasurer, W. C. G. Krauss, atttorney. The present officers are, George D. Kinder, president, F. H. Brochman, vice-president, John F. Cover, treasurer, E. R. Eastman, secretary, and W. C. G. Krauss, attorney.
Mr. Krauss has ever been active in found- ing and carrying forward many of the leading enterprises of the city of Ottawa. He is a self- made man, beginning life at the very foot of the ladder, and without any financial assist- ance, worthy of note, has succeeded in win- ning a prominent place in professional, busi- ness and social circles, and is indeed one of the representative men of the county of Putnam. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., both sub- ordinate lodge and encampment, and belongs to the F. &. A. M. and the Royal Arcamm. He was married in Ottawa, December 23, 1869,
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to Rebecca J., daughter of Judge John H. Gordon, and is the father of two children --- Bertha K., graduate of the Ohio State univer- sity and principal of the Ottawa high school, and Edward C. Mr. Krauss and family are members of the Presbyterian church.
William Krauss, father of our subject, was born iu Wilferdingen, in Baden, Germany, and left that country at the age of seventeen be- cause of the tyranny of the government. His mother, also a native of the same country, was born at the town of Oberhausen, in Wurtem- berg. They came to America prior to their marriage, became man and wife in Fairfield county, Ohio, and reared a family of six chil- dren: Gustavus A., died near Vicksburg in 1863, a member of the Eighty-third Ohio vol- unteer infantry; Edward M. served in the same regiment, and died in 1863, at Post hos- pital, St. Louis, Mo .; Herman J., a farmer of Liberty township, Putnam county, Ohio; Philip M., also a resident of the township of Liberty; Theodore A., who lives in the same part of the country; and the subject of this sketch, who is the oldest of the family. Will- iam Krauss was one of the pioneers of Putnam county, and cleared up a farm in what was known as the Black swamp, in Liberty town- ship, now one of the best parts of northwest- ern Ohio; was a public-spirited man, served as president of the school board for many years, and as justice of the peace for thirty-three years, during which he alnost invariably set- tled cases brought before him; and was one of the county commissioners of his county for a period of six years. He was a man of keen intellect, a deep thinker, and possessed much more than ordinary ability. He died October 18. 1893, at the age of eighty-one years. His wife was fifty-seven years of age at the time of her death m 1870, and the loss of both was de ply deplored by their surviving relatives und at large circle of attached friends.
p M. KRAUSS, a successful farmer of Liberty township, Putnam county, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, October 23, 1844, and in May, 1847, was brought by his parents to Putnamn county, where he has since grown to manhood. His parents, William and Catherine (Glauner) Krauss, were both natives of Germany, but were married in Ohio, having come to America at different periods. The father was a baker in the old country, and was about eighteen years old when he landed in New York, whence he came to Ohio, and at Lancaster apprenticed himself to a wagon-maker, served about three years, then went to Columbus, but in a short time returned to Lancaster and married. He then went to Basil, followed his trade for a time, and then moved to a farm and continued wagon-making in connection with agriculture a few years, and in the fall of 1846 came to Putnam county, where he entered eighty acres of wild land, to which he moved his family in 1847. He here continued to work at his trade, at the same time clearing np his land and add- ing to it until he owned 160 acres, making one of the best farms in the county. He became very prominent as a democrat, was a magis- trate for over thirty years, was also township trustee several years, was president of the school board, and was a county commissioner. Although he and family escaped the ague in the early days to a certain extent, he of late years was seized with rheumatism, which in- capacitated him for a year or two. During the Civil war he was a recruiting officer for his locality. After the war he visited Germany (in 1868) and returned with one sister, the only one of the family beside himself that came to America. Ile was a man of strong con- victions and was very resolute, but had a kindly feeling for all, and did much to aid the needy. He died September 18, 1893. He and all his family were members of the Lutheran church.
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OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
Mrs. Catherine Krauss, the mother of our subject, was eleven years of age when brought to America by her parents, who settled in Fairfield county, Ohio, where the father passed the remainder of his years. His widow then visited Putnam county, where she passed two years, and then went to Hancock county, where her death occurred, April 10, 1870. To William and Catherine Krauss was born a family of six sons, viz: William C. G., now a leading attorney of Ottawa; Gustave A., who entered the army in 1862, and died near Vicks- burg, Miss., in 1863; Edward M., who also enlisted in 1862, and died at Saint Louis in 1863; Herman J., a farmer of Liberty town- ship; P. M., the subject of this sketch, and Theodore, who is farming on a part of the old homestead.
P. M. Kranss, the subject proper of this biographical notice, was educated to agricult- ural pursuits and assisted on the home farm until attaining his majority. In 1868 he purchased a tract of forty acres of woodland, and in 1878 bought the eighty acres on which he now lives -all in timber. Here he at once built him- self a cabin and cleared off the timber, and has made a model farm of the place. He has continued to add to the land until he now owns 300 acres, of which 230 acres are cleared, ditched, tiled and under cultivation. He has improved this place with a handsome two- story frame dwelling, a substantial barn and out-buildings, wind-engine, orchard and every necessary convenience. He has devoted his entire attention to his farm, doing no other busi- iness, and has always raised good crops, ample to supply all his home demand and a surplus for market In 1875 Mr. Krauss was united in marriage with Miss Alemeth A. Bagley, who was a native of Putnam county, born Novem- bei 20, 187;, a daughter of Joseph and Mary Bagley, who were natives of Vermont and Pennsylvania, respectively, and were married
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