William Kranz

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-131338
• Occupation: 1881, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Student
• Residence: 1881, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran

Other Events:

• Business: Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; C. Kranz & Son
• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10126875
• Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region: , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; politician and insurance co director
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-38571
• Residence: Abt 1852, Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
• Residence: Abt 1854, Buffalo, Erie, New York, United States
• Immigration: 1855, , Canada
• Immigration: 1855, , Ontario, Canada
• Naturalization: 1858
• Occupation: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Merchant
• Residence: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Occupation: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Merchant
• Residence: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Elected Office: 1874, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mayor - Berlin
• Occupation: 1881, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Merchant, Member of Parliament
• Residence: 1881, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Occupation: 1901, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Manager Bank

Notes:

Mr. Hugo Kranz Dead: It is the painful duty of the Signet to announce the death of Mr. Hugo Kranz,

which took place at 9.45 Sunday forenoon, at his residence in Berlin, after a brief illness... The late Hugo Kranz was born in Lehrbach, Hessen,Germany, on June 13th, 1834.... He came to America with his father in 1851, and they first made their home in Milwaukee, Wis., and Buffalo, N. Y. In 1855 they came to Berlin where they opened a store. He was married in 1865 to Catherine Seip, who with two sons and two daughters, survive....


Elmira Signet Newspaper 5 June 1902 , p. 1, col. 4 & 5

_________________

HUGO KRANZ, M. P . , of Berlin, is a native of Hesse, born in 1834. He came to America with his father's family in 1851. After a residence of three years in Buffalo, they removed to Berlin, and opened a mercantile establishment under the firm name of C. Kranz & Son, which is still carried on by the subject of this paragraph. Mr. Kranz has passed a pretty thorough gradation of the offices of trust incident to our municipal system ; beginning as Village Clerk of Berlin, and arriving, in September, 1878, in the office of M.P. for North Waterloo, elected as the Conservative candidate. In his parliamentary career he has won a place among the most useful and practical members of the House, for the business of which he has been well fitted by a large natural talent, and wide range of commercial business.


Illustrated Atlas of the County of Waterloo, H. Parsell & Co., Toronto, Ont. 1881

_____________________

Kranz, Hugo, M.P. for this constituency ; has also filled the offices of School Trustee, Town Clerk, Reeve and Mayor. Mr. Kranz was born in Hesse Darmstadt in 1834, and has lived here since 1855.

Illustrated Atlas of the County of Waterloo, H. Parsel & Co., Toronto - 1881

____________________________

Hugo Kranz, Reeve 1869-70. Mayor, 1874-8.

The late Mr. Hugo Kranz was a native of Germany and a prominent merchant. With the late Mr. Wm. Oelschlager, he founded the Economical Fire Insurance Co. He was a man of pleasing personality, public-spirited and enterprising. Elected Reeve of the village in 1869-1870; he retired until 1874 when he was elected mayor and continued as such until 1878 when he was elected member of the
House of Commons. He held the seat for two terms. He served Berlin long and faithfully and for years was the friend and adviser of newly-arrived Germans. He possessed the esteem of all who knew him.

Official souvenir of the celebration of cityhood, July 17th 1912, Berlin, Ontario, The German Printing and Publishing Co

Hugo married Catherine Seip 1865. Catherine (daughter of George Seip and Maria "Mary" Peppler) was born 20 Oct 1846, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 2 Feb 1915, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/159864282
• Historic Building: 179 Queen St. S., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Name: Catherine Kranz
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-38572
• Birth: 15 Nov 1846, , Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Residence: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Occupation: 1881, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran

Notes:

KITCHENER - Board by board, a wood frame house that has stood watch on Queen Street for more than a century is slowly disappearing.

While it's been vacant for more than a year, the quaint one and a half story home at the corner of St. George Street, was once inhabited by the widow of a former Berlin mayor and Conservative MP.

The house was moved from its original spot to Queen Street in 1902. Catherine Kranz moved in that year, according to a city staff report presented to Heritage Kitchener last year.

Catherine Kranz was the wife of Hugo Kranz, a German immigrant who served as everything from justice of the peace to mayor of Berlin to member of Parliament in his 67 years. He was also a founding member and president of the Economical Mutual Fire Insurance Company.
Hugo himself may have lived in the home a short time before his death in June 1902, according to the city report. Catherine lived in the home until 1915.

The city's heritage planners recommended tearing down the home because no substantial link between the prominent Berlin citizen and the home could be made. The vinyl siding put up by a later occupant also did little to add to the historical character of the area and, because the building had already been moved, its historical integrity had already been compromised, according to city staff.

The city approved the demolition of the home in December to make way for a parkette that will serve the adjacent Sandhills Retirement Community.


The Waterloo Region Record 30 Mar 2010

__________________

In Memoriam Died At Berlin, Tuesday, February 2nd, 1915 Catharine Seip Kranz, relict of the late Hugo Kranz, in her 70th year. The Funeral (Private) From her late residence, 89 Queen Street South, on Thursday, February 4th, at 3.30 o'clock. Please omit flowers.

Funeral Card

Historic Building:
House was demolished in 2010. It was moved from another location in 1902 and became the residence of Catherine Seip wife of Hugh Kranz.

Other Events:

• Business: Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; C. Kranz & Son
• Business: Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Kranz & Stroh - general store
• Name: Carl Wilhelm Kranz
• Name: Charles William Kranz
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-138539P
• Occupation: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Merchant
• Residence: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Occupation: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Merchant
• Residence: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran

Notes:

In 1855 we find Henry Stroh ... in business with Carl Kranz, a native of Altenburg, in the Grand Duchy of Hessen, where he was born in 1803, the son of a Lutheran clergyman. Kranz received a thorough education and was for a long time steward of Count von Erbach. He came to America in 1851 and to Berlin in 1855, where he at once started business, as stated. Kranz's business, later C. Kranz & Son, was for many years in a frame building on King street, in the centre of the block between Queen and Elizabeth streets, now known as 22-24 King street east. He died in 1875, when his son, Hugo Kranz, was Mayor of Berlin.

First Annual Report of the Waterloo Historical Society

____________________________

King Street , North Side

Queen St. North.

On the corner there was a frame building lengthwise with King Street, occupied by J. U. Tyson, dealer in groceries, wines, liquors and meats, erected about 1833. In 1841 Sheriff George Davidson bought this building and in it opened the first Post Office in 1842. His brother William was associated with him. Probably during 1845 Doering & Ahrens occupied the premises as a general store. A little later the firm was Huber & Ahrens. Mr. Huber acted as magistrate for a number of years, in which occupation he was popular and had much to do, people coming from small surrounding villages to Mr. Huber for fair trial. He was the second reeve in Berlin.

Next came a barber shop occupied by George A. Fischer who also served as dentist and as fruit dealer.

A house erected by C. A. Ahrens of Huber and Ahrens. Mr. Ahrens had a brick vault at the back of his kitchen, lined with an iron chest and considered fire proof. He was the first treasurer of Waterloo County and had this vault for safe keeping of his books and papers. The house was later occupied by Dr. Mylius.

Louis Breithaupt, who came from Buffalo in 1861 after having started his tanning business in Berlin in 1857, previously bought the corner of King and Queen Streets, and erected there the first section of the American Block in 1862.

Next to the Dr. Mylius house there was a two story brick building erected about 1855. It was occupied by Baedeker and Steubing who had a considerable business as book sellers and stationers, also as dealers in wallpaper, etc., besides doing some publishing. This business, moved later to the corner of King and Frederick Streets, continued until Mr. Steubing's death.

In his younger years Mr. Baedeker was a carpenter and had cut his knee with an adze, necessitating amputation and substitution of a cork leg.

On the site of the present Steel's store, George Davidson, later sheriff, erected a building in 1845 and moved the Post Office there when Doering and Ahrens occupied the corner store. Mr. Davidson also had a general store in this new building. About 1855 Kranz & Stroh occupied the building as a general store.

Next came a building occupied at first by George Klein and later the site of Henry Knell's jewelery shop.

John Winger's pump shop. Wooden pipe called pump logs were of about ten-inch timber, tamarack or pine logs with a bore of about 3". The pumps were mostly finished square and surmounted with turned tops.

A two story frame building painted white. John Winger's house. Eby's history mentions John Winger as having come from Pennsylvania in 1836.

A ten-foot lane leading back to the Public School grounds and into Winger's yard. The highest ground in this vicinity was in Winger's yard. Children were in the habit of sliding down the hill in winter to King Street. In 1840 Mr. Bentler erected a building and occupied the second floor as dwelling and shoe shop. Martin Messner had a music store on the ground floor which was a few steps above the street level. In 1855-6 Andrew Nicolaus took over the Winger house and changed it to a hotel. The first considerable street grading operation in Berlin was the lowering of the corner of King and Frederick and vicinity 8 to 10 feet. This put the St. Nicholas Hotel, as it was called, under the necessity of being extended downward one story and this lower part became the hotel office and bar room. At the westerly end of the hotel there was a shed and stable for horses. Over the shed, approached by a stairway, there was a hall known as St. Nicholas Hall used for concerts, balls and entertainments generally. At the rear of the adjoining St. Nicholas Hall there was a building on the high ground known as the Turner Hall and used as German Turnverein.

REMINISCENCES OF BERLIN (NOW KITCHENER) By JACOB STROH Contributed by Joseph M. Snyder.

Part I. Settlement - Early Villagers and Buildings, Waterloo Historical Society Annual Volume 1930

_____________________

QUEEN STREET SOUTH, EAST SIDE.

On the corner of King Street Rehscher's vaulted cellar already spoken of.

An open space.

A two-story rough-cast building with two-story veranda along the Queen Street front built by Martin Anthes (father of John S. Anthes) in 1835 when it was considered one of the best houses in the village. Henry Stroh purchased this house from Mr. Anthes about 1837. Jacob Stroh was born in this house. Behind it there was a garden of about an acre of land. There were 31 pine stumps on the property when Mr. Stroh took possession and these stumps had to be laboriously removed as stump- pulling machines, which came later, were not then available. The well on the lot was only nine feet deep. Henry Stroh carried on a shoe shop in his house until he entered into partnership with Carl Kranz, on King Street.

In 1857, after he had dissolved partnership with Kranz, Henry Stroh built a one and one-half story frame building next to his house and used it as a shoe store. Mr. Stroh continued in this shoe business until 1863 when he went into partnership with Mr. Reinhold Lang, the tanner. The Queen Street shoe shop was changed to a dwelling. Later Mr. Vanderhart, a tailor, had his shop in this building and after him Carl Englehart had it as photographer. Henry Stroh sold his house to George King. Later Charles Ahrens owned it and had it moved to the corner of Shanley and Braun Streets about 1880.

A one and one-half story frame building erected about 1837 by Jacob Kraemer, later on Frederick Street, as spoken of. Later an addition was added to the front and the building used as the local post office, with William Davidson in charge. Later George Seip purchased the building and used it as a saloon, with a bowling alley in the rear, the first bowling alley in Berlin. William Jaffray lived in the house for a time and later William Knell, son-in-law of Mr. Seip.

A one and one-half story frame building, originally a cooper shop, later the dwelling of Mr. Seip, after he sold the other building. In 1860 he built a brewery, known as Seip's brewery. Under the whole building he had a vaulted cellar built of field stone. Power for the brewery was supplied by a horse-power contained in an attached shed, shelter for the horses. Seip had a high reputation for good beer. He at first made his own malt, but later purchased it. After George Seip's death his son Louis continued the business until about 1880. The building was finally torn down to make room for the present auditorium.

The cooper shop, a small one story building, with brick chimney such as coopers used to heat staves for their barrel making, operated by Henry Brickner who later had his shop at the corner of Young and King Streets. Later Adam Stein had the Queen Street cooper shop. The Berlin coopers were experts in the making of what was called tight-wear,that is water-tight barrels, in large tuns which they made for the brewers.

A very early building, occupied by John Peters, a cabinet maker in Hoffman's factory, about 1860. The building had an outside stairway at the back. Peters was a bird lover and expert in trapping native song birds, mocking birds, cat birds, finches, etc., which he hung under his veranda roof in public display.

On the corner of Church Street a frame house occupied by Mr. Knechtel, a weaver, about 1842-1850. Knechtel moved to a farm in Mannheim where later he was injured in the spine by a falling tree to such an extent that he was bedfast for fourteen or fifteen years. He lived to about 1871. Conrad Doering occupied the Queen Street house for a time. He also was a weaver and made coverlets, etc. The house was torn down to make room for the present one of brick built by Dr. Clemens and later occupied by the late Dr. Walters.

Church Street.

On the south side St. Paul's Lutheran Church.

A one and one-half story unpainted frame building with gable towards the street, the dwelling, about 1860, of John Fleischauer, a laborer, a native of Hessen, Germany.

A one and one-half story house occupied by E. Kern, cabinet maker, about 1860 and later by John Ansted.

A vacant lot.

George Street.

Joseph Schneider originally owned all the land between George Street and Mill Street, mostly woods at that time, and extending to Benton and Eby Streets.


REMINISCENCES OF BERLIN (NOW KITCHENER) By JACOB STROH Contributed by Joseph M. Snyder.

Part I. Settlement - Early Villagers and Buildings, Waterloo Historical Society Annual Volume 1930

Carl — Franzeska Hornug. Franzeska (daughter of Hornug) was born CA 1802; died Bef 1861. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Franzeska Kranz
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-154741

Other Events:

• Business: Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Seip's Brewery
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-42557P
• Residence: 1845, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1847, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; cooper
• Occupation: 1848, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; cooper
• Occupation: 1851, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; cooper
• Occupation: 1852, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; cooper
• Occupation: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Brewer
• Residence: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Business: 1 May 1868; Brewery equipment seisure
• Elected Office: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Councillor - Kitchener Council
• Occupation: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Distiller
• Residence: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Occupation: 1877, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; beer brewer

Notes:

Sudden Death - The well known Dr. George Seip died all of a sudden of a heart disease. He had been healthy by a few days before when he felt a throat swelling rendering it slightly difficult for him to speak and swallow. Since he had got a tooth extracted and caught a cold afterwards. One believed that to be the cause of the complaints. He went to bed at 10 o'clock, started soon to speak confused and passed away quite suddenly. Dr Seip was from Berfelden in the Hessen-Darmstadtischen part of the Odenwald. He came over to Berlin 34 years ago ( slightly earlier) and lived here ever since. He first worked as a Kufer-Nufer (Cooper?), then for now about 20 years he was engaged in the brewery. He was kind and friendly to everyone, and therefore, liked and highly respected. [Dr. means highly respected citizen, translated by a studen in Germany]

"Peace to his ashes"

Berliner Journal 24 May 1877

_____________________

QUEEN STREET SOUTH, EAST SIDE.

On the corner of King Street Rehscher's vaulted cellar already spoken of.

An open space.

A two-story rough-cast building with two-story veranda along the Queen Street front built by Martin Anthes (father of John S. Anthes) in 1835 when it was considered one of the best houses in the village. Henry Stroh purchased this house from Mr. Anthes about 1837. Jacob Stroh was born in this house. Behind it there was a garden of about an acre of land. There were 31 pine stumps on the property when Mr. Stroh took possession and these stumps had to be laboriously removed as stump- pulling machines, which came later, were not then available. The well on the lot was only nine feet deep. Henry Stroh carried on a shoe shop in his house until he entered into partnership with Carl Kranz, on King Street.

In 1857, after he had dissolved partnership with Kranz, Henry Stroh built a one and one-half story frame building next to his house and used it as a shoe store. Mr. Stroh continued in this shoe business until 1863 when he went into partnership with Mr. Reinhold Lang, the tanner. The Queen Street shoe shop was changed to a dwelling. Later Mr. Vanderhart, a tailor, had his shop in this building and after him Carl Englehart had it as photographer. Henry Stroh sold his house to George King. Later Charles Ahrens owned it and had it moved to the corner of Shanley and Braun Streets about 1880.

A one and one-half story frame building erected about 1837 by Jacob Kraemer, later on Frederick Street, as spoken of. Later an addition was added to the front and the building used as the local post office, with William Davidson in charge. Later George Seip purchased the building and used it as a saloon, with a bowling alley in the rear, the first bowling alley in Berlin. William Jaffray lived in the house for a time and later William Knell, son-in-law of Mr. Seip.

A one and one-half story frame building, originally a cooper shop, later the dwelling of Mr. Seip, after he sold the other building. In 1860 he built a brewery, known as Seip's brewery. Under the whole building he had a vaulted cellar built of field stone. Power for the brewery was supplied by a horse-power contained in an attached shed, shelter for the horses. Seip had a high reputation for good beer. He at first made his own malt, but later purchased it. After George Seip's death his son Louis continued the business until about 1880. The building was finally torn down to make room for the present auditorium.

The cooper shop, a small one story building, with brick chimney such as coopers used to heat staves for their barrel making, operated by Henry Brickner who later had his shop at the corner of Young and King Streets. Later Adam Stein had the Queen Street cooper shop. The Berlin coopers were experts in the making of what was called tight-wear,that is water-tight barrels, in large tuns which they made for the brewers.

A very early building, occupied by John Peters, a cabinet maker in Hoffman's factory, about 1860. The building had an outside stairway at the back. Peters was a bird lover and expert in trapping native song birds, mocking birds, cat birds, finches, etc., which he hung under his veranda roof in public display.

On the corner of Church Street a frame house occupied by Mr. Knechtel, a weaver, about 1842-1850. Knechtel moved to a farm in Mannheim where later he was injured in the spine by a falling tree to such an extent that he was bedfast for fourteen or fifteen years. He lived to about 1871. Conrad Doering occupied the Queen Street house for a time. He also was a weaver and made coverlets, etc. The house was torn down to make room for the present one of brick built by Dr. Clemens and later occupied by the late Dr. Walters.

Church Street.

On the south side St. Paul's Lutheran Church.

A one and one-half story unpainted frame building with gable towards the street, the dwelling, about 1860, of John Fleischauer, a laborer, a native of Hessen, Germany.

A one and one-half story house occupied by E. Kern, cabinet maker, about 1860 and later by John Ansted.

A vacant lot.

George Street.

Joseph Schneider originally owned all the land between George Street and Mill Street, mostly woods at that time, and extending to Benton and Eby Streets.


REMINISCENCES OF BERLIN (NOW KITCHENER) By JACOB STROH Contributed by Joseph M. Snyder.

Part I. Settlement - Early Villagers and Buildings, Waterloo Historical Society Annual Volume 1930

George married Maria "Mary" Peppler 20 Apr 1845, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Maria was born 15 Feb 1813, , Germany; died 1 Jul 1879, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Maria "Mary" Seip
• Name: Mary Peppler
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-42558
• Residence: 1845, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran
• Residence: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lutheran

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-189139