Kratz General Store / Roy's Tap
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
While the career of William Kratz has not been unusual,
it has been highly commendable and fully entitles him to
mention in this book as one of the representative citizens
of Washington county. As a merchant he conducted a
constantly increasing business, winning that success that
came through capably organized effort and intelligently
directed activity. He conducted a general merchandise
establishment in Schleisingerville, where he also held
valuable realaty interests.
Although a native of Washington County, his birth
having occured on May 28, 1859, Mr. Kratzis of German
lineage, his parents having been born, reared and married
in Hesse-Darmstadt. In 1846 the father, Adam Kratz,
together with the mother and a family of five children
emigrated to the U.S. Upon his arrival here the father
located on a farm of 150 acres on Cedar creek. There
were but few settlers in this section at that time and Mr.
Kratz was one who reclaimed the wilderness and diligently
assisted in promoting the early agricultural development
of Wisconsin.
Reared amid the pioneer conditions of his childhood
home, the early advantages of William Kratz were very
meagre. At the age of 15 he left home and fitted himself
for life's duties by learning the shoemaker's trade. Several
years later he came to Schleisingerville and established
a small shoe store and repair shop. Frugal habits and
simple tastes enabled him to save the greater portion
of his earnings and from time to time he enlarged his
stock of goods, adding a stock of general merchandise
in 1892. Limited by capital, his line was necessarily
small, but with the development of his trade he increased
his stock and carried one of the largest assortments in
the county. Mr. Kratz took an active interest in all local
enterprises and was one of the organizers of the State
Bank, of which he was a director, and of the Farmers
Supply Company and the Washington County Telephone
Company, and owned stock in both of the later concerns.
Married June 5, 1886 to Miss Katherine Schmitt, who
was born in Fond du Lac, they had 8 children, William,
Edwin, Walter, Oscar, Lydia, Clara, Hilda and Katie.
Affiliated with the German Evangelical church, and served
on the village board.
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