website
watertownhistory.org
ebook History of
Watertown, Wisconsin
Louis E. Kronitz
1873 - 1941
Kronitz Building
206 E Main
DODGE COUNTY
WISCONSIN Past and Present VOLUME II ILLUSTRATED, Homer Bishop Hubbell, 1913,
CH1CAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING.
Louis E. Kronitz is the
proprietor of the Buena Vista Hotel, a
well-kept and modern hostelry, at the corner of Fourth and Jones streets,
Watertown, and his able management of its affairs has placed him among the
leading business men of the city.
He was born in Portland Township,
Jefferson County, February 2, 1873, a son of Frederick and Amelia (Gorder)
Kronitz, the former a native of Dodge County and the latter of Germany. The father of our subject was reared upon a
farm and was identified with agricultural interests in Portland and Lebanon
townships for many years. In the latter
section he owned one hundred and twenty acres of land, which he improved and
developed along systematic and practical lines, making his farm one of the
finest in the township.
Father Frederick
bought Washington Hotel
Managed by
son Henry W.
When he abandoned agricultural
pursuits he moved to Watertown and bought the Washington
Hotel, which he operated
until 1904, when he retired. He makes his home in Watertown. His wife
came to America with her parents when she was only a year old and grew to
womanhood in Dodge County. In their
family were four children: Albert, who died in infancy; Louis E., of this
review; Ida, the widow of Otto H. Novack, of Watertown; and Henry W.,
proprietor of the Washington Hotel in Watertown.
Cross Reference:
Fred Kronitz Obit / 07 09 1915
Fred Kronitz, a prominent citizen
of Watertown for many years and a former resident of the town of Lebanon, died
at his home in Watertown Tuesday evening, June 29, 1915, at the age of 69
years.
Mr. Kronitz was born in the town
of Lebanon, March 29, 1846 and having lived in Dodge and Jefferson counties
during his life of more than sixty-nine years, he was one of the oldest
citizens of this section in point of residence. He was a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Henry
Kronitz of the town of Lebanon.
On June 23, 1870, Mr. Kronitz
took Miss Minnie Gorder as his bride, the wedding taking place at the home of
the bride’s parents in town of Waterloo.
For the next year the young people resided in the town of Lebanon and
spent four years on the old Gorder homestead in the town of Waterloo.
It was in October, 1875 that Mr.
and Mrs. Kronitz moved to Watertown and purchased the Washington House, and Mr.
Kronitz conducted a hotel at the present site, corner of Main and North Sixth
streets for the next twenty-seven years, retiring thirteen years ago.
The surviving relatives are two
sons and one daughter, the widow and one brother. The sons are Louis Kronitz and Henry W.
Kronitz and the daughter is Mrs. Ida Nowack all of Watertown. The brother is Mr. Carl Kronitz. Six grandchildren also survive.
Louis E. Kronitz was a small boy
when his parents moved to Watertown and consequently his education was begun in
the public schools of this city. When he
had completed the high school course he entered the Northwestern College and attended that
institution for one year. After laying aside his books he learned the
shoemaker's trade but never followed it. He enlisted as a musician in the
Seventh Regiment, United States Army, and was stationed with his company at
Fort Logan, Colorado, and served for three months. At the end of that time he
was discharged for disability.
Returning to Watertown, he went
to Clyman and there bought a hotel and saloon, which he conducted for thirteen
years, gaining distinct success by his ability. When he sold out his holdings
in Clyman he bought the Buena Vista
Hotel in Watertown, which he is conducting at the present time. Long familiarity with the details of hotel
management and a distinct business ability have made him successful in the
direction of this enterprise. He is
active and progressive and has made good use of his many opportunities with the
result that he is ranked among the substantial and important men of Watertown.
On the 8th of April, 1896, Mr.
Kronitz married Miss Ida Hose, a daughter of Henry and Maria Hose, natives of
Germany and early settlers in Jefferson County. The father was a soldier in the Civil war and
after his discharge farmed in Wisconsin for a number of years, dying in
Jefferson County at the age of eighty-two. His wife passed away when she was
eighty-four years of age. They had six children, Fred, Henry, Margaret, Ida,
Emma, and a child who died in infancy.
Mr. and Mrs. Kronitz became the
parents of two children: Gretchen; and Ada, who died when she was five years of
age. The family are members of St. Mark's Lutheran church. Mr. Kronitz is a
democrat but is not active in political circles. He gives most of his time to
the management of his hotel, his only other business interest being his
connection with the Citizens & Farmers
Bank. He deserves great credit for what he has accomplished during his
connection with business interests in Watertown and his work has had its
influence upon the growth of commercial activity of the city.
Kronitz, Ada, b. May 5, 1903, d.
Aug 27, 1907
Kronitz, Emma, b. Dec 3, 1879, d.
Mar 5, 1970
Kronitz, Fred, b. Mar 29, 1846,
d. Jun 29, 1915
Kronitz, Henry W., b. May 24,
1878, d. Apr 20, 1956
Kronitz, Ida E., b. Sep 16, 1867,
d. Mar 17, 1955
Kronitz, Louise E., b. Feb 2,
1873, d. Jun 24, 1941
Kronitz, Minnie, b. Apr 4, 1852,
d. Apr 30, 1920
Kronitz/Hose, Father, b. May 15,
1831, d. May 5, 1913
Kronitz/Hose, Mother, b. Oct 28,
1829, d. Jun 4, 1916
_________________________________________
1895 Dollar-and-a-haIf Shoe Store
206 Main St
03 27 A.
B. Weigly, proprietor of the dollar-and-a-haIf shoe store at 206 Main
Street WR
1906 The Kronitz Building / Launching of “The New Store” 206
Main St
03 07 Watertown is
soon to have a new commercial institution that promises to be an important
factor in the commercial activities of the city. Reference is made to the launching of “The
New Store” by E. E. Keukanf of Racine, in the Kronitz building, 206 Main Street.
Mr. Keukanf stated to a representative of The Republican yesterday that he would throw the doors of his place
of business open to the public on March 24.
“The New Store” will offer a new
and attractive line of crockery, chinaware, glassware, tinware, shelf hardware,
notions, toys and novelties. The new
concern will deal extensively in 5 and 10 cent goods, in fact will make a
specialty of that class of goods. One of
the leaders will be a large assortment of candies, all grades of which will
sell at 10 cents per pound. The
proprietor is interested in several other stores in the state. He impresses one as a very affable gentleman
and thorough business man and will undoubtedly make a winner of it in
Watertown.
