Peter Paul Kremer House – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Thomas and Edward Kremer on Rutledge St blank" >target="_blank" >glossary/facework/" class="glossaryLink" data-cmtooltip="ecf8165eb3d94ea553e85754a6d2ff23" target="_blank" >facing Republic St with Peter Paul Kremer house in the upper left bead/" class="glossaryLink" data-cmtooltip="578cb1a0f618c79c0949cc78c076b63f" target="_blank" >corner of the photo (second in from Rutledge St). Photo taken August 2017.
Peter Paul Kremer (1859-1935) was born in Buffalo, New York on November 27, 1859. He was the son of Michael Krämer (1830–1917) and Angela Schweick (1833–1915). His parents had emigrated from Waldrach, Germany nearly a decade prior to his birth. Michael was a day laborer. He married Angela in 1855. The 1860 U.S. Census shows Michael Kramer, age 29, living with wife Angelina Kramer, age 27, and three children: Mary Kramer, age 4,, Johana Kramer, age 2, and Peter Paul Kremer, age 6 months.
Peter was the third of eight children, the oldest male child thus making him the first male child with the Kremer name to be born in America.
The family resided in the 12th Ward of Buffalo through the 1870s. Peter’s grandfather Matthias Kramer moved to Westphalia, Michigan. By the time of the 1870 U.S. Census he was listed as living there along with his wife Anna. The occupation for Matthias was “Farmer” and for Anna “Keeping House.” The census also noted that both Matthias and Anna were able to read and write, indicating a higher level of education.
Peter Paul Kremer later moved along with his family to Westphalia, Michigan in the 1870s. He worked for his uncle Joe as a laborer in Clinton County, Michigan. The 1880 U.S. Census showed Peter Kremer residing in Westphalia along with his parents and siblings.
Duquesne Incline, Pittsburgh, ca. 1913.
Peter Paul Kremer moved to Pittsburgh where he met Anna Helena Fohs (1870-1934). He married Anna Helena Fohs on September 10, 1889, at the St. Martin church/" class="glossaryLink" data-cmtooltip="591ff49fedeea72988fe13c68a5a6d6f" target="_blank" >Roman Catholic Church in Pittsburgh. The building was dedicated November 24, 1889. The location was near the corner of Wabash and Steuben. This German church organized in 1869, built and dedicated on May 1, 1870 in West End neighborhood. The last mass was celebrated January 31, 1960. On April 6, 1960, the building caught fire and demolition began the following day.
St. Martin combined church and school, ca. 1932.
St. Martin combined church and school, ca. 1932.
small-857x1024.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="765" srcset="https://isaackremer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1893_Pittsburgh1893_vol1_sheet85_small-857x1024.jpg 857w, https://isaackremer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1893_Pittsburgh1893_vol1_sheet85_small-600x717.jpg 600w, https://isaackremer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1893_Pittsburgh1893_vol1_sheet85_small-251x300.jpg 251w, https://isaackremer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1893_Pittsburgh1893_vol1_sheet85_small-768x918.jpg 768w, https://isaackremer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1893_Pittsburgh1893_vol1_sheet85_small.jpg 1950w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" />1893 Sanborn Map with St. Martin’s Roman Catholic Church and School in Pittsburgh
Peter and Anna would have a total of nine children together between 1890 and 1910.
Children:
Anna M. Kremer, b. 1890, d. 1963 (#10)
Elizabeth Kremer, b. 1892, d. 1985 (#11)
Ferdinand M. Kremer, b. 1895, d. 1962 (#12)
Paul Thomas Kremer, b. 1897, d. 1964 (#13)
Peter John Kremer, b. 1900, d. 1974 (#14)
Andrew Henry Kremer, b. 1902, d. 1958 (#15)
Margaret Marie Kremer, b. 1906 (#16)
Joseph Kremer, b. 1909 (#17)
Helen A. Kremer, b. 1910, d. 1992 (#18)
Anna Helen Fohs, mother, with daughters Anna M Kremer (1890-1963) standing and Elizabeth Kremer (1892-1985) in tree, likely on home site, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, ca. 1894.
1900 United States Federal Census
1900 United States Federal Census, detail
The 1900 United States Federal Census had Peter P. and Anna H. living at 205 Republic St. They had four kids at the time Anna M. (age 9, born 1890), Elizabeth (age 7, born 1892), Ferdinand (age 4, born 1895), and Paul T. (age 2, born 1897).
1902 City Directory. Pittsburgh
The 1902 City Directory listed Peter Kremer as a laborer on “Republic n Rutledge.”
Kremer children in Pittsburgh, ca. 1914: back row – Peter John (age 14, born 1900), Paul Thomas (age 17, born 1897), Andrew Henry (age 12, born 1902); front row – Margaret Marie (age 8, born 1906), Helen (age 4, born 1910), and Joe Kremer (age 5, born 1909).
Kremer children, ca. 1906, most likely Paul Thomas (age 9, born 1897), Ferdinand (age 11, born 1895), Peter John (age 6, born 1900), Andrew Henry (age 4, born 1902) and Margaret Marie – ceiling-medallion/" class="glossaryLink" data-cmtooltip="557374c3eebbede5d82414433d1f21e7" target="_blank" >center (age 1, born 1909).
The 1910 United States Census listed occupation as “Laborer” in “Wholesale Signs.”
1913 City Directory listing Peter Paul Kremer as a laborer living at “205 Republic.”
Kremer boys, Pittsburgh, ca. 1913. Back row: Andrew Henry (age 11, born 1902), Peter John (age 13, born 1900), and Paul Thomas (age 16, born 1897). Front row: Joseph (age 4, born 1909).
Kremer family in Pittsburgh, ca. 1913. Back row: Andrew Henry (age 11, born 1902), Paul Thomas (age 16, born 1897), Peter John (age 13, born 1900); Middle row: Helena, Helen (age 3, born 1910), Peter Paul; Front row: Joseph (age 4, born 1909), Margaret Marie (age 5, born 1906).
Helen Kremer (age 3, born 1910), Pittsburgh, ca. 1913.
Kremer family in Pittsburgh, ca. 1913. Back row: Andrew Henry (age 11, born 1902), Anna M. (age 23, born 1890), Paul Thomas (age 16, born 1897), Elizabeth (age 20, born 1892), and Peter John (age 13, born 1900). Front row: Margaret Marie (age 5, born 1906), Helen (age 3, born 1910), and Joseph (age 4, born 1909)
Women in Pittsburgh, ca. 1913. Unknown, Anna M. (age 23, born 1890), Elizabeth (age 20, born 1892), and Unknown.
Kremer women in Pittsburgh, ca. 1913. Seated: Elizabeth (age 20, born 1892), and Anna M (age 23, born 1890).
The 1913 U.S. City Directory listed Peter P. Kremer as a “laborer” living at 205 Republic.
Two children preceded Peter Paul Kremer in his move to Lansing. Anna and Fern, moved to Lansing in 1913. In the following year, Peter then brought the rest of his family to Lansing and rented a house on Chestnut St. for several months while his home at 821 Princeton Ave was being built.
Peter and his younger brother Michael both worked at the REO plant during the 1920s. He died on June 1, 1935, in Ionia, Michigan, at the age of 75, and was buried in Lansing, Michigan in the old part of St. Joseph Cemetery.
Identifying Peter Paul Kremer House Location in Pittsburgh
We began by reviewing United States Census records from 1900 and 1910, and City Directories from 1902, 1905, 1912, and 1913. Using these as a key and placing them in the chart below, we can compare these records with Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. The map/" class="glossaryLink" data-cmtooltip="22a03a8eb39157f964e8b4d08b799ddf" target="_blank" >Sanborn map from 1893 shows four buildings at the corner of Rutledge and Republic. Today these are 201, 203 (205), 207, and 209. Comparing the numbering with earlier records, it is revealed that the second house in at 203 (205) is most likely the Peter Paul Kremer house.
| Present Address | 1913 Directory | 1912 Directory | 1910 US Census | 1905 Directory | 1902 Directory | 1900 US Census |
| (Shafer) | ||||||
| 201 | (118) | |||||
| 203 | 205 Republic , Peter P. Kremer | (no listing) | 205 Republic, Peter P. and Helena Kremer, 8 kids, mother-in-law Maggie Fohs | (no listing) | Republic n Rutledge, Peter Kremer | (117), Peter Paul and Anna H Kremer |
| 207 | (116) | |||||
| 209 | (115) |
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map showing approximate location of Kremer family house at (203) 205 Republic. The Peter Paul Kremer House is believed to be the second south of Rutledge and marked with an “X” on the map above.
Note: The author Isaac David Kremer (born 1980) is a direct descendant of Peter Paul Kremer (1859-1935) who was his 2nd great-grandfather. Other ancestors in the line of descent include Paul Thomas Kremer (1897-1964), great-grandfather; Paul Thomas Kremer (1920-2009), grandfather; and David Paul Kremer (born 1951). Isaac has two boys Edward Isaac Kremer (born 2009) and Thomas James Kremer (born 2011).