Michael Kramer House – Buffalo, New York
Matthias Kramer arrived in America on October 26, 1857. The Passenger List denotes him as traveling below deck, along with the bulk of the other passengers aboard the ship “Roger A. Heirn.” The ship was launched April 9, 1857 and was 173 feet 4 inches long, had a 37 foot beam, and 23 foot deep hold. Several years later after arriving in New York from Liverpool in 1867 the ship drifted on to the West Bank of Sand Island and was declared a total loss.
Joining Matthias Kramer when he emigrated were:
- Matthias, 33
- Catherine, 20
- Susanne, age 17
- Mathias, age 12
Passenger List showing Matthias Kraemer immigrating along with several members of his family.
His son Michael Kramer was born 17 Nov 1830 in Waldrach, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Michael emigrated to the United States in 1851 settling first in Buffalo. He married Angela Schweick in 1855. The young couple lived in Buffalo, New York in the section of town known as Blackrock where all of their children were born and where Michael was listed as a “peddler” in the 1860 US Census. They attended St. Michael’s Church in Buffalo.
The 1860 US Census showed Michael Kramer and his wife Angelina living with three kids and a boarder in Buffalo. Matthias in the 1860 US Census listed him as a “Tailor” with real estate valued at $600 and a personal estate of $50. The census referred to the house as “Dwelling #451, Family No. 587.”
- Michael Kramer 29
- Angelina Kramer 27
- Mary Kramer 4
- Johana Kramer 2
- Peter P Kramer 6/12
- Cesener Bender 13
The 1870 US Census showed Michael Kramer living with at least six of his kids in Buffalo.
- Michael Kramer
- Maria Kramer, 14
- Johanna Kramer, 13
- Peter Kramer, 10
- Barbara Kramer, 5
- Andrew Kramer, 3
- Michael Kramer, 1
The family resided there until about 1873 when they moved to Westphalia Twp., staying there for about twenty years. They had eight children in 19 years.
1880 US Census
Move to Michigan
In many ways, Michael’s life fell apart when he moved to Michigan. He had owned a store in Buffalo, he had lived in a city practically his entire life and did not know anything about farming. At the urging of his relatives in Michigan, he purchased a farm before actually seeing it, and upon arrival at their farm for the first time, discovered that their land had nothing but rocks and tree stumps. With the trees gone, the land had little value, and the rocks and stumps had to be moved before the land could be farmed. After the sale of their farm in about 1893, Michael and Angela moved to Lansing and by 1900, were residing at 1319 Kelsey Ave in Toledo with their daughter, Jennie Gass and her family. The 1900 US Census listed Michael Kramer as a “day laborer.”
On October 4, 1910, Michael and Angela were admitted to the rest home run by the Little Sisters of the Poor, staying there until their deaths. He died on November 9, 1917, in Toledo, Ohio, at the age of 86.
Children:
- Anna Mary Kramer, b. 1856, d. 1907 (#3)
- Johanna Jennie Kramer, b. 1857, d. 1931 (#4)
- Peter Paul Kremer, b. 1859, d. 1935 (#5)
- Barbara Kramer, b. 1865, d. 1937 (#6)
- Andrew W Kramer, b. 1867 (#7)
- Michael Kramer, b. 1869, d. 1947 (#8)
- Elizabeth Kramer, b. 1870, d. 1879 (#9)
- Katherina Kramer, b. 1875, d. 1879 (#10)
Postscript
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).
While we did not find the house we were looking for, some buildings that might have been from the same period were present. This historic brick building pictured at the corner of Carlton Street and Locust Street is the former Peter Knapp Grocery Store, located at 238 Carlton St, Buffalo, NY 14204. [1, 2] Built circa 1876, this landmark served as a corner grocery store for 93 years before falling vacant. After narrowly escaping an emergency demolition order due to severe neglect and fire damage, the property is being fully restored to serve as the future headquarters and flagship market for the African Heritage Food Co-op. [1, 2]
The century-old single-family home pictured is located at 74 Lemon St, Buffalo, NY 14204. [1] Dating back to 1899, this property stands within Buffalo’s historic Fruit Belt neighborhood. It gained significant preservationist attention when local community groups, including the Fruit Belt Community Land Trust, stepped forward to advocate for saving and restoring the structurally sound building. [1]