Overview / Summary

ANTON F. KRAUSE HOUSE

San Antonio, TX.

With political unrest and threats of war in Europe, Anton F. Krause and his future wife, Johanna Roesler, both natives of Lussdorf, Bohema, sailed from Bremen aboard the Lucie.   They arrived in Galveston on November 7, 1854.[1]  Their granddaughter, Clara Krause Parsons, remembers them saying they walked most of the way to San Antonio where they joined a number of other German speaking families.  On May 22, 1855, Anton and Johanna were married at San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio, Texas.[2]

By 1859 Krause owned a house and lot valued at $1,025.00 in San Antonio.  Dray sheets, ledgers, and invoices indicate he also owned and operated a retail/wholesale store and saloon on Elm Street in San Antonio.  Six children had been born to the Krauses by 1875.  Needing greater income, Krause was prompted to sell his business to Christian Dulling.[3]

With the money from the sale of his business, Krause purchased a parcel of land, consisting of 101.3 acres in southwest Bexar County near the settlement of Mann’s crossing.[4]  It was purchased from N. de la Zerda on March 19, 1875, for $550.00.[5]  This land was part of Survey #54, which Samuel McCulloch, Jr., received by virtue of certificate #13, issued by the Board of Land Commissioners of Jackson County April 29, 1838.[6]  McCulloch was wounded in the Battle of Goliad in 1835.[7]  This land was cleared of trees and brush so it could be farmed.  Charles, the youngest son of Anton Krause, told family members the family lived in a tent until his father purchased a small tract of land from Concepcion de la Zerda on November 25, 1876.[8]  It was on this tract, also part of Survey #54, just north of the original 101.13 acres that the log cabin was built for the family.

Referencing current roads, the Krause House is located one half mile east of Loop 1604 at 8551 Old Pearsall Road, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas.  Of the original houses built by the German families in the area it is the only house with part of the log construction still visible.  Unlike many of the other houses along Old Pearsall road, the Krause House faces west.  Older family members said that the road may have been the comino pita which crossed the Medina River in the area of the Krause House.[9]

With the help of neighbors, Anton Krause built the log cabin which measures 17’ x 16’.  It is built of logs hewed from elm trees in the area.[10]  The logs vary in length from 7” to 8’.  Not all of the logs are straight nor are they of a consistent width, but most average about 5” in width.  In one place three pieces of logs, averaging 9” in length, are placed side by side.  A close examination of the logs reveals that they were trimmed with an ax and a draw knife.  Considering the labor involved one can understand why short pieces were used as well as the longer logs.  The steep pitch of the roof reflects the type of roof popular in Europe in the 1800’s.  A porch, approximately 8’ in width, was built along the west wall of the cabin.  The porch was used for sleeping space, especially during the summer.  To provide ventilation, most of the windows and doors are aligned.  Henry Nentwich, a stone mason and family friend, had moved to the area in 1874.  He built the kitchen from rocks, often called “sand stones.”  These rocks were hauled from a hill on the 101.3 acres of farm land Krause owned.  The kitchen measures about 16’ x 9’6”.  Unlike the log cabin the kitchen was built at ground level with a dirt floor which was not covered with flooring until the 1940’s.  The kitchen was not attached to the cabin until other rooms were added.  In 1876 a seventh child was born and with seven children and two adults additional space was needed.  The first addition was a shed style room added to the east wall of the cabin.  It was also attached to the kitchen.  It is built with 10 ¾’ plans positioned vertically and the seams are covered with 3 ½’ slats.  Later a 9’ x 16’ area was added to the north wall of the cabin and attached to the kitchen.  It may have been a “dog trot” or porch.  The last room addition was added to the north of the “dog trot” and was built to provide a bedroom for Charles Krause and his wife, Elizabeth Nentwich.  Both Charles and Elizabeth could say “my father built part of this house.”  An examination of the floor joists and foundation piers of all the additions verify that the additional rooms were added a few years after the original cabin and kitchen were built.  After the last room was completed an additional 16’ were added to the porch so that it now extends the full length of the west side of the structure.  A marked difference in the roof line marks the joining of the original porch and the addition.

Anton Krause became a citizen in 1867.  Like many of the early settlers he and his sons were very active in the community.  In 1877 Krause was appointed overseer of the Castroville and Rockport road.[11]  It was his responsibility to see that all able-bodied men spent the required time maintaining the above road.

On January 14, 1879, Anton Sr., was appointed post master of Mann’s Crossing.[12]  This was one of the earliest post offices in the area.  A small part of the log cabin was set aside for use as the post office.  The balance of the cabin was used as family living space.  Krause built the furniture needed to sort and store the mail.  In November 1880 the post office was closed; however, it was re-established September 13, 1886 and closed for the last time December 4, 1886.  The furniture, postal regulation book, dating stamp and the certificate of appointment are currently owned by family members.

Through the years the house was used as a stop for the Texas Rangers escorting prisoners to San Antonio.[13]  The cedar posts, which still support the cabin’s part of the porch roof and to which the prisoners were chained, have been covered with a façade of 1’ x 6’ boards since 1920.  This façade has helped to preserve the cedar posts.  The house was used by Federal agents as well.  It was sometimes referred to as the Krause “jail.”

In 1879 the Krause family was struck by tragedy.  Ida, age 13, was killed in June.  The child was playing under a table on which a loaded pistol had been placed.  Ida jumped up hitting her head on the bottom of the table.  The gun fell to the floor and discharged.  The bullet struck Ida killing her instantly.  For many years a large brown stain was visible on the floor of the cabin.  The stain was caused by the blood from Ida’s wound.  In October of 1879 Bertha, the baby of the family, became ill and died a few days later.

Anton Krause, Sr., and his sons, Anton, Jr., and Charles were active in law enforcement in their community.  Anton, Sr. was elected Constable of Precinct 5 of Bexar County in 1880[14] and served for several years.  Anton Jr. was a policeman in San Antonio and Charles was a special deputy in the area of Macdona and Mann’s Crossing.

When Anton Krause, Sr., died in 1913, his son, Charles F., inherited Anton’s share of the farm land as well as the family home.  Charles and his wife, Elizabeth had lived in the home and cared for both Johanna and Anton until their deaths.  Charles continued to farm the land which had been purchased in 1875.

In 1943 when Charles Krause died, the house and 27.1 acres of farm land was inherited by Fred Anton Krause, his son.  Fred farmed the property for many years and was later employed by the Southwest School District and the Lytle School District.  Upon his death in 1974, the house was inherited by his niece, Rose Parsons Collins, Anton Sr.’s great granddaughter.  Mrs. Collins, her mother Clara, and her uncle Fred, were all born in the old log cabin.  The remaining 27.1 acres of farm land was deeded to Mrs. Collins by her parents Ed and Clara Krause Parsons in 1989.  The farm land was declared a Family Land Heritage Farm in 1975.[15]  The land has been farmed continuously since it was purchased in 1875.

Research by:

Rose Collins and Myra Borchardt, San Antonio, TX

Written by: Rose Collins March 1998.