Andrew Kraft (1836-1881) and Dorothy (1839-1916) were both from Germany - he arrived at age 15, she at age 6 and started working at the mills. He worked for a butcher, then started out on his own. They married in 1858 and had a large family which continued the business after she died in 1916 as "one of the richest women" in the county leaving "$300,000 worth of property" to her family.
Andrew and his sons carved much of the beef in a building behind their home and sold it in his shop and "with a horse and wagon, sold meats in Elkridge, Oella and Ilchester." In 1879 one of his sons "tore one of his hands almost in half this morning by falling against a meat hook in his father’s wagon." Andrew died two years later.
In 1904 "Mrs. D. Kraft's retail meat market at Ellicott City, Md., was considerably damaged by fire last week." Lower Ellicott City Main St. in a c1890-1910 card (Library of Congress).
The Kraft family bought the Dr. Denny home built by 1860. It is now the Slack funeral home, and is located just above Main St at 3871 Old Columbia Pike.
From the 1910 Sanborn fire insurance map
from HO-894 Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties -
The
Krafts, an extended family
of Ellicott City butchers and property
developers, lived at 3871 Old Columbia Pike
from the 1860s-1950s.
In 1851, Andrew Kraft,
then 15, immigrated to the United
States from Germany.
Butcher and farmer William Hughes provided him with employment. Upon retirement, Hughes sold the business to William H. Scott, who opened a shop on Main Street in Ellicott City.
In 1858, Andrew Kraft married Dorothy Leimbach. Dorothy came to Union Mills from Germany at age 6 and was employed in the mills by age 8. In 1864 and 1866, Andrew Kraft purchased the two sections of property on the Columbia Pike that comprise the Kraft Home Property from Dr. William Denny and his wife Henrietta.
In 1860, William Denny (aged 64) a physician, lived with his wife Henrietta (aged 60), Mary Denny (aged 60) presumably William's sister, William and Henrietta's daughter Henrietta (aged 16), and African-American house servant Jacob Hall (aged 17).
By 1870, the Kraft family, Andrew (aged 35) a butcher, his wife Dorothy (aged 31), and children Mary (aged 11), Clara (aged 8), Charles (aged 6), Margaret (aged 3), and Andrew (aged 1), lived next door to Henrietta and Mary Denny.
By 1873, the Kraft's were butchering the meat for their Ellicott City shop and deliveries at the home property. "With a horse and wagon, [Mr. Kraft] sold meats in Elkridge, Oella and Ilchester. Several years later, he opened a butcher shop in the store that Mr. Scott had recently vacated on the south side of Main street."
In 1881, Andrew Kraft died at age 42. Dorothy Kraft proved to have outstanding business acumen and continued the enterprise after her husband's demise. The family organization "whose motto has been 'all for one and one for all' and directed by a woman whose keen vision and talents mark her as a genius" served thousands over the years. By 1900, Dorothy lived at the Kraft home with Charles (aged 36) - a butcher, Andrew (aged 32) - a butcher, Martin (aged 29) - a butcher, John (aged 29) - a butcher, Christina (aged 25), Louis (aged 23) - a butcher, and William (aged 20) - a student.
Dorothy Kraft died in 1916. It was said that "she was a keen judge of human nature and did everything systematically. ... she was reported to be the richest woman in Howard County." [her obit in 1916 said "one of the wealthiest women in Howard county"]
Clara, Andrew H., Martin L., John H. and Louis Kraft carried on the business under their mother's name.
SOURCES
Baltimore Sun. Feb 9, 1916
Baltimore Sun. Sep 3, 1879
Butchers' Advocate,
Dressed Poultry and the Food Merchant. Aug
17, 1904
MIHP # HO-894
©2018 Patricia Bixler Reber
Forgotten history of Ellicott City & Howard County MD
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