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Fred Kropp
Winfield.
Kansas 1875 Census, Winfield Township, Cowley County, March 1, 1875.
Name age sex color Place/birth Where from
A. F. Kropp 25 m w Sweden Iowa
Winfield Directory 1885.
Kropp A F, house mover, 813 Manning, boards Lindell.
FROM THE NEWSPAPERS.
Winfield Courier, May 18, 1876.
FRED KROPP has completed his excursion boat, launched her above the bridge, and is now ready to accommodate all webb-footed pleasure seekers. For 25 cents he will carry you up the river to Island No. 10 and swim you back for nothing. The boat will carry eight persons. It is propelled by an Archimedes lever. Oars are dispensed with.
Winfield Courier, February 15, 1877.
Mr. Manning’s brick business house is now completed and occupied. It cost five thousand dollars and is the largest, most costly, and best finished business house in Winfield. The roof is of tin with standing seam, and is the only tin roof in town that does not leak. Mr. J. F. Hyskell, of this place, put it on. The carpenter work was principally done by John Swain and is a creditable job. The plastering upstairs was done by Phenix & Dewey, the lower story by Simpson & Stewart. Both parties did excellent work. John Reed did the painting. A dozen different brick layers laid the brick. Fred Kropp built the cellar. The building is a credit to the place. We hope to see more and better ones built the coming season.
Winfield Courier, May 16, 1878.
Fred Kropp is building back of our office a machine for sawing stone. We hope and believe it will be a success, and will beat the chisel, hammer, and adze by a large majority.
Winfield Courier, September 12, 1878.
MOVING BUILDINGS.
FRED. KROPP is prepared to move buildings on short notice and does all kinds of stone work. He guarantees dispatch and complete satisfaction to his patrons. Inquire for him at Moffitt’s lumber office, next door to the COURIER office, Winfield, Kansas.
1877.
Winfield Courier, October 4, 1877.
J. F. GRAHAM. JOHN MOFFITT.
Graham & Moffitt, Dealers in LUMBER, Windows, Doors, Blinds, Hair, Cement,
PLASTER OF PARIS -AND- Building Material Generally, And will sell at Lowest Living Rates.
YARD and Office Corner of 9th and Millington Streets, Winfield, Kansas.
I cannot find Moffitt’s Lumber Office, mentioned in 1878, in 1880 Directory.
[Note: 1880 Directory shows Jno. Moffitt (Speed and Moffitt, livery, feed, and sale stable, Main Street, east side between 8th and 9th Avenues.]
[Note: 1880 Directory shows Courier office at Main Street, southwest corner 9th Avenue, under Winfield Bank building.]
Winfield Courier, January 2, 1879.
Listed as a Courier Advertiser:
KROPP, FRED, is a mechanic and inventor. He moves buildings with neatness and dispatch, and is ready for stone work.
FRED KROPP. MOVING BUILDINGS. Inquire for him at Moffitt’s lumber office, next door to the Courier office, Winfield, Kansas.
Winfield Courier, July 24, 1879.
MOVING BUILDINGS. FRED KROPP is prepared to move buildings on short notice and does all kinds of stone work. Inquire for him at Moffitt’s lumber office, next door to the COURIER office, Winfield, Kansas.
Winfield Courier, March 25, 1880.
The town of Lazette has been imitating the Arabs, “folding their tents and silently stealing away.” Fred Kropp has had the work in hand, and much of that ancient city now belongs to Cambridge. The Yellow Steer, the Blue Goose, the Black Bear still stand, but their glory is departing.
Winfield Courier, October 14, 1880.
Pryor & Kinne have furnished their office with an immense fire and burglar proof safe, one of the largest in town. Fred Kropp had the contract for putting it into the second story from the ground, and did the work without a Jar. Fred understands the business.
Cowley County Courant, May 11, 1882.
Mr. A. F. Kropp, better known as Fred, did THE COURANT office a very nice job of rope splicing. Fred is a boss workman at anything he undertakes.
Winfield Courier, May 3, 1883.
Fred Kropp has succeeded in locating the old livery stable on the lot west of the school-house. This is one of the finest locations in the city and it is a pity to spoil it with a livery stable.
[FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION.]
Winfield Courier, July 10, 1884.
RECAP. Fourth of July Celebration: Fully Fifteen Thousand People Present.
On the evening of the 3rd the old soldiers gathered in large numbers at the G. A. R. headquarters and marched to the tune of “Old John Brown” to the beautiful Fair Ground Park. Here they found tents already pitched and everything in readiness for them to chase the festive bean around the camp fire and retell the thrilling stories which will never grow old to the comrades-in-arms. Regular old-fashioned “hard-tack” had been supplied in abundance and a happy reunion was had that night by the boys who wore the blue. After supper, headed by the Burden, Courier, and Juvenile bands, a torchlight procession marched into town. By sunrise Friday morning people from all sections began to pour in. . . .
As we watched the old pioneers as they came into town in their handsome turnouts, we noticed on their countenances pictures of gladness and independence which can’t be beaten anywhere in this broad Union. . . .
At ten o’clock Col. Wm. Whiting and Capt. H. H. Siverd, with a score of assistants, formed the procession and the march to the Park was taken up. The procession was headed by the Burden Band, led by Frank McClain. . . .
Tony Agler, with his clown suit and goat teams, trick ponies, and other things of his own get-up, was attractive in the procession. Tony takes great pains in training his “pets” and shows commendable enterprise in turning out with them on all public occasions.
St. John’s battery was prominent in the procession, and awakened the echoes by booming of cannon from Thursday evening until well along in the next day. The members of the Battery worked faithfully and well for the success of the celebration.
The Robinson and Telegram Fire Companies made a splendid appearance in the procession. The paraphernalia was all beautifully decorated with red, white, and blue, and the Robinson Fire Company represented the Goddess of Liberty with one of the prettiest little misses of the city, Nina Nelson, gracefully seated on their hose cart amid the drapery. O’Meara & Randolph had a representation of their boot and shoe business, accompanied by plantation music from darkies. A feature which attracted wide attention and showed great enterprise was the stone display of Mr. Schmidt from his quarries near town. A large, wide-framed wagon was loaded with fine specimens of stone and men were at work all day sawing it up and distributing the smooth blocks among the people. Oration was delivered by Hon. J. Wade McDonald, who reviewed the progress of the Union from its birth to the present day. Then came dinner followed by an address by Mrs. Helen M. Gougar, the famous lady orator of Indiana.
Then came the amusements. The trotting race, mile heats, best three in five, purse $90, was won by “Basham,” owned by Mr. Wells of Burden over Billy Hands’ “Nellie H.” The running race, quarter mile heat, between the Blenden mare and a lately arrived horse, was won easily by the former, purse $60.
Andy Lindsey of Winfield got $5.00 for climbing to the top of the greased pole. Another ambitious boy preceded him, but on reaching the top slid down without the money, supposing it was in the hands of a committee and all he had to do was to climb the pole. the crowd soon turned his disappointment into gladness by making up the five dollars. The wheelbarrow race, by blindfolded men, some six or seven taking part, furnished much amusement and was won by Allen Brown, a colored man of Winfield. It proved the uncertainty of “going it blind.” The greased pig, after a lively chase, was caught by Phenix Duncan, a colored boy. The festivities of the day closed with a flambeaux procession with Roman candles, etc. The Gas Company turned on a full head both Thursday and Friday evenings and the sixty bright lamp posts, with the stores illuminated with gas lights, gave the city a brilliant appearance. The Firemen’s Ball at the Opera House was largely attended.
Credit was extended to Messrs. J. C. Long, Jas. H. Vance, D. L. Kretsinger, J. P. Baden, A. T. Spotswood, R. E. Wallis, Wm. Whiting, C. C. Black and Fred Kropp for the success of the celebration.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, May 7, 1885.
Fred Kropp is moving H. E. Silliman’s residence across the street north. Mr. Silliman contemplates the erection of a fine residence soon.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, June 18, 1885.
Fred Kropp goes to Constant this week to move the store building from there to Hackney. Fred can do it. He can move anything from a mountain to a keg of beer.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, August 27, 1885.
The post office change of location is finally settled. As no particular location can possibly be satisfactory to all the unterrified, George has finally hit upon a plan that will be sure to suit. He has rented the old Short building lately occupied by Harter’s drug store, now in the street and on wheels, and has engaged Fred Kropp’s mules to haul the post office about town everywhere any Democrat wants it. It will receive and deliver the mails at the depots and then roll off around town. This plan seems to satisfy everybody except Arthur Bangs. He is kicking like a Texas steer, for it will “bust up” his mail carrying business.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, October 1, 1885.
Fred Kropp returned Monday from Geuda Springs, where he moved four houses for Dr. Perry. Fred and his mules could move the state of Kansas in a reasonable time. He gets there all the time.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, October 15, 1885.
Ed J. McMullen & Co. have just received from Chicago one of Macneal & Urban’s finest safes. It has a time lock and is fire and burglar proof. Fred Kropp moved it to the office today.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, October 29, 1885.
The depot building at Latham, on the K. C. & S. W., will be moved next week four or five hundred yards up the track, and the city of Tolles will be taken up bodily and placed some half a mile this way in order to make it a commercial center. Fred Kropp will hitch next week. Fred has moved almost everything in the last few weeks, but this is the first town he has unseated.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, November 5, 1885.
The following are the real estate transfers filed in the office of Register of Deeds since our last issue.
C C Black to A F Kropp, lot 1, blk 115, Menor’s add to Winfield: $300.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, November 26, 1885.
The following are the real estate transfers filed in the office of Register of Deeds since our last issue.
M L Read et ux to A F Kropp, lot 2, blk 115, Menor’s ad to Winfield: $250.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, February 25, 1886.
Early Monday morning it was discovered that the north wall of the Jennings-Crippen building, occupied by J. J. Carson & Co., was sinking, caused by the excavation for the McMullen building. It had sprung about one inch and a quarter when Fred Kropp was put to work, and by means of heavy timbers, forced the wall into place. It seems that the foundation of the building is only about three feet below the sidewalk when it should be at least seven, and has no cellar, so when the dirt was dug away, the sloping wall of earth that was left, being very soft and spongy from the winter’s drip of the old roof of the buildings that formerly stood there, afforded no support for the lone building. No fault can be found with Harrod & Paris in excavating as it was done according to orders, but the fault was in the foundation of the Jennings-Crippen building. Col. McMullen will go to work at once and put a solid and proper foundation under the sinking wall. This is quite a difficult job, and has to be accomplished by jack screws, and will probably cost $300. This will delay the work on the McMullen building some, but everything will go ahead all right in a few days.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, March 4, 1886.
Fred Kropp has succeeded in getting the wall of the Carson building back to its former position and the work of underlaying has commenced and will be ready for the joining of the wall of the McMullen building in a few days. This has been a big job; being compelled to suspend a solid stone wall, but Fred is an expert at the business and can move anything from a chicken coop to a two-story brick house.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, March 18, 1886.
The rookeries off the First National Bank corner are being set back where their unsightly presence will be less of an emetic. Fred Kropp moved two of them to lots on west 9th today, and one on Millington street, next to Bisbee’s shoe shop. A little mud don’t stop Fred; his caravans run just the same.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, March 18, 1886.
Fred Kropp tackled a big red barn Friday which was located on J. S. Hawkins’ lot, just east of E. P. Greer’s, and moved it on South Loomis street where E. P. Young lives.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, March 25, 1886.
Fred Kropp has his wheels under the old McGuire building and soon this oldest landmark will hie itself to John McGuire’s lot next to the South Main music conservatory. In its place will rear one of the largest and finest blocks in Kansas, fifty foot front and the handsomest design. The excavation on the cleared part is being rapidly pushed. The First National folks and Col. Alexander mean to have nothing excel them.
