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This is one of 20 historical caches along the Butler Freeport Community Trail, formerly the Butler Branch of the Western Pennsylvania Railroad. So grab your passport, provided in the cache box, enter the keyword. Then attend an event or send to the address on the passport to purchase a trackable, custom geocoin. Any questions, please e-mail president@butlerfreeporttrail.org
First event coins are available is May 15th
THIS SERIES OF CACHES ARE ONLY ACCESSIBLE VIA THE BUTLER FREEPORT TRAIL. There is no need to access them any other way, there are several trailheads for parking. Passports are now downloadable on www.butlerfreeporttrail.org.
Enjoy the history lesson, a lot of effort went into the research.
The first store was started in 1870 by E.G. Leithold in the village of Delano. He came to Butler County in 1836. In 1873 the Rummel Brothers opened a store, followed by Murtland & Gordon. Later Leithold built a hotel after retiring from the mercantile business and then opened a lumber yard. L. Weidhos established a hardware store and lumber yard in the 1880’s in the old Leithold building.
Edward George Leithold, was born in Saxony, Germany, in 1819, and at the age of twenty years immigrated to Pennsylvania, and purchased fifty acres of land in Jefferson Township, Butler County, which he cleared and improved. In 1873 Mr. Leithold moved to Delano, opened a hotel, a mercantile store and lumber business. He married Henrietta Bauer and had family of three children: Caroline, wife of Charles Whitehouse; Amelia, wife of Alphonso Krause of Winfield Township, and William of Clearfield Township. He died December 27, 1893.
Once Weidhos succeeded Leithhold he also kept the hotel until 1885 at which time a license was denied. The mercantile and lumberyard still stand today as Freehling Lumber. When Robert Krause’s daughter Annie married William Fruhling son of August and Henrietta (Bicker) Fruhling, the Freehling Lumber Company had its beginnings. August Fruhling, eldest son of George and Margaret Fruhling, was born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, in 1847. He came with his parents to Pennsylvania in early childhood, and grew up on the homestead in Winfield Township, where he cultivated 105 acres of land. He married Henrietta Bicker, a daughter of Rev. H.H. Bicker, to which union have been born eleven children: Annie, wife of H.H. Roenick; Charles; Mary; Herman; Emma; Ida; Walter; Albert; Edwin; Harvey, and William. Photographs came from Freehling Lumber Company.
The principal buildings of Delano were the stores of Krause Brothers and Louis Weidhos, the residences of Robert Krause, Alphonse Krause, E.G. Humes (oil contractor), Peter Rummel’s occupied by William Greenwood (oil well contractor), Mrs. Jane Dugan’s occupied by John L Bassett (superintendent of the Standard Plate Glass Company’s gas wells). In 1883 Marwood was another railroad station village and was still called Delano. Daniel Denny had the second store in Delano. It was bought by Robert & Alphonso Krause who moved from Hannahstown in 1871. The post office called Denny was established in 1871. L. Heidrick was the first Postmaster, and was succeeded by Robert Krause.
Alphonso and Robert Krause were merchants in Hannahstown and ultimately Delano. They and their parents Lewis A. and Fredericka Krause came from Saxe-Weimar, Saxony, Germany. Lewis established a hotel in Hannahstown and the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company. Alphonso the eldest son was born May 25, 1837. He was educated in his native Germany and came with his parents to Butler County in 1853. He was engaged in farming until 1868, when he formed a partnership with his brother Robert, under the firm name of R. & A. KRAUSE, and started a mercantile business at Hannahstown then moving to Delano in 1871. Mr. Krause was married on May 11, 1862 to Amelia Leithold, and has seven children: Emma, widow of Henry Paul; Albert, railroad agent at Delano; Lydia; Josie; Philip; Clara, and Hattie. The family was connected with Hannahstown Lutheran Church, where Mr. Krause has been treasurer for many years. He was also a member of the board of managers of the Concordia Orphans' Home in Jefferson Township. He was a school director in Jefferson Township since 1866, and when he moved to Winfield Township was elected to the same office and held the position of secretary up to 1892, since then he has been president of the school board. In politics, he is a Democrat, and is one of the leading citizens of the community, as well as one of its most successful business men.
Robert Krause, second son of Lewis A. and Fredericka Krause, was born in Saxe-Wiemer, Saxony, Germany on September 8, 1842, and was eleven years old when his parents immigrated to Butler County. He received a common school education in Germany and only attended school for six months after coming to this county. He worked upon the homestead farm until the autumn of 1861, when he enlisted in Company C, Eleventh Pennsylvania Reserve, and served until mustered out in 1865. Returning to his home in Butler County, he resumed work upon the farm. In 1867 he purchased a store at Hannahstown, and soon afterwards became associated with his brother, Alphonso, under the firm name of R. & A. Krause. In 1871 they located at Delano, where they have ever since conducted a successful mercantile business. They also carry on a planing mill at Freeport, and are one of the prosperous firms of Butler County. Robert married Maria Camphire and had the following children: Annie, wife of William Fruhling (Freehling), William, Lewis, Minnie, Flora, Richard, and Elsie. The family was connected with the Hannahstown Lutheran Church where Robert was treasurer and trustee. In politics, he is a Democrat, but conservative in his political views and opinions. He is treasurer of the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and is a leading and influential business man, as well as a progressive and public-spirited citizen. Photograph from the 1895 Butler County History.
For a while Albert Alphonso’s son was the Postmaster at Delano. Albert Krause then followed his family and established a general store at 260 West Main Street in Saxonburg. Originally the building was Muder's Union Hotel built in 1863 by E.F. Muder. Albert ultimately sold his Main Street store to his nephew Chester Paul, Sr. and moved his operation Marwood. His building had a special hand drawn elevator for moving materials to the second floor. There existed only 3 of these types of elevators in Butler County (Albert’s store on Main Street, his store in Marwood and the Freehling Lumber Company in Marwood).
Albert married Gertrude Milliron Krause. Gertrude Milliron’s father was William H. Milliron born 1849 in Pennsylvania and her mother was Beckie. They were farmers in Winfield Township. Gertrude married Albert Krause June 20, 1894. Between 1896 and 1900 they had 3 children 2 girls (Gladys and Verna) and a boy (Kenneth “Artie”) all born in Marwood. Artie ran the A. Krause and Sons General Store until it closed in the 1980’s. Photographs came from the Drenda Gostkowski collection, the Freehling Lumber Company and the Hannahstown Luther Church.
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