From "History of Wheeling City and Ohio County, West Virginia and 
Representative Citizens," by Hon. Gibson Lamb Cranmer, 1902.

Typed by Carol Taylor Lanza.

Pages 768 thru 770

SOLOMON KRAUS.  During the forty-two years of his experience in the 
liquor business, Mr. Kraus has become expert in every department of an 
important industry, and has been the genial medium of exchange for 
enormous quantities of high grade beverages.  Catering exclusively to a 
wholesale trade extending over a large section of the country, he was 
for thirty-eight years a traveler in the interests of his firm, and 
thus became familiar with Ohio, Maryland, a portion of Pennsylvania, 
and the whole of West Virginia.  The fact that he has emerged unscathed 
from 15 different railway disasters would argue a particular fitness 
for his work, from which he could illy be spared.  A typical German-
American, he was born in Bavaria, Germany, where in his youth he 
learned the trade of butchering, an occupation he never followed after 
coming to America, in 1854.  The family was first represented in 
Wheeling by Samuel Kraus, a brother of Soloman, who so thoroughly 
appreciated the superior advantages to be found in West Virginia that 
he induced his brothers, Soloman and Charles, to share his prospective 
good fortune. 
 
With a capital consisting of well trained Teutonic brain power, 
reliability and determination, Solomon Kraus began his business career 
in America by peddling dry goods and notions in the vicinity of 
Wheeling.  In 1859, he entered the employ of S. S. Bloch, on old Monroe 
Street, with whom he remained until 1861.  For the following four 
years, he was identified with the liquor interests of George W. 
Franzheim, and from 1865 to 1876 was in the employ of Henry Schmulbach.  
From 1876 to 1881 he was in partnership with the latter, whose interest 
he purchased at the end of that period, and with his brother started 
the firm of C. Kraus & Company, of which his brother was manager until 
his death, in 1893.  Then Solomon Kraus assumed the management of the 
business, which, with Fred H. Hankee and Edward S. Hirsch, is being 
carried on under the firm name of Kraus & Company.  This is the oldest, 
as well as one of the most extensive, liquor enterprises in Wheeling, 
and it's headquarters are at No. 1133 Market Street, in the building 
erected for the purpose by Mr. Franzheim, three floors of which are 
devoted to storage and general business.  The stock handled includes 
the finest products from the world's most famous vintages of foreign 
and domestic wines, in their rarest quality.  It contains also 
Pennsylvania rye and Kentucky sour mash whiskies, and such leading 
brands as the private stock Kraus' Golden Pheasant, Ohio Valley, 
Ivanhoe, and Mountain State whiskies.  The vault of the concern has a 
capacity of 80,000 gallons, and is one of the largest, and by far the 
finest in this county. 

Of the family from Bavaria that arrived in America in the "fifties" 
with justifiable hopes of future success, none remains but Solomon 
Kraus.  Samuel Kraus, who died in 1894, infused into his life much of 
worthwhile accomplishment, and it must be recorded to his everlasting 
credit that he was a patriot according to the best interpretation of 
that term.  From 1848 to 1852, he did creditable service in the United 
States Marine Corps, and as worthily served his country during the 
Mexican War.  On the outbreak of the armed strife between the Union and 
the Confederacy, as Captain of Company B, 7th Reg. W.Va. Vol. Inf., he 
became an active force in the Army of the Potomac, and his death, many 
years afterward, was directly traceable to wounds received at the 
battle of Antietam. He was a man of wide understanding and an intimate 
knowledge of men and affairs, gained largely from extensive travel 
while in the naval service.  His wife, formerly Rebecca Weinrich, still 
retains her husband's interest in the liquor business.  She is the 
mother of the following children: Clara (Mrs. Solomon I. Schwarz, of 
Cleveland); Nettie; Rose; Estella (Mrs. Edward S. Hirsch of Wheeling); 
and Blanche.  Nettie, Rose and Blanche are living at home. 

Like his brother Samuel, Solomon Kraus married into the Weinrich 
family, Caroline Weinrich, now Mrs. Kraus, having been born in America, 
and reared by S. S. Bloch.  Mr. And Mrs. Kraus have had the following 
children, all of whom are natives of Wheeling:  Rachel, who is now Mrs. 
Sonneborn, of Wheeling; Sevilla, who is the wife of Mr. Sulzbacher, of 
Steubenville, Ohio; Emma, who lives with her father, and is the wife of 
Mr. A. Marcus, a traveling salesman for a factory at Wilkesbarre, 
Pennsylvania; Nellie, who is living at home; Burine, who is engaged in 
the mercantile business at Pittsburg; and Nathan, who is employed by 
his father as a clerk. During the Civil War Mr. Kraus was a member of 
the Wheeling Militia.  Fraternally he is affiliated with the Masons, 
being a member of Wheeling Lodge, No. 5, and is a member of the Arion 
Association.  To an enviable degree he has the esteem and good will of 
the business and social element of Wheeling, and his support of all 
movements which tend to increase the pretige of the municipality 
bespeaks an intelligent appreciation of his duties as a citizen.