1860 photo taken 4 days after Mr.
Lincoln visited Lincoln, Illinois, for the last time. Info at 3 below.
This President
grew;
His town does too.
Link to Lincoln:
Lincoln & Logan County Development Partnership
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission of Lincoln, IL
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Email a link to this page to someone who might be interested. Internet Explorer is the only browser that shows this page the way it was designed. Your computer's settings may alter the display.)
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Marquee Lights of the Lincoln Theater, est. 1923, Lincoln, Illinois |
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A Tribute to the Krotzes of Lincoln, Illinois In Memory of Karl Leo Krotz (1938--2010), LCHS Class of 1956
I sometimes visited with Karl in his
store-museum in the early 2000s as I researched Lincoln's history. Karl was
always friendly and cooperative, sharing stories, showing me around the
historic Krotz Building, giving me good deals on memorabilia, and allowing
me free rein to take photos. May he rest in peace. -- Leigh Henson |
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Four generations of Krotzes have owned and operated various enterprises in Lincoln. G. Frank Krotz bought 1010 N. Kickapoo in 1919 (across the street from the Stetson China Factory outlet store during the Route 66 era). The Krotz Building and the Krotz businesses depicted on this page are vivid examples of how the past has continued to be "usable" in the first Lincoln namesake city. The original red brick building at 1010 N. Kickapoo (Business Route 66) was built in the first decade of the 1900s. Some of the material used in the construction, including windows and doors, had been salvaged from the dismantled 1858 Logan County Courthouse, in which Abraham Lincoln practiced law. G. Frank added 40' to the length of the original building's 60' (presently the building is a large, two-story structure--100' x 25'-- with covered patios at side rear). For many years, the Krotz family made its home above the store. G. Frank's son, Anthony "Tony" Krotz, and Tony's sons, Edward, Karl (LCHS Class of 1956), and Bob (LCHS Class of 1947), and daughter, Barb (LCHS Class of 1960), continued to operate a grocery store in this building into the early 1970s. The Krotz & Sons grocery was the main business of its type in north Lincoln during the vibrant years of the North Lincoln Mine and the establishment of such major factories as the Illinois China Company (later Stetson's). In the mid 1900s, Author Robert Wilson's parents operated a smaller grocery store nearby on Burlington Street. Besides the Krotz & Sons market, the other grocery stores on Business Route 66 in Lincoln were the Heinzel market on Keokuk Street and the H.F. Wilson & Son grocery on west Fifth Street. The Krotz Building is the only one remaining. Following survival law #1, the Krotzes have adapted with the changing times. At one time Tony sold fried chicken for carry-out. From about 1974 to the late 1990s, the family business became Krotz & Sons Lawn & Garden, Pet Supplies & Gift Center. In the last few years, Krotz & Sons is what I would describe as an "extreme" curiosity shop. Its inventory includes Crosley vintage auto parts because Karl Krotz is a collector. The inventory also includes rare, large photos of Lincoln scenes and merchandise of the Stetson China Company. Some of the store's thousands of antiquities, including printed materials relating to Lincoln's businesses, are not for sale. The establishment thus also serves as a free museum--one of the best-kept secrets of present-day Lincoln, Illinois, and all of central Illinois. This page is a tribute to the Krotzes and was produced with the cooperation and permission of Mr. Karl Krotz. Photos on this page are by Leigh Henson unless otherwise noted. A special thanks to Fred Blanford for obtaining, scanning, and emailing some of Karl's photos. When you visit Karl,
please tell him I sent you. (I am hoping he will give me a discount for
producing this promotional page on the Web.) |
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1: 1010 N. Kickapoo in 2004 |
2: Window from 1858 Logan
County Courthouse |
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3: Sidewalk
Folk Art at Krotz's |
4: The Sign
Says It All |
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5: Undated Store Front
(Photo courtesy of Karl Krotz and |
6: Karl Krotz at 7 (circa 1945): First Day at Work
(Photo courtesy of Karl Krotz and |
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7: Krotz Delivery Truck Stuck on Pulaski Street on the Square (Click image for larger version. Undated photo courtesy of Karl Krotz and transmitted by Fred Blanford)
Tony Krotz handles the shovel while two
unidentified men push. |
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8: North
Side Exterior with Crosley Body |
9: Patio at Rear with Vintage Signs |
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10: Front
to Back Just Inside the Front Door |
11: Krotz Promo Model
Airplane |
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12: Photo Wall Featuring Paul
Powell Portrait |
13: Karl
with Two Beauties |
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14: Before
the Colonel Came to Town? |
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15: Karl Krotz, "The Shabby
Sheik," in 2004 |
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16: Official Business Card
Note: Karl has no email address, and his
phone number is private. Karl's local celebrity status leads him to value
privacy in off hours. If you need him, you know when and where to find him. |
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17: Crosley
Front |
18: Crosley
Interior |
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19: Interior Doorway of the 1858 Logan County Courthouse
The doorway is at the back wall of the main room.
This view looks toward the front. When Abraham Lincoln walked through this
doorway, was it high enough that he at 6' 4" did not have to duck? |
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20: Iron Ring on Floor at
Rear of Building-- |
21: Monument in Front of
Krotz Building |
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22: Krotz Clan Portrait in 1999--75th Anniversary of Krotz Enterprises in Lincoln (Click photo for larger version. Photo courtesy of Karl Krotz and transmitted with names of subjects by Fred Blanford) Front Row-L-R--Karl Krotz, Edward Krotz, Cecile (he wasn't sure of the spelling--widow of Edward I believe he said) Krotz, Robert Krotz, Barbara Krotz Kirk. Back Row-L-R--Mark Krotz, Edward Krotz III, Frank Krotz III, and Steven Klemm (son of Barb). The occasion was the 75th year of operation--the why for the tombstone. |
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Email comments, corrections, questions, or suggestions.
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"The Past Is But the Prelude" |
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