The alert and progressive grocer and fish merchant
of Saint Ignace, enjoys a distinctive popularity in the community and
his success is richly merited, since it is the
direct result of his own efforts as applied in
an honorable and legitimate direction. He
engaged in merchandising at this point about
fifteen years ago, in partnership with his
brother-in-law, the capital which he invested
in the enterprise being of modest sort and
representing the surplus amount which he
had accumulated from his service as a
stationary engineer in this city. He was in
the employ of the Mackinaw Lumber Company for the five years prior to embarking in
the mercantile business, in 1880.
The subject of this review is a native of
Prussia, where he was born on the 4th of
February, 1853, and where he received such
educational discipline as was within his
reach. The family came to the United
States in 1866 and located in Marinette,
Wisconsin. The father, Lewis Kruger, is
now a resident of Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
having attained to the venerable age of seventy-eight years.
Mr. Kruger had partially learned his
trade of engineer in his native land, but he
completed his apprenticeship in the same at
Marinette. Up to the time when he attained his majority he had devoted the
proceeds of his efforts to the support of his
father and the family, having been active
and industrious and in no wise reluctant to
apply his earnings in that direction, where
they could legally be held. He left the
parental roof at the age of twenty-one,
without any resources save those afforded
him by his strong arm, his knowledge of his
trade and a willingness to work. He secured a position with the Menominee River
Lumber Company, running one of their tug
boats, and he was in their employ up to and
including the time when he first came to
Saint Ignace. He was in receipt of good
monthly wages, but it did not happen that
much was laid away for some years. He
finally saved six or seven hundred dollars,
and in partnership with Mr. Hintz engaged
in his present line of business in Saint
Ignace, under the firm name of Kruger &
Hintz. Mr. Hintz died in 1890 and our
subject soon after purchased the widow's
interest, since which time the business has
been conducted under his name as sole
proprietor. He transacts a very representative business in the line of retail groceries,
while the establishment is the source of
supply in a wholesale way for a quite extended trade territory in the contiguous
sections. During ten years of his career as
a merchant, Mr. Kruger was also quite
extensively engaged in the operation of fishing boats, and from this industry he netted
a good profit, not abandoning his connection
with the same until about a year ago, since
which time he has contented himself with
handling the catch of others. His success
in a business way has been most gratifying,
and from the profits thereof he has become
the owner of valuable real-estate in Saint
Ignace, and in 1890 he erected his modern
and attractive brick business block, which
is one of the finest in the city, being two
stories in night and 50x60 feet in dimensions,—representing a financial outlay of
$7,000.
In his political adherence Mr. Kruger is
a stalwart Republican, and he has ever
taken a lively interest in local affairs of
public nature, lending effective aid in advancing the success of his party at the polls
and manifesting a progressive public spirit
He, however, is not a seeker for office, and
holds all political matters as secondary to
his business affairs, which he never neglects
for extraneous issues. He is a man of
strong physique, weighs 200 pounds, but is
lithe and active.
In 1877 Mr. Kruger was united in marriage to Miss Bettie Hintz, a daughter of
John Hintz. a native of Germany. The
children of this union are Albert, Freddie
and Willie. Mrs. Kruger died, and in 1889
our subject married her sister. Emma Hintz.
who has borne him one child, Herbert.
Source: Memorial Record of the Northern Peninsula 1895
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