Walter Theodore Krausch (1867-1930), Architect & Engineer
DBA W. T. Krausch
Walter Theodore Krausch was born in 1867 in Philadelphia to German-born parents. His father, Theodore, was a civil engineer who worked primarily with the manufacturing of ice for breweries, in 1887 incorporating the Theodore Krausch Company in Illinois "to manufacture and sell ice machines."[3][a] City directories and censuses place the peripatetic Theodore and his family in Chicago (ca. 1862-1863); St. Louis (ca. 1863-1866); Philadelphia (1867-1868, where Walter and his brother William were born); New York City (1870-ca. 1872, where his brother Hans was born); Evanston, Illinois (by 1880-1886); and Buffalo, New York (from 1888). While in Evanston, Theodore Krausch was listed as an architect in 1883 and 1884. Theodore died in Buffalo ca. 1898, while his widow Fredericka remained in Buffalo until her death in 1924, where Walter's siblings John and William worked as engineers in ice manufacturing.[4][b]
After the family moved to Evanston by 1880, Walter remained based in the Chicago area throughout his career. He married Clara Ann Shordicke in 1891 and they had a son Paul and a daughter Helen, residing in LaGrange, Illinois.[1][2] Walter T. Krausch was associated with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad from the 1890s until his death in 1930 and designed numerous depots for the line, including ones in Beatrice and Lincoln, Nebraska. He also patented several railroad related improvements. W. T. Krausch died at home in LaGrange on December 9, 1930.[13]
This page is a contribution to the publication, Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. See the format and contents page for more information on the compilation and page organization.
Contents
Compiled Nebraska Directory Listings
Educational & Professional Associations
1890-1891, draughtsman, Chicago
1896-1930, architect CB&Q Railroad, Chicago.[12]
Buildings & Projects
Three-story apartment building for A. M. Anderson (1898), 1499-1505 West Adams Street, Chicago, Illinois.[8]
Burlington Northern Depot (1906), Beatrice, Nebraska.[9]
Burlington Mail Terminal (1926), 1002 Mason, Omaha, Nebraska.[9][10] (DO09:0119-009)
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Depot (1927), 201 N. 7th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.
Notes
a. A civil engineer named C. W. Theodore Krausch superintended the construction of a railroad line from Dubuque to Anamosa in eastern Iowa in 1859-1860, and filed for (and received) several patents for railroad-related improvements from Chicago in 1862-1863.[1][2] Chicago directories listed "Krausch, W. Theodore" as a civil engineer in 1861 and "Krausch, Theodore" as a patent agent in 1862. Probably all of these refer to the same man--Walter T. Krausch's father.
b. The U. S. Census of 1870 enumerated Theodore and Emma Krausch and 3-year-old Walter in New York City. Theodore and his wife Fredericka were in Evanston, Illinois by the time of the 1880 census, with Walter (13), Willie (12), and Hans (9). Presumably Fredericka was step-mother to Walter and probably to Willie, yet Walter provided "Fredricka Wepfer" as his mother's maiden name when he married in 1891, and her obituary listed that she had two sons, Theodore and Walter, and two step-sons, John and Frank.[4][5][6][7]
a. Chicago Tribune noted in June 1898 "W. T. Krausch has completed plans for a three-story apartment building which A. M. Anderson will build at 1499 to 1505 Adams street at a cost of $25,000. It will front 75 feet and have a depth of 64 feet, and will be constructed of pressed brick and stone."[8]
References
1. The History of Jones County, Iowa. (Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879), 343-344; accessed July 8, 2018 on-line at https://archive.org/stream/historyofjonesco01west#page/n8/mode/1up/search/krausch
2. "Car Mover or Hand Locomotive," Chicago Tribune (March 7, 1863), 4.
3. Chicago Tribune (August 12, 1887), 4.
4. "Mrs. Fredericka Krausch, 89 Years Old, Is Dead," Buffalo (New York) Enquirer (January 23, 1924), 12.
5. Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line], s.v. "Theodore Karusch." Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.
6. Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line], s.v. "Theodore Krausch." Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.
7. Ancestry.com. Iowa, Select Marriages Index, 1758-1996 [database on-line], s.v. "Walter Theodore Krausch." Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
8. "Chicago Real Estate...Building Operations for May Are Encouraging," Chicago Tribune (June 5, 1898), 38.
9. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
10. City of Omaha Planning Department, Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission, Database, Query on Architects, May 20, 2002; courtesy of Lynn Meyer, Preservation Planner.
12. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line], s.v. "Walter Krausch." Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
13. Chicago Tribune (December 10 and December 11, 1930), 18.
Page Citation
E. F. Zimmer & D. Murphy, “Walter Theodore Krausch (1867-1930), Architect & Engineer,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, July 8, 2018. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, December 26, 2025.
Contact the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office with questions or comments concerning this page, including any problems you may have with broken links (see, however, the Disclaimers link at the bottom of this page). Please provide the URL to this page with your inquiry.
