421 West Main – John Schlaudt Home

Start walking East on the South side of Main Street.

Johann (John) Schlaudt, a young blacksmith, built the oldest part of the house on a lot originally granted to Conrad Kohlmeier. He decided this would be a good location for his business and bought the northwest half of the lot from the Crenwelges in 1871. Schlaudt paid $340, $100 of which was in cash, another $100 due before Christmas 1871 without interest, and the balance was to be paid the following Christmas at 8%. Business was good and Schlaudt paid off the debt before it was due.

The price Schlaudt paid for the lotsuggests that the the small log house which stood in front of the rock house that serves as the nucleus of the present house was already standing. They used the log cabin as sleeping quarters while the house was being built. Each floor had two rooms, and the house has a large cellar. Downstairs was a parlor (with an extra bed in it,) and a kitchen, upstairs were two bedrooms where the Schlaudts raised ten children. Mr Schlaudt’s customers would also spend the night, if their work wasn’t completed.

John Sclaudt died in 1901. His widow and the children move out to their ranch in the Eckert community. After the children married, Mrs. Schlaudt and her daughter Anna moved back to town. Mrs. Schlaudt lived here the rest of her life, later joined by another daughter who had married August Itz. It was during this time that several additions and renovations were made, including the wing to the front along the east side, which added two rooms—one up and one down—to the house. Behind this part of the house, they added a kitchen, a small hall, and a bathroom. Above that, was added another bedroom. They covered the rock walls with cement plaster which had been marked off in blocks to resemble the new addition at the front.