Alexander Strausz
Encyclopedia
Alexander Strausz was a Hungarian-born
American
brewer, cartographer, architect, mining engineer, industrialist and school superintendent.
, Hungary, as evident by his educated abilities. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
, he served as a lieutenant under Gen. Artúr Görgey
, surrendering with him at Világos
(now Şiria, Romania) in 1849. He was taken prisoner by the Russians, then released into custody of the Austrians for service in the Austrian army in Italy. However, he and several others deserted, seeking refuge first in Hamburg, then in London, UK, in 1850. On 18 April 1851, he arrived in the United States at the port of Boston, MA, with a letter of introduction to Edward Everett
. He was supposedly also acquainted with Daniel Webster
. He worked briefly for an architectural firm in Boston, but did not receive adequate compensation. By the end of the year, he was working for the US Coast Survey.
, one of the daughters of Noble Young, M.D. They had one son, Philip H. (1861–1907) prior to the war, and a few other children after the war: Minnie, Julian, Alex Jr. (1872–1915), Louisa and Henry (1877–1922).
Philip would later attend West Virginia University
between 1881 and 1883, and earned his medical degree from New York University's Bellevue Hospital Medical College
in 1885. His years of medical service included serving on the American Volunteer Medical Corps' Yellow Fever
Experts in 1888. He was married to the former Lida Davis. Upon his death in Toledo, Ohio
, he was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Morgantown, WV
.
Alex Jr. would later become an auditor for various railway companies in Texas, the Philippines and Mexico City. He married the former Mary Hattie Hubbard of Florida. He died from medical complications and never recovered from surgery while working in the Philippines. They had two children, Fenton Egbert who died of a brain tumor (1900–1910) and Mary Helen born November 29, 1912 in St. Louis, MO. Upon Alex Jr.'s death, Mary Helen Hubbard Strausz took her four-year-old daughter to Los Angeles, CA and eventually remarried. Mary Helen Strausz married Louis Paul Crespi (1931), from the family of Father Crespi
who built the California Missions with Father Junipero Sierra, and had one child Shirley Louise Crespi (July 1, 1932 - May 25, 2002). Shirley Louise Crespi married Kenneth Elden Pepping (Born December 14, 1929) and they had two daughters Gail Louise Pepping born September 12, 1952 and Lynne Marie Pepping born June 22, 1954.
Henry Noble "Harry" Strausz would serve in the 6th Ohio Infantry during the Spanish War, and later became a dentist in New Orleans, LA. He married the former Olive Agnes Pratt of Ohio. They had one son, Julien.
Strausz's in-laws were notable. Dr. Young had five surviving children, Albert, Annie, Elizabeth, Minna and Ellen. Elizabeth married Felix Nemegyei, another Hungarian revolutionary and refugee. Minna married Col. Edward Field, son of Richard Stockton Field
. Ellen married Gen. Harry C. Egbert
. Sons-in-law to the last couple included Gen. Charles E. Kilbourne
and Adm. Yates Stirling Jr.
.
required updated and accurate navigational charts of the area in November 1862. In December 1862, Porter sent Strausz to reconnoiter the riverside defenses of that city. Under a flag of truce, he was able to sketch out the battery positions, convincing Porter of the impracticality of attacking the place by water alone. He was active during the venture of Steele’s Bayou of March 1863 until Porter decided to call it off. It was during this time that he met and become good friends with Julius H. Kroehl
. In June 1863, he was detached to survey the Confederate works from Lauman’s
extreme left until it would meet up with survey teams of McClernand’s Corps. He came down with malaria
, and would have to recuperate for several months.
Member, Hydrographic party in the Hudson River, NY, in 1864.
Member, Hydrographic party along the coast of Maine, until November 1864.
Leader, Hydrographic party on the San Juan River
, Nicaraugua, in 1865.
, Strausz and his family relocated there. He partnered with Lawson E. Rice to form the Cape Fear Building Co. A few structures that he either designed or built still remain and are listed in the National Register of Historical Places. These places are the Strausz House, the Hasell-Parsley House, the William A. French House, the Temple of Israel
and the Tileston School. These can be viewed at http://wwwtmpapps.nhcgov.com/LIB/PortCityArch/Search.asp. He was also building railway cars.
, producing wrought iron
. Both their wives were also sisters. He continued to live and work there until 1885, when the plant was closed down. The primary causes were the increasing competition from Bessemer steel and workers' demand for higher wages. In 1879, he provided a statement to Sophia Kroehl on the nature of her late husband’s illness to be included in her pension application.
. He was the secretary and treasurer of the Palatka Milling Company. He also served as superintendent of schools from 1889 to 1892. Annie Young Strausz is buried along with one small son in West View Cemetery in Palatka, Florida. It is believed they died of the yellow fever epidemic that struck about that time. In 1890, he responded again to Sophia Kroehl’s request for a statement. Shortly thereafter, he retired and left for Toledo, OH.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
brewer, cartographer, architect, mining engineer, industrialist and school superintendent.
Early life
Strausz was born to a well-to-do family in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary, as evident by his educated abilities. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
Hungarian Revolution of 1848
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...
, he served as a lieutenant under Gen. Artúr Görgey
Artúr Görgey
----Artúr Görgey de Görgő et Toporcz was a Hungarian military leader.He was born at Toporz in Upper Hungary of a Hungarian noble family of originally Zipser German descent who immigrated to Upper Hungary during the reign of king Géza II . During the reformation they were converted to Protestantism...
, surrendering with him at Világos
Surrender at Világos
The Surrender at Világos took place on 13 August 1849 at Világos, and formally ended the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. After it, Julius Jacob von Haynau became the regent of Hungary and took bloody reprisals against Hungary...
(now Şiria, Romania) in 1849. He was taken prisoner by the Russians, then released into custody of the Austrians for service in the Austrian army in Italy. However, he and several others deserted, seeking refuge first in Hamburg, then in London, UK, in 1850. On 18 April 1851, he arrived in the United States at the port of Boston, MA, with a letter of introduction to Edward Everett
Edward Everett
Edward Everett was an American politician and educator from Massachusetts. Everett, a Whig, served as U.S. Representative, and U.S. Senator, the 15th Governor of Massachusetts, Minister to Great Britain, and United States Secretary of State...
. He was supposedly also acquainted with Daniel Webster
Daniel Webster
Daniel Webster was a leading American statesman and senator from Massachusetts during the period leading up to the Civil War. He first rose to regional prominence through his defense of New England shipping interests...
. He worked briefly for an architectural firm in Boston, but did not receive adequate compensation. By the end of the year, he was working for the US Coast Survey.
Personal Life in America
He met and married the former Annie Young (1837–1889) of Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, one of the daughters of Noble Young, M.D. They had one son, Philip H. (1861–1907) prior to the war, and a few other children after the war: Minnie, Julian, Alex Jr. (1872–1915), Louisa and Henry (1877–1922).
Philip would later attend West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
between 1881 and 1883, and earned his medical degree from New York University's Bellevue Hospital Medical College
New York University School of Medicine
The New York University School of Medicine is one of the graduate schools of New York University. Founded in 1841 as the University Medical College, the NYU School of Medicine is one of the foremost medical schools in the United States....
in 1885. His years of medical service included serving on the American Volunteer Medical Corps' Yellow Fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
Experts in 1888. He was married to the former Lida Davis. Upon his death in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, he was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Morgantown, WV
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is the county seat of Monongalia County. Placed along the banks of the Monongahela River, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and the base of the Morgantown metropolitan area...
.
Alex Jr. would later become an auditor for various railway companies in Texas, the Philippines and Mexico City. He married the former Mary Hattie Hubbard of Florida. He died from medical complications and never recovered from surgery while working in the Philippines. They had two children, Fenton Egbert who died of a brain tumor (1900–1910) and Mary Helen born November 29, 1912 in St. Louis, MO. Upon Alex Jr.'s death, Mary Helen Hubbard Strausz took her four-year-old daughter to Los Angeles, CA and eventually remarried. Mary Helen Strausz married Louis Paul Crespi (1931), from the family of Father Crespi
Juan Crespi
Father Juan Crespí was a Majorcan missionary and explorer of Las Californias. He entered the Franciscan order at the age of seventeen. He came to America in 1749, and accompanied explorers Francisco Palóu and Junípero Serra. In 1767 he went to the Baja Peninsula and was placed in charge of the...
who built the California Missions with Father Junipero Sierra, and had one child Shirley Louise Crespi (July 1, 1932 - May 25, 2002). Shirley Louise Crespi married Kenneth Elden Pepping (Born December 14, 1929) and they had two daughters Gail Louise Pepping born September 12, 1952 and Lynne Marie Pepping born June 22, 1954.
Henry Noble "Harry" Strausz would serve in the 6th Ohio Infantry during the Spanish War, and later became a dentist in New Orleans, LA. He married the former Olive Agnes Pratt of Ohio. They had one son, Julien.
Strausz's in-laws were notable. Dr. Young had five surviving children, Albert, Annie, Elizabeth, Minna and Ellen. Elizabeth married Felix Nemegyei, another Hungarian revolutionary and refugee. Minna married Col. Edward Field, son of Richard Stockton Field
Richard Stockton Field
Richard Stockton Field was a United States Senator from New Jersey, and later a United States federal judge. Field was the great-grandson of Richard Stockton , New Jersey Delegate to the Continental Congress, and the grandson of Richard Stockton , US Senator from New Jersey.Born in White Hall,...
. Ellen married Gen. Harry C. Egbert
Harry C. Egbert
Harry Clay Egbert was an officer in the United States Army who served in the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and the Philippine-American War....
. Sons-in-law to the last couple included Gen. Charles E. Kilbourne
Charles E. Kilbourne
Charles Evans Kilbourne was an officer in the United States Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Philippine–American War.-Biography:...
and Adm. Yates Stirling Jr.
Shuter’s Hill Brewery
In 1858, he partnered with John Klein to set up Shuter’s Hill Brewer, which is located at the base of Shooter’s Hill in Alexandria, VA, close to Hooff’s Run, where King and Duke Streets now extend. This venture introduced lager beer to Virginia. In 1860, he sold out his interest in the company for US$2,000.U.S. Coast Survey
In 1851, he joined the U.S. Coast Survey as a draughtsman. This post was secured by Edward Everett. He participated in one significant campaign in the American Civil War - the Vicksburg CampaignVicksburg Campaign
The Vicksburg Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi River. The Union Army of the Tennessee under Maj. Gen....
.
Vicksburg
As the Mississippi Campaign focused on Vicksburg, Admiral David Dixon PorterDavid Dixon Porter
David Dixon Porter was a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the United States Navy. Promoted as the second man to the rank of admiral, after his adoptive brother David G...
required updated and accurate navigational charts of the area in November 1862. In December 1862, Porter sent Strausz to reconnoiter the riverside defenses of that city. Under a flag of truce, he was able to sketch out the battery positions, convincing Porter of the impracticality of attacking the place by water alone. He was active during the venture of Steele’s Bayou of March 1863 until Porter decided to call it off. It was during this time that he met and become good friends with Julius H. Kroehl
Julius H. Kroehl
Julius Hermann Kröhl was a German-born American inventor and engineer. He built the submarine, Sub Marine Explorer, technically advanced for its era, but destined to failure, because of decompression sickness, which may not have been well understood at that time by Kroehl and others...
. In June 1863, he was detached to survey the Confederate works from Lauman’s
Jacob Gartner Lauman
Jacob Gartner Lauman was a prominent American businessman from Iowa and a controversial general in the Union Army during the American Civil War....
extreme left until it would meet up with survey teams of McClernand’s Corps. He came down with malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, and would have to recuperate for several months.
Other USCS Activities
Leader, Hydrographic party around New Bern, NC, in 1864.Member, Hydrographic party in the Hudson River, NY, in 1864.
Member, Hydrographic party along the coast of Maine, until November 1864.
Leader, Hydrographic party on the San Juan River
San Juan River (Nicaragua)
The San Juan River , also known as El Desaguadero , is a 192.06 km river that flows east out of Lake Nicaragua into the Caribbean Sea. A large section of the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica runs on the right bank of the river...
, Nicaraugua, in 1865.
Wilmington
In 1867, taking advantage of the building surge in Wilmington, NCWilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
, Strausz and his family relocated there. He partnered with Lawson E. Rice to form the Cape Fear Building Co. A few structures that he either designed or built still remain and are listed in the National Register of Historical Places. These places are the Strausz House, the Hasell-Parsley House, the William A. French House, the Temple of Israel
Temple of Israel (Wilmington, North Carolina)
The Temple of Israel is a Jewish house of prayer located on the corner of Fourth and Market Streets in Wilmington, North Carolina, United States. Built in 1876, the Temple of Israel is the oldest synagogue in North Carolina and one of the earliest Reform synagogues in the American South...
and the Tileston School. These can be viewed at http://wwwtmpapps.nhcgov.com/LIB/PortCityArch/Search.asp. He was also building railway cars.
Irondale
In 1878, a fellow émigré and brother-in-law, Col. Felix de Nemegyei, hired him when he briefly lived in Philadelphia, PA, to manage the Irondale Furnace near Independence, WVIndependence, Preston County, West Virginia
Independence is an unincorporated community in Preston County, West Virginia, United States, adjacent to the town of Newburg.-Notable residents:*Alexander Strausz- Hungarian-American soldier, architect and settler....
, producing wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
. Both their wives were also sisters. He continued to live and work there until 1885, when the plant was closed down. The primary causes were the increasing competition from Bessemer steel and workers' demand for higher wages. In 1879, he provided a statement to Sophia Kroehl on the nature of her late husband’s illness to be included in her pension application.
Palatka
In 1885, he and his family relocated to Palatka, FL, buying 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) near the St. Johns RiverSt. Johns River
The St. Johns River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant for commercial and recreational use. At long, it winds through or borders twelve counties, three of which are the state's largest. The drop in elevation from the headwaters to the mouth is less than ;...
. He was the secretary and treasurer of the Palatka Milling Company. He also served as superintendent of schools from 1889 to 1892. Annie Young Strausz is buried along with one small son in West View Cemetery in Palatka, Florida. It is believed they died of the yellow fever epidemic that struck about that time. In 1890, he responded again to Sophia Kroehl’s request for a statement. Shortly thereafter, he retired and left for Toledo, OH.