E. M. Kohl Building
Denison, Grayson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Ernst Martin Kohl (1857-1935), former German Navy captain who came to Denison in 1885, built the first floor of this structure in 1893 to house a grocery store and saloon. He added the top three floors in 1909-11 as his family's residence. In the 1930s, this building became the Traveler's Hotel, drawing business from the nearby railroad district. Purchased in 1968 by Mr. and Mrs. Bud Tucker, it was sold in 1975 to Dr. and Mrs. D. H. Brandt and restored by their sons, Bill, Bob, and Charles. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1975
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Ernst Martin Kohl, a former German Navy captain, arrived in the booming railroad town of Denison in 1885 and built the first floor of this structure in 1893 for a grocery and saloon. He raised three more stories in 1909–11 as a family residence, and by the 1930s the building had become the Traveler's Hotel serving the nearby rail district. Later owners restored it, and it was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark in 1975.
Why it matters
The building traces how immigrant entrepreneurs and the railroads together shaped the commercial life of frontier-era Texas towns.
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Related people
- · Ernst Martin Kohl
Themes & tags
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