Peter E. Kern

Peter E. Kern (October 13, 1860 - February 8, 1937) was a jeweler and real-estate entrepreneur in El Paso, Texas and Skagway, Alaska.

[4] Kern was also known for building the first Queen Anne house in the city, which was located on North Oregon Street.

[2] He then went to visit his brother in Kansas City in 1879, and then went on to work for the Rio Grande railroad for two years.

[2] He met his first wife, Madeline Gregory, an army officer's daughter, at his shop and in 1886 he proposed and the couple was married in St.

[16] On December 26, 1914, Kern and others donated a block of land to the El Paso School for Girls.

[17] In 1918, Kern gave the El Paso Public Library several copies of the genealogy of his family.

[19] She went to court on behalf of her mother, now known as Mrs. Madeline G. White,[15] to have Kern Place considered a community property.

The resulting legal mess caused problems for the titles which Kern was also sued for fraud.

[22] In 1930, he had lost all of his money and worked for others in Kern Place as a gardener, earning 30 cents an hour.

[19] Kern moved to Arlington, Texas in 1932,[19] and started living in the Masonic Home for the Aged.

"[20] On February 8, 1937, Kern was killed in a collision with a Texas & Pacific passenger train in Arlington.