Charles Kristufek moved to Ambridge in 1902 and opened his first office on 1st Street. The building pictured is probably the 4th Street office built later.

Over the door we see, "Charles Kristufek, Banker." On the side of the building is, "Karola Kristufka" followed by "Slovenska Hrvatska, Polska Banka, and Deutsche Bank." Finally, he advertised, "Banking, Steamship, and Foreign Exchange Agency."

He also erected houses, buildings, and churches, sold real estate and insurance, located industrial and construction labor in the U.S. and abroad, supplied food and materials for building crews, and operated the town's first public water system.

He was not the only one of his kind in Ambridge, but he was chosen here because of a personal connection. My grandfather, Frank Wacht (an Austrian immigrant), appeared at a Kristufek work site with a carpenter's toolbox and after sharpening his skills for a few years, became an independent home builder.