History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Part 167

Author: Andreas, A. T. (Alfred Theodore), 1839-1900
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : A.T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 875

USA > Illinois > Cook County > History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time > Part 167

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

AI. F. PEELMAN, contractor and builder, P. O. Kensing. ton, was born in Meadville, Crawford Co., Penn., May 14. 1555. where he was raised. He came to Conk County in April, 1881. where he has since been identified in building. HENRY C. P'EFL. uwv, of Peelman Bros., came to Cook County April 14. 18St, and worked al the carpenter trade by the day some time, and finally formeil a partnership with his brother, Al. F. Freeman, in eno. tracting and building. He was born in Meadville, Penn. Decem- lier 1, 1852, azul was raised and educated there.

t. O. RECTOR, agent of the C., R. L. & l'., and C., Se. I. & F'. railroads, 1. O. Englewood, came to Chicago In the summit

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of 186g, and elerked in C., R. I. & P. R. R. Company's office un- til he took charge of the station at Peru, Ill., where he remained five years. In 1874 he took charge of the Washington Heights passenger and transfer depois, Hle was born at Syracuse, N. Y .. March 3, 1845, and was raised and educated in his native State. Ile was made a Mason at Peru, 111., November 11, 1564. He was married to Miss Jennie E. Bowen, a daughter of Jared W. Bowen, of Syracuse, N. Y.

F. A. REICH, Postmaster of Riverdale, and dealer in general merchandise, lumber and building material of all kinds, came to Thornton Township. Cook County, in 1862, where he followed farming, in 1866 coming to Riverdale and opening a general store. Ile has now the oldest established trade in the village; began The lumber trade in the fall of 1878. He erected a planing mill in 1880, which has a capacity of Go.oo0 feet per day, and employs twenty-two men. He sells about 4,000,000 feet of lumber per year, and owns a vessel which he uses in carrying lumber. He was born in Saxony, Germany, May 10, 1842, and came to America with his parents in 1854, locating in Indiana until he came lo Illinois. In 1366 he was married lo Miss Louisa S. Gatter, of Wurtemberg, Germany. They have two children, August C. and Ono C. Ife is a member of the A. O. U. W. and 1. O. O. F. He has served as Town Commissioner three years, and as l'ostmaster of River- dale fourteen years.

FRIEDRICH SCHMIDT, farmer and gardener, P. O. River- dale, came to Cook County in 1850, and farmed near C'alumet Lake. 'In 1552 he settled at what is now Riverdale, where he has since followed agricultural pursuits. Ile was born in Saxony, Ger. many. August 22, 1928, and was raised a farmer and miller, Hle came to America in 1548 ; worked in a flouring mill in Pittsburgh, l'enn., two years. He then started on foot, and after many days' hard travel finally reached Chicago. In 1955 he was married to Miss Caroline Draeger, a native of Hanover. Germany, born in 831. They have two sons, Fred. W .. now attending Chicago Medical College in the class of 1885, and Gustav A., now attend- ing Englewood high school, Mr. Schmidt is now member of the school board of his township, and has held several town offices.

MATHIAS SCHMIDT, P. O. South Englewood, follows the business of contract work, grading railroads, and street building, and also does a large hay Irade. He came to Chicago in 1857, where he engaged in grading streets and railroad grades, Ile settled in Lake Township in 1860, and began his present business. He has been Street Overseer about thirteen years, and member of the school board the same length of time. He was born in Prussia, Ger- many, October 14. 1935, and came with his parents to the United States in 194t. In 1857 he married Fredericka Kohl, a native of Buffalo, N. Y. They had ten chikbien-Mary V., Lewis (deceased), Sarah Joseph, Lizzie (deceased), Willie. Philip, John (deceased). Emma and Addie. His wile died in 1878. In October, 1880, he married Catharine Elling, a native of Holstein, Germany, who by a former marriage had eight children-Georgia (deceased), Anna, Mary, Willie, Lena, Georgiana. August and Christopher.

S. MONTGOMERY SMITHI, of Fernwood, was born in Warsaw, N. Y., June 13, 1856, and was there raised. At the age of fifteen he began as clerk in the Chemical National Bank of New York City, and received ten promotions before coming to Chicago in 1877. In the spring of 1883 he became interested in and pro- jected Fernwood Village, located on the Chicago & Eastern Hli- nois Railroad. Of this place E. 1 .. Gillelle and Henry 1 .. Ilill are proprietors, and Mr. Smith superintends and controls all the im- provements of the village.

GORRIS VAN DER SYDE, Postmaster of Roseland, and dealer in crockery, notions, etc., came to Roseland in 1849. Ile engaged in the retail meat trade about two years, then embarked In general merchandising, which business he continued twenty-five years, be- ing the pioneer merchant of the village. In 1861 he took charge of the Roseland Post-Ulifice, and has since officiated in that capacity. He has served as Township Clerk and Collector of Taxes two terms each. Ile was born in Ilolland December 13, 1828, and came to America in 1849. In 1857 he married Miss Engel fle- Young, a daughter of Henry De Young, an old settler of Thornton Township. They have six children - Lendert, Harry, Henry, Gorris, Jr., Mary and Nellie. They are members of the Dutch Re- formed Church of Roseland.

BLUE ISLAND VILLAGE.

This is one of the first settled villages of the county, dating its origin back to 1835. To-day, however, be- yond a very few buildings which have withstood the ravages of time, the place possesses no other inonu- ments of the past. There are a few of the early pioneers

left, and to them is due the credit of furnishing much of the matter which appears in these pages.

It was here that Peter Barton platted a village and indulged in hopes of building up a city nearly half a century ago, but like many other enterprizes, his was destined to failure. The location of Blue Island Village is a beautiful one. Nowhere about Chicago is there to be found a more pleasant and desirable resident locality. The origin of the name is said to be due to the fact that a strip of land six miles long, and an average of one mile in width, elevated nearly fifty feet above the sur- rounding country, gave to it the appearance of an island. To further complete the semblance, at the northern extremity of the ridge, was a piece of heavy timber which, rising abruptly from the level prairie, appeared to the traveler at a distance to skirt the shores of a lake. This was due, of course, to that singular phenomenon in nature called a mirage. Isaac Cook, now of St. Louis, John Calhoun, H. B. Clark, Captain Hugunin, Ashbel Steele, Frank Sherman and others, in early days came here for the purpose of hunting deer and other game, and noticing the mirage, they named the country hereabout Blue Island. Peter Barton came here in 1837 ; he caused a plot of a village to be made, erected a store.building on Western Avenue, then called the Wabash road, and chartered a schooner to bring supplies. He and Norman Rexford also laid out the highway, now known as Vincennes Avenue. Jermani- cus Cooley came late in the year 1839, and settled on the Wilson lot. About the same time Horace Mann settled near Western Avenue and Burr Oak Street. Carlton Wadhams came in 1840 and located a farm in the same neighborhood. This farm he owned until 1844, when he sold it, and moved into the village, and built the house now owned by Mr. Klien.

Mr. Barton named the place " Portland," and not until many years later did the village obtain the one it now bears. The post-office name of the village was " Worth," although the citizens called it Blue Island, which name was given to it legally when the village organization was effected in 1872.

Norman Rexford's family settled at the head of the Island in 1835, and the following year located the Rex- ford Homestead. Mr. Rexford was the first settler in what is now Blue Island Village, and in which he lived up to the time of his death in 1883. Mrs. Rexford, who survives him, still lives on the old place, and has vivid recollections of the life and times now long agone. H. S. Rexford came to Chicago in 1832, made a claim at Yankee Settlement, and lived at Norman Rexford's house from June until in March of the following year, when he returned to the East, after the land sale. Unable, however, to control his desire for western life, Mr. Rexford, a few years later, re-visited Chicago and finally located at Blue Island, where he now resides. Stephen Jones, who also came here at an early day, died June 14, 1851, and Mrs. Jones (formerly Crandall) lives to-day in the village, being one of the few surviv- ing pioneers.

John Britton came in 1837 and built a blacksmith shop at what is now Western Avenue, a short distance below the Rexford Hotel. Z. Wilson came the same year, and in 1838 began building for himself a house, which, however, he did not live to complete ; as he died in the winter of that year. In 1840 Jermanicus Cooley purchased the property, completed the unfin- ished building and made it his home.

Henry Robinson platted a portion of Blue Island in the vicinity of the public school shortly after his

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arrival herc. Carlton Wadhams also made a plat about the same time.

When S. D. Huntington came to the village in 1845, he had among his neighbors, Norman Rexford, Jer- manicus Cooley, Stephen Jones, Henry Robinson, John Britton and others. At that time Stephen Jones lived in the only house south of Stony Creek. Norman Rexford kept his Blue Island House, and adjoining him lived Henry Robinson, Jermanicus Cooley resided north of the Robinsons and adjoining the blacksmith shop built by John Britton. In those days, and as late as the winter of 1849-50, game of all kind was in abundance about Blue Island. During the winter just mentioned deer appeared in great numbers. Carlton Wadhams, Daniel Staunton, now of Connecticut, Ed. Slocum, S. D. Huntington and others whose names have been mentioned in the history of Blue Island, were among the hunters of that period.

The Perriams, who settled at Riverdale previous to this time, together with other settlers as far south as the township of Bloom, made Portland their trading and market town. Charles and Joseph B. Robinson came in 1840, and two years later built a store house on the Wabash road.

Richard Bingle settled on what is now the White- beck homestead in 1842. Two years thereafter he died, and his body was buried on the farm. Benjamin San- ders came to the village in 1845 and made it his home until his death, which occurred a few years ago. He was connected with the County Board for many years, and was mainly instrumental in having the County Normal School located at Blue Island in 1867.

The first death in the settlement was that of a Mr. Wilson, who died in August, 1838, at the home of the Rexfords. He was buried on a lot which before his decease he had purchased, near the Blue Island depot. The second death was that of Mrs. Hume, which oc- curred in September, 1842. She was buried on the ridge near the Sanders homestead. The first birth in the settlement outside the village limits, was that of Barton Rexford, horn in 1836. The first child born in the village was Edna Annie Jones, daughter of Stephen Jones, July 26, 1840. The first marriage was that of Uriah Wentworth to the Widow Boardman. The wed- ding occurred at the house of Stephen Rexford, a Justice of the Peace, and who also tied the nuptial knot. The second on record was at the same place, the Justice officiating as before. The contracting par- ties were Stephen Jones and Martha Crandall. The date of the ceremony was October 18, 1837.

The first murder in the vicinity was a peculiarly cold blooded and fiendish affair ; the facts, which will yet be remembered by the few remaining settlers of those days, are as follows : On Friday, the 18th of December, 1857, the dead body of a man was found lying on the ground by the roadside in the town of Worth, and near the village of Blue Island. In the road, opposite the spot where the body was lying, was a large pool of blood, and from this a bloody trail showed that the deed had been done in the road and the murderer had then dragged the body to the spot where it was discovered. Examinations disclosed the fact that the man had heen shot through the head, inflicting an injury from which death must have been an instan- taneous result. The body was recognized as being that of a Mr. Lauermann, a German farmer, who re- sided on the Western prairie The night before he had stopped at the Blue Island Hotel, and at daylight, on Friday morning, had started with his team and wagon with a load of oats for Chicago. As the team had dis-

appeared, suspicion at once attached to a young Swiss, Albert Staub, alias Emile Derr, who had also stopped all night at the same tavern with Lauermann, and who had asked permission of the deceased to ride with him to the city. Sheriff Wilson was at once notified of the facts, and Captain Bradley, the noted detective, set to work to discover the murderer. He traced the young man Staub to Milwaukee, and on the afternoon of the erst had the satisfaction of receiving a dispatch from that place, which informed him the man had been arrested and was in custody, awaiting his orders. Staub was taken to Chicago and placed in jail, when he con- fessed to the murder of Lauermann, as well as to other crimes, and told in full the story of his life. He said that he was nineteen years of age, and that he was born and raised in the town of Thalwiel, near the city of Zurich, Switzerland. His parents, it was learned, were respectable people in comfortable circumstances, and young Staub had received a good education, being especially proficient in mathematics. His parents dying, however, he soon dissipated what little property they had left him, and on the 26th of May, 1857, he, with a number of his countrymen landed in Chicago, it being the intention of the party to settle near Oshkosh, Wis .. and purchase farms in that locality. On arriving at Chicago, Staub found himself without money. although he had a through ticket to his intended destination. He accordingly concluded to go no further, and stoppedl at a Swiss boarding-house known as the "Bremen Hoff," which then stood on the corner of Clark and Taylor streets. Here, through a friend, he obtained employment and worked at Hagerman's tavern until about the first of September, when he went to Blue Island and engaged in hauling wood for two brothers named Baden, countrymen of his, and who had come to this country about the same time. Here he committed his first crime. As he was in Blue Island every day, he was entrusted by his employers to bring their letters from the post office. About the middle of November Staub learned that the Badens were expecting a sum of money from the old country. He then commenced to watch the mails. Soon the letter came, with an order on the United States Express Company for the sum of $387. 'This order he sold, and with the proceeds fled to Milwau- kec. At that place he purchased a saloon for $600, pay- ing $So down, and arranging that the balance should be paid by New Year's Day. He then started to return to Chicago, telling the party from whom he had purchased the saloon, that as soon as he sold some horses which he had there, he would return and close the trade. He went direct to Blue Island, where, as already stated, he fell in with the German farmer. It was then he formed the de- sign of killing his new found friend, and of selling his horses in order to get more money with which to continue in business. This was on the morning of the 18th of De- cember, and the weather was quite cold. After they had gone some distance Mr. Lauermaun proposed that Staub should drive the team; Staub did as requested. and took the lines, while the farmer, turning himself partly around, sat with his feet hanging over the end board of the wagon, and kicking them against it to keep them warm. While he was sitting in this position, the murderer, as he subsequently stated, put his hand into his breast coat pocket to draw his weapon, but his courage failed him. Finally he grew desperate, drew his pistol, and a moment later the German was in eter- nity. After he had committed the murder. Staub dragged the body some distance from the road, where he left it. He then took the team and drove to Mil- waukee, where he arrived on Monday the 21st, and was

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almost immediately arrested by an officer, who identi- fied him on a description furnished by Captain Bradley. The murderer also stated that he had never seen Lauer- mann before, and that his only object in committing the crime was plunder. He said he wanted money to pay for the saloon, and did not know how to get it ex- cept by robbery. He made this confession in the jail, and only once did he show signs of remorse for his crime, which was when he was told that the man he had so ruthlessly murdered had left a wife and children. On hearing this he wept for a moment, but soon re- gained his usual composure. Of course, in the face of his confession, his trial was but a short affair, and he was sentenced to be hanged on Tuesday. April 20, 1858. The day on which he paid the penalty of his crime was a dark and dismal one, and during the execution rain fell unceasingly on the thousands who gathered to wit- ness the awful spectacle. The gallows was erected on Reuben Street now Ashland Avenue ), five or six blocks south of its intersection with Madison Street; and " de- spite the rain and mud," says the Tribune in its account, "the crowd followed the procession as best they could across lots, after wading in water nearly knee deep." Arriving at the gallows the N. G. C'adets, commanded by Captain Styker, and the Shields Guard under Cap- tain Kelly, formed into a hollow square about the scaf- fold and kept the crowd at a respectful distance. Bit- terly weeping and completely unmanned, the prisoner was led from the carriage to the scaffoll. The Rev. Mr. Baum of the Clark-street Methodist Church, then of- fered up a touching prayer on behalf of the condemned man. While the reverend gentleman was praying, the prisoner apparently regained his composure, and when Sheriff Wilson adjusted the noose about his neck, he stood calmly submitting, making no signs of emotion or weakness. Before the white gown was placed upon him he requested permission to say a few words to his German brethren present, which was granted. He spoke in German, exhorting those who heard him to take warning by his fate, to keep away from bad com- pany, to let liquor alone, and not to allow their love for money to lead them into crime. The gown was then put on, the black cap drawn over his face, the bolt drawn and Albert Staub was launched into eternity. He professed religion, and died believing he had been fully pardoned and that the joys of heaven awaited him on his entrance to another world,

In 1838 a post-office was established, with Norman Rexford as Postmaster. The office was located in a buikling then called the Blue Island House, on the site where the Bocht store now stands. The Postmasters since that time have been: Henry Robinson, H. . H. Massey, Cyrus B. Sammons, Dr. Harmon, F. Schop- per, H. P. Robinson and F. G. Deffenbach, In early days, H. S. Rexford used to carry the mail on his stage between Chicago and Crete, via Bloom, Thornton, Blue Island and Junction Grove.

VILLAGE ORGANIZA TION,-Prior to the fifties, and indeed until the coming of the first railroad in 1854, Blue Island was a much more stirring place than it is at the present time. In those days farmers hauled their proil- uce to Chicago, some of them coming from down on the Kankakee and Wabash, a distance of fifty miles; and Blue Island was a stopping point on their route. Now, however, all is changed, the railroads which trav- erse the country in every direction do the work of transporting produce of all kinds to the Chicago mar- ket and Blue Island has become a quiet, though one among the prettiest little suburban towns in the West.

During the winter of 1869-70 the question of obtain-

ing a village government was discussed; and subse-" quently a bill was introduced in the State Legislature for the re-organization of the township of Calumet, and the east half of the eastern sections of Worth Township, on the same plan as are the towns of Lake and Hyde Park. The measure, however, did not pass, and for the time being, the matter of town organization was per- mitted to drop. In July of 1872 the question was again revived by the citizens, who presented a petition to Judge M. R. M.Wallace, of the County Court, praying for the right of determining by a popular vote the question of effecting a permanent village organization. The ter- ritory embraced in the petition was the east half of Sec- tions 36 and 25, Township 37, Range 13, in the town- ship of Worth, and the west half of Sections 31 and 30, Township 37, Range 14, in the township of Calumet, al including an arca of two square miles. The following are the signatures attached to the original document : H. H. Massey, Merrill Kile, Alfred Duller, Albert W. Roche, C. B. Sammons, Charles D. Robinson, J. W. Harmon, C. Renkenberger, John M. Green, W. B. Bout- well, W. Shults, O. G. Kile, B. N. Rexford. Benjamin Sanders, George E. Plumb, Royal Fox, James Green, Hart Massey, William Black, W. R. Patterson, Jolin Klein, F. Schapper, F. G. Deifinbach, August Breder- man, George Luchtemeyer, William Sorgenfon, Andrew Milim, Henry Schmitt, P. Schleuter, William Baumbach, Edward Eichkoff, 11. B. Robinson.

Authority to hold an election, was granted by Judge Wallace August 22, 1872, at the house of Gotlib Klien on September 7. following. Christian Krueger, Henry Bertrand and Hart Massey, were appointed as judges of the election, which was held on the day, named, with the following result: Total number of votes polled, 114; number in favor of organization, 99; number against, 13; blanks, 2; R. C. Auld and W. R. Patterson were the clerks of the election. October 26, 1872, the election of the first board of trustees took place, which resulted in the selection of Richard McClaughry, Ludwig Krueger, Jacob Apple, Walter P. Roche and Benjamin Sanders. The meeting to organize the vil- lage council was held October 28, 1872, at the office of C. B. Sammons, who was also chosen president. On the 30th of the month, Hart Massey was appointed clerk, and Peter Schluester treasurer. Mr. Schluester, however, failed to serve, and Herman Schmidt was appointed November 9. 1872. Immediately following this a council room was obtained and a set of village ordinances framed and adopted. A loan of $200 was negotiated at ten per cent, and authority given to sur- vey and plat the entire territory included in the order establishing the village. William B. Brayton was appointed Superintendent of Public Works, and Henry Marker captain of police in December of that year. The second annual election was held April 15, 1873, and the following named officers were chosen: Christian Krueger, Ferdinand Daemike, Edward Eichoft, Mer- rill Kile, W. P. Roche and Jacob Appel, trustees; Henry Bertrand, police justice; F. G. Diefenbach, clerk; Her- man Schmidt, president; W. B. Brayton, treasurer and Superintendent of Public Works, and Herman Sternam, captain of police.

The officers from 1874 to the present time are named in the following list:

Presidents-George Luctenieyer, 1874-75; Benja- min Sanders, 1875-78; J. P. Young. 1878-80; Christian Krueger, 1880-83: M. C. Eames, 1883-84.

Clerks-Charles Trapp, 1874-75; F. G. Diefenbach, 1875-78; F. Hlohman, 1878-82; Louis Luctemeyer, 1882-84.

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Treasurers-Herman Schmidt, 1874-80; Edward Seyforth, 1880; William Black, 1880-83; Christian Krueger, 1883-84.

Police Justices-Marshal Arnold, 1874-75; F. Dac- micke, 1875-76; W. E. Day, 1876-77; Charles Ellfeldt, 1877-84.

Trustees-1874, George Lurtemeyer, Christian Krue- ger, F. Duemicke, Ed. P. Hansen, Edward Eichoft and Thomas Clausen; 1875. Benjamin Sanders, l'eter 1.s- son, Samuel D. Huntington. R. S. MeClanghry and Jacob Thoenning: 18;6, Daniel Klien, S. D. Hunting. ton, Benj. Samlers, Peter Insson, J. Thoenning amt K. S. Med'laughry; 1877. Benj. Sanders, R. S. MeClau. ghry. J. Thoenning. D. Klien, P. Lusson and S. D. Huntington: 18;8, J. P. Young. F. 1 .. Bushnell, Benj. Cool, 11. Bertrand and J. Stoffel; 1879. 1. P. Young, Benj. Conl. R. S. MeClanghry, C. Krueger, William Black and Conrad Kich; 18so, William Black, Michael Nice, H. MeClaughry. P. Lusson, Emil Bochel aml C. Krueger: 1881, C. Kroeger, William Black, Emil Bochel, John Stoffel, C. F. Enlam and M. C. Eames; 1883, Christ- ian Krueger, John Stoffel, C. F. Eidam, Theo. Guenther and Frank 1 .. Bushnell.

The population of the village in June, 18So, was 1,542, which number has been much increased within the past two years.

The present owners of subilivisions at Blue Island are Otis Wattles, John P. Young and the Sander's and Robinson's subdivisions. The price of lots range from Sto to $15 per front foot within the limits of the village. Acre lots on the ridge are worth from two to live hun. dred dlollars each, while in the bottom lands south of the village and across Stony Creek good land can be pur- chased as low as eighty dollars per acre.

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History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Part 167

Author: Andreas, A. T. (Alfred Theodore), 1839-1900 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago : A.T. Andreas Number of Pages: 875

Author: Andreas, A. T. (Alfred Theodore), 1839-1900
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : A.T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 875