History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Part 217

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 217

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).

JACONI J. WALSER. ticket broker, office 9; Clark Street, Chicago, was horn in Germany, and six years later his parents im- migrated to America, locating, in 1855, in Chicago. The sul.ject of ilsis sketch Iearned the trade of book-binder, and was for some ten years employed in that capacity. In 1865 he embarked in lusi. ness as a manufacturer and dealer in eigars, was burned out in the great fire of 1971, and subsequently established the firm of Walser & lleg ird, wholesale dralers in cigars, which concern carried on business for two and a half years. In July. 1575, Mr. Walser em- barked in his present business, and to-day is one of the leaders in this line. He is president of the American Ticket Broker' Asso- ciation. Mr. Walser moved to Austin in April, 1973 : is a member of Cicero Chapter, R. A. M., of that place, and a charter member of Siloam Commandery, K. T., Oak Park.

ANDREW B. WII!TE, railway post-office clerk, was born at New Scotland, Albany Co., N. Y., in 1844, and there learned the trade of harness-making and earringe-trimming. He enlisted Sep- lember 23, 1961, in Company 1). 91-t New York Volunteer In- fantry, and was discharged December Jt, 1863. Ile, with the rest of the regiment, re-enlisted the same day, and served until July 3. 1865. After the war he worked nt his traile in Albany County, N. Y', until t876, when he moved West to Vinton, Bentun Co., Iowa, In the spring of 1877 he came to Austin, and has since been em- ployed in the United States mail service as railroad post-n'fice clerk. He is a charter member of Kilpatrick Post, G. A. R .. No. 276, and juoior vice-commander in the same; i+ alsn orator of Cicero Council, No. 590, Royal Arcanum, at Austin, and a trustee of the Presbyterian Church.

A. B. WICKER, railway post-office clerk, was born at Brid- port, Addison Co., Ve,, in November, 1839. and was reareil on a farm. le came to Illinois in Angu-t, 196o, and lar a few months resided at Chicago. During the winter he taught school at Geneva Lake, Wis., after which he returned honic aml fulluwed farming. In 1862 he came back to Chicago and entered the employ of ilie American Express Company, first ax messenger, then as route agent. In 1866 he was appointed agent fur the " Merchants' Union Express Co.," nt Blocinington, Il., and eighteen munths Jater represented also the American and United States express companies, remaining in Bloomington in all about three years, when he resigned. moveil to Springfield aml filled the position of a clerk in the Senate during the session ; then went to Washington, D. C., and for eighteen months was employed in the office of the Third Auditor. To the fall of 1870 he returned to Illinois, and al that time entered the United States mail service as railway post-office clerk on the Chicago, Alion & St. Louis Railroad. Mr. Wieker is a charler member of Cicero Chapter. R. A. M., No. 180, Austin, Ill., and is grand steward of the Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. M. of Illinois. He also has for three years been a director of the Illinois Masonic Benevolent Society.

WARREN WILKIE, Superintendent of the Schools of Aus- tin, wasborn in the town of LeRay, Jefferson Co., N. Y., in 1832. lle passed to the senior year in the classical course at the Wes Jeyan University, Middletown. Conn., afterward entering Union Col- lege, Schenectady, N. Y., and grailuating in 1856. He was elected Town Superintendent of Schools of LeRay, but declined the office, and located at Terra Haute. Ind., to take charge of the county seminary. He came lo Illinois in November, t859. For one year he taught school at Geneva, and fur seven years was superin. iendent of West Side schools al Auroma, In 1565 he moved 10 the town of Cicero, and for six years had charge of the schools of Oak Park. In May, 1575, he was appointed Superintenilent ofthe Schools and Secretary of the Board of Education in Distriet No. 2,

Cuuk County, which position he filled for some two years. After this for one year he taught methods in arithmetic, language and geography at the Cook County Normal. In the fall of 1878 he had charge of the schools at Woodstock, Ill., and io the fall of 1$79 removed to Austin, where he now resides, and entered upon his present duties as Superintendent of Schools. He is a member of Cicero Chapter, R. A. M., No. 180.

THOMAS HENRY WILSON, contractor and builder, was born in Kane County, III., in 1844, and reared on a fario. Learn. ing the carpenter trade io 187t, he followed that occupation in various portions of the State up to 1877, when he came to Cook County and located at Austin, where he established himself 10 business as a contractor. Hie confines himself priocipally to erect- ing dwelling houses.

OAK PARK.

This most delightful suburb is located on the Galena Division of the Chicago & North-Western Railroad, eight and six-tenths miles from Chicago. Joseph Ket- tlestrings arrived here in 1833, and in 1835, after work- ing in Bickerdike & Noble's saw mill nearly two years, erected a house on Lake Street, near the present lown line between Cicera anil Provisa. On the 28th of April, 1835, he entered his land from the Government, the northwest quarter of Section 7, Township 39, Range 13. The exact amount of land entered was 172.78 acres, and the price paid was $21 5.98. Out the 22d of November, 1848, Mr. Kettlestrings sold to R. K. Swift thirty acres of this quarter section, and Mr. Swift sold the same land to S. P. Skinner February 25, 1853, for $3,000. This part of the quarter section, the southwest corner of it. Mr. Skinner subdivided into lots, and it is known as Skinner's subdivision of Oak Park. On the 20th of May, 1856, Mr. Skinner sold Lots No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 to Hugh G. Clark; on the 26th of December, 1856, he sold nine lots, from 12 to 20 inclusive, to W. W. Bemis and M. C. Niles; and on the 29th of Septem- her, 1857, Lots No. 10 and 11 to the same parties. On March 7, 1860, Bemis quitclaimed to Niles his entire interest in this property, and on April 11, 1863, Mr. Niles sold to Edward Deloss Sweet Lots No. 10 10 16 inclusive and the west thirteen feet of Lot 17, these two lots lying north of the railroad and west of Marion Street, Kettlestrings's subdivision was made September 25, 1856, in the southeast corner of the northwest quarter "of Section 7. Other subdivisions and additions to the plat have been as follows: R. Whaples in 1856; Mr. Kettlestrings afterward subdivided the balance of his quarter section; in 1863 James W. Scoville and M. C. Niles made a subdivision south of the railroad, and in 1868 James W. Scoville subdivided the northeast quar- ter of Section 7. Various other smaller subdivisions have been made by different parties, until the entire area of Oak Park is now four hundred and eighty acres.

The name first given to this vicinity was Kettle- strings' Grove. This, however, had no reference to it as a village, but simply as a location. When it became a settlement nr incipient village it was appropriately named Oak Ridge, from the ridge and the oak forest upon it. From the best information ohtainable there seem to have been a few houses here besides Mr. Ket- tlestrings's in 1840 or 1844, but the names of the other builders have escaped the memories of the oklest set- tlers. In 1853 S. P. Skinner built a house which be- came known as the Oak Ridge Hotel. In 1855 there were half a dozen buildings on Lake Street, among them Mr. Morey's, Mr. Whaples's, the old tavern that was destroyed by fire, a store and the old school-house, now Temperance Hall. During this year George Sco- ville built his barn and commenced his house, living in

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the barn until the house was completed. This house and barn stood opposite Burton Court. At this time there was no house south of the railroad worthy of the name. There were, however, a few German squatters on that side, living in shanties.

J. H. Quick erected a house in 1856, as also John Leisen. Israel Heller during the same year built a store, and J. H. Quick a hotel known as the " Harlem House." During this year the name Harlem was sub- stituted for Oak Ridge, and was retained until 1867. Carl Haberland started his blacksmith shop in 1861, but for a year or two previously there had been a blacksmith shop in operation by a man who died in 1860, but whose name cannot be ascertained. A grocery store was started in 1856 by a Mr. Furbeck, which in 1858 he sold to Mrs. Catharine Pattock, who continued it until she was married to William Steiner, since which time it has been moved from Harlem and conducted by Mr. and Mrs. Steiner, and is now a dry goods and grocery store. The first shoe shop was opened here by Christian Schauble in 1853. The first drug store was started in 1873 by Dr. Orrin Peak, who was also the first physician. The post-office was moved from Proviso to Oak Park in 1871, and the name changed from Noyesville to Oak Park at the same time. This was done on account of the confusion existing from having the post-office named Noyesville, the railroad station named Harlem and the village named Oak Park. On the 28th of April. 1871. O. W. Herrick was appointed Postmaster, and served until the summer of 18;3, when he was succeeded by John Merton, who continued in the office until July. 1875. E. W. Phelps, the present incumbent then suc- ceeded to the office. The first depot was a small buikl- ing about 18x12 feet in size. It had a roof shaped like a car roof, and for this reason, connected with its small- ness, is remembered by some of the oldest residents as a baggage car. It was erected in 1849, and was used from that time until 1861. It originally stood about two blocks east of the site of the present depot, and it was afterward moved about one-half mile to the westward, where it stood as long as used. In 1861, the present depot was erected, some distance cast of the okl depot, and in 1872, it found its final location, Henry Flowers was depot agent from 1854 to 1857; Otis Earle, from March, 1857, to December, 1857, and Amtrew Vogt from then to the present time. While the Chicago, St. Charles & Mississippi Air Line Railroad was in existence, a round-house, built in 1855, capable of holding sixteen engines, was located a short distance west of Oak l'ark. It was maintained until 1865, one year after the Chicago & North-Western Railroad Company purchased the Galena & Chicago Union, which had some time previously purchased the Chicago, St. Charles & Missis- sippi Air Line. In the year last named the round-house was converted into a paint shop, where cars and engines were painted, and where the portraits of the president and directors of the railroad were painted on the sides of the locomotive head-light lamps. In 1873 this paint shop was removed to the present location of the Chicago & North. Western Car Shops at Central Park.

The village of Oak Park has of late years made rapid progress in all that constitutes a pleasant sub- urban town. Its streets are regularly laid out, graveled and graded and are beautifully shaded with evergreen and deciduous trees, and it has an unusually large pro- portion of tasteful and elegant residences. It has a population of about three thousand inhabitants, with two dry good stores, three groceries, two blacksmiths, three hardware stores, two confectioneries, three millinery stores, two drug stores, one wagon shop and two sash,

door and blind factories. Sketches of its various reli- gious, educational, secret and benevolent institutions are here appended.

Religious,-Oak Park Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in connection with Austin and Thatcher (now Kiver Forest :. The first Methodist in Oak Park was Joseph Kettlestrings, who came to this region in 1833. llis first residence was near the Desplaines River, and it was the home of pioneer Methodist min- isters, In it at a very early day the Rev. Henry White- head and other Methodists were accustomed to preach. The first Methodist sermon at or near Oak Park was in the red school-house which stood on Lake Street or, as it was then called, Pennsylvania Avenue, one mile west of the town line between Cicero and Proviso, by the Rev. James Viall, a local preacher from I.yons, Ill., in 1856. From this time for a number of years various preachers and students from Evanston delivered ser- mons for the Methodists, among them Professor F. D. Heminway, Philo Judson, J. O. Cramb and C. H. Fow- ler. In 1859 the Rev. Mr. Hall, a student at the Gar- rett Biblical Institute, took charge of the Oak Park school and he, with the assistance of other students, supplied the pulpit about a year. In January, 1863, a Union Church was organized, and the Methodists living at Oak Park and in the vicinity connected themselves with this Church, and for about seven years there was no separate Methodist Church. In May, 1869, Philan- der Smith came to Oak Park from Adams, Jefferson County, N. Y., and built a residence, into which he moved his family in January, 1870. From the time of his arrival in Oak Park Methodism began to revive. On the 10th of October the Rev. S. N. Griffith was ap- pointed the first preacher in charge of Austin, Oak Park and Thatcher, and preached his first sermon as pastor at Oak Park October 23, having preached some years before during the Rev. Mr. Dickinson's pastorate. The charter members of this Church were: A. J. Bell, Eliza- beth Bell, German Lasher, Matilda A. Lasher, Hannah French, Philander Smith, Adeline M. Smith, Warren Wilkie, Hannah Dunlop, W. E. Coman, Mrs. S. D. L. Coman, William E. Blackstone, Sarah L. Blackstone, Mary A. Marks, Mary V. Hale, John Powell, Joseph Kettlestrings, Betty Kettlestrings, and others. The act of incorporation was adopted December 15, 1871. Phi- lander Smith, A. J. Bell and A. J. Kettlestrings were elected trustees. The articles of incorporation were destroyed by the great fire, and a new affidavit was adopted November 21. 1872, with Philander Smith, Joseph Kettlestrings, A. J. Bell, William E. Blackstone, German Lasher, W. E. Coman and F. A. Arnold as trustees, On the 23d of November, 1872, Philander Smith proposed to donate a lot to the Church, and $5,000 was subscribed toward building the church edi- fice. The lot was deeded to the society in the same month, the value placed upon it being $3,000, and Mr. Smith afterward gave 85,000 to the society. Joseph Kettlestrings donated to the society $6,000. The labor of the Rev. Mr. Griffith who, besides preaching at Austin, Oak Park and Thatcher each Sunday, taught the Michigan-avenue public school, proved too severe, and he had to retire, going to Kalamazoo, Mich. He was succeeded October 24, 1872, by the Rev. T. P. Marsh. Thatcher about this time united with May- wood, and on the 29th of December, 1872, the services which had hitherto been held in the Union (Congrega- tional) Church were changed to the school-house, and were held in the morning instead of in the afternoon. The Rev. Mr. Marsh took up his residence at Oak Park, which had a tendency which aided to develop Method-

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ism in the place. At the fourth quarterly conference held at Austin August 5. 1873, it was agreed that the union of the Austin and Oak Park churches should ter- minate with the conference year, and that thereafter Oak Park should be an independent charge with a set- tled pastor. At the trustees' meeting, held January 31, 1873. it was determined to build a church of the "hrick veneered " style. The ground was staked off May 5, the corner stone laid September 2, 1873. The address was deliveredl hy Rev. J. O. Peck, then pastor of the Centenary Church, Chicago. The building com- mittee was Philamler Smith, F. A. Arnold and W. E. Blackstone. Mr. Blackstone drafted the plans of the church and Mr. Smith furnished the money to carry the enterprise through. The Rev. T. R. Strohridge com- menced bolling services morning and evening October 24. 1873. The basement of the new church was occu- pied for the first time un Christmas eve, the rooms in the basement were completed Jannary 3, 1874, anıl on the next day. Sumlay, the dedication took place. The sermon was delivered by the Rev. C. H. Fowler in the morning, and in the evening by the Rev. W. X. Ninde. Seven thousand eight hundred and fifty dollars was raised on dedication day. The total cost of the church was something over $24,000. The audience room was finished in 1878, The church is a frame building with Racine pressed brick veneer, and with stone basement and trimmings. The name "Oak Park M. E. Church," in raised letters is over the Gothic arched doorway. The building is rectangular, with two doors, one in each front angle, the portico projecting between them, and has an octagonal chancel extending in the rear. The extreme length is eighty-seven feet, and the extreme width forty-ane feet. It has two spires, one ninety feet high, the other one hundred and fifty. one feet. The church stands on the corner of Lake Street and Forest Avenue. The present membership of the Church is one hundred and sixty. The ministers bave been as follows: Rev. S. N. Griffith, two years from October 10, 1870; T. P. Marsh, two years from October 24, 1872: William D. Atchison, commencing in 1874. A. J. Scott, commencing in 1875: F. P. Cleveland, in 1877: T. R. Strobridge, in 1878; R. S. Cantine, in 1879; S. H. Adams, present minister, in 1882. The parson- age on Forest Avenue was purchased in the spring of 1883, for $5,000. The house is a large two story frame. and stamls on a lot seventy-two feet front by one hun- dred and fifty feet deep. Mrs. Alleline Smith gave 81,500 towaril the purchase of this property, and W. E. Blackstone 8500, the balance being subscribed in sums of $200 and less.

The Union Ecclesiastical Society of Oak Ridge .- The first stated preaching at Oak Ridge . oow Oak Park) was in 1856, by James Viall, a Methodist local preacher. About this time a Sunday-school was started by George Scoville. In the fall of 1867, J. Milton Holmes, after- ward a Congregational clergyman, took charge of the Dak Ridge public school, and for about eighteen months read sermons aml held conference meetings. A Mr. Hall from Evanston succeeded Mr. Holmes in the public schools, amit assisted by some nf his fellow-students, supplied the pulpit for ahout a year. In the fall of 1860, Rev. W. 1. Bray preached for several weeks, after which meetings were maintained with only occasional preaching until the fall of 1861. at which time the Rev. Yates Hickey, a Presbyterian clergyman, removed with his family to Oak Rilge and commenced to preach reg- ularly. U'mler his direction a Presbyterian Church was organized with seven members, to which he preached until May, 1862, In the early part of 1860 the U'nion Ec-

clesiastical Society was organized, and its constitution was adopted March 25, 1860. Among its original mem- bers were: George Scoville, M. C. Niles, James W. Sco- ville, O. W. Herrick, H. W. Austin, E. O. Gale, Samuel Dunlop, J.W. Kettlestrings, Mrs. H. W. Austin, Mary C. Scoville, Mrs. A. J. Scoville, Mrs. J. W. Scoville, and Mrs. O. W. Herrick. Cornelius E. Dickinson then a student in the Chicago Theological Seminary, succeeded Rev. Mr. Hickey in the pulpit of the Church organized by him, and ministereil to it for about a year, during which time it received no accessions to its membership. and as a consequence was disbanded. On the 28th of January, 1863, a meeting was held to consider the cx- pediency of organizing a Union Church. At an ad- journed meeting, held one week later, articles of faith, covenant and rules were adopted. This Church was ilesigned to be unsectarian in character, but its creed was strictly evangelical, amil its polity was Congrega- tional. A council of seven clergymen, representing four different ilenominations, was called to meet February 17, in the church. Only Rev. J. F. Roy and Rev. G. S. F. Savage responded to the call, but they proceeded with the business of the council and organized a Church uf thirteen members, under the name of the "Oak Ridge Church of Harlem."

The Oak Ridge Ecclesiastical Society elected trus- tees as follows July 25. 1863: M. C. Niles, H. W. Aus- tin and James W. Scoville. O. W. Herrick was elected secretary and treasurer. This society had some time previously purchased and fitted up for a house of pub- lic worship the building formerly occupied for a public school. Although there was no organic relation existing between this society and the Oak Ridge Church of Harlem, the two organizations co-operated by mutual cansent. The Rev. Mr. Dickinson, who had served the l'reshyterian Church until its disbandment, was called in January, 1865, to preach to this Church for one year, and on the ad of June following was ordained to the ministry and entered upon the regular pastoral care of the Church. He remained with the Church four years with acceptance and success, the membership of the Church being increased more than five-fold during his ministry. Immediately after the close of his labors the Kev. Minor W. Fairfiehl, a member of the Church, be- gan to occupy the pulpit in a temporary relation, but he remained until April 30, 1870, when he resigned in or- iler to accept a call to Dartford, Wis. At the ter- mination of his ministry he left the Church with a membership of ninety and with an enlarged prospect of usefulness. On the 9th of May the Rev. Mr. Hunting. ton was called to the pulpit at a salary of $2,000 per year. During the latter part of the year 1870 and the early part of 1871 the question was agitated of a change in the name and ecclesiastical relations of the Church. The name Harlent had been restricted to another village and "Oak Park" had been substituted for "Oak Ridge." It was felt that a connection with some denominational hody was desirable, and after full discussion it was de- ciled unanimously, March 6, 1871, to assume the name of the First Congregational Church of Oak Park and to join the Congregational Association of Chicago. The Church was received inta membership by the Association May 9, 1871. On the gth of May, 1870. the Rev. Mr. Huntington was called to the pastorate at a salary of $2,000 per annum. During the same month the First Congregational Society of Oak Park was or- ganized to co-operate with the Church, though it didl not supersede the okler society until the following year. Preparatory to winding up the affairs of this Society, a resolution was passed September 22, 1870, au-

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thorizing and instructing the trustees to sell the Church property for such price as to them might seem best, and to devote the proceeds to the payment of debts. The latest meeting the minutes of which are dated was held January 9, 1871. Soon after this the Union Ecclesias- tical Society was disbanded. In June, 1871 the Church, having for some years previously been annually re-pay- ing the American Home Missionary Society money advanced to it during the four years of its existence, canceled the entire debt with interest. Having formally adopted the Congregational polity, and entered into relations with the new Society, the two bodies united in February, 1872, in extending to Mr. Huntington an invitation to be installed pastor, and the installation occurred on the 7th of March, 1872. The donation of a lot to the Society by James W. Scoville, settled the question of a new church building, which had been for some time under discussion. Subscriptions to the amount of $20,000 were at once taken, and the corner- stone of the new edifice was laid August 28, 1873. This edifice was dedicated November 1, 1874, the sermon being preached by the Rev. E. P. Goodwin, D. D, of Chicago. The total expense of the building, including the lot and the furniture, was $47,100. The church is of stone, two stories high, with a steeple one hundred and ninety feet high. The seating capacity of the audience room in the second story is about five hundred and fifty, the furniture is elegant, and a fine pipe organ presented by Mrs. James W. Scoville was erected in the church during the summer of 1881, the value of which is about 84,000. The Rev. George Huntington resigned his pastorate of the Church July 6, 1879. to accept a pro- fessorship in Carleton College, Northfield, Minn. The present pastor. Rev. Edward D. Eaton, was called December 1, 1879, and began his ministry January 1, 1880. The membership of the Church is three hundred and five. There is an excellent Sunday-school con- nected with the Church, of which E. W. Lyman is super- intendent.

Unity Church of Oak Park .- On the ist of February. 1871, a meeting was held at the house of E. W. Hoard for the purpose of organizing a Church, and raising a fund for the erection of a church building. A tem- porary organization was effected, a subscription paper circulated and $5,325 subscribed. On the 6th of March E. W. Hoard, Enoch Marks and George E. Gerts were elected trustees, and M. C. Niles, Enoch Marks, E. 11. Graves, E. O. Gale, George E. Gerts, and E. W. Hoard chosen a building committee. The Society was organ- ized under the name of Unity Church. On April 17, the building committee accepted proposals for doing the stone work, carpenter work and painting, at an aggregate sum of $7,900. The Rev. A. H. Sweetser, of Boone, lowa, was called to the pastorate of the Church at a salary of $1,800 per year, on the 26th of July. The first meeting held in the basement of the church March 25, 1872, at which time a detailed ac- count of the cost of the church and the real estate was presented. The aggregate cost was shown to be $13 .- 860, of which $11,506 had been paid and donations secured to the amount of $2,194. The church is a two- story building with stone basement and frame super- structure. The Rev. Mr. Sweetser resigned April 22- 1872, his resignation to take effect July 1. At the meet, ing held April 22, a resolution was adopted to the effect that the evidence given by the pastor that he is earnestly endeavoring to promote Christianity, morality and the welfare of the Society commanded the respect of the Church and met its approbation. On October 7, 1872,

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History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Part 217

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