USA > Illinois > Cook County > History of Cook County, Illinois : being a general survey of Cook County history, including a condensed history of Chicago and special account of districts outside the city limits : from the earliest settlement to the present time, volume I > Part 70
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Colonel Eckhart has been very active and prominent in public life. He served in the Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth General Assemblies, and in the former was a member of the senate commission to investi- gate the subject of pure water supply and perfect drainage for the city of Chicago. He is entitled to vast credit for establishing the Sanitary district of Chicago. In 1891 he was nominated against his
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express wishes a member of the board of trustees of the Sanitary district of Chicago and so popular was his nomination he ran 10,000 - votes ahead of his ticket. As such official he served continuously as chairman of the Finance committee until the expiration of his service. Under him the enormous sale of bonds was effected without the shadow of graft or dishonor and with the greatest possible celerity and economy. In 1896 he was elected president of the board. In 1898 he was instrumental in defeating the scheme to lease the water power for fifty years. In 1905 by appointment of the Governor, he became a member of the West Chicago Park commis- sioners, and was elected president of that body the next day. In 1905 he became a delegate of the Chicago Charter convention, and was chairman of the committee on rules, procedure and general plans. Under his administration the entire West Park system was re- habilitated. He was active in organizing the First regiment Illinois State Guards and held a commission in that body for a number of years. In 1906 he was appointed by Governor Deneen as aide-de- camp on the general staff with the rank of colonel.
Herman Euwema was born April 15, 1874, and is a son of Peter and Martha (Dykhuis) Euwema. The parents were natives of Groningen, Holland, and there the father is still living and actively engaged in farming. To him and wife seven children were born- Jacob, Ralph, Bonne, Herman, Hiltje and two who died in infancy. Jacob, the eldest, is still a citizen of Holland, while Bonne, Ralph and Herman are living in the United States. The mother died in the city of her nativity in 1904.
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The education of Herman Euwema, the subject of our sketch, was acquired in the common schools of his native land, and at the age of twelve years he began the active duties of life by working with his father on the farm. In 1891 he emigrated to America, coming to Chicago and securing employment on a truck farm at 52nd avenue and Van Buren street, where he remained two years. He carefully saved his money and in time bought a wagon and team, doing a general teaming and hauling business. In 1902 he pur- chased two lots at 4043-5 West Twelfth street, building thereon a storage warehouse and operating in connection with this a hay, grain, coal and feed business. His building is 48x80 feet and two stories high, with stable accommodations for ten to twelve horses. Through energy and hustle Mr. Euwema has built up a large and successful business. June 5, 1894, he was united in marriage with Alice Laman, of Chicago, and to them were born the following six children : Peter, twelve years old; John, ten; Ralph, nine; Josie, seven ; Martha, five, and George, two. The family home is at 1217 South Forty-first avenue.
AN OLD ESTABLISHED BUSINESS. A Chicago house enjoys the distinction of carrying on a business, the foundation of which was laid in the latter part of the eighteenth century.
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Down in the valley of the Antietam, surrounded by its majestic hills, there lived in the latter part of the eighteenth century in Penn- sylvania, an old Swiss-German doctor named Peter Fahrney. Old Dr. Peter, as he was familiarly called, was if ever one existed a child of nature ; he was also a born physician.
His quiet, pastoral life gave him special opportunities for study and investigation in the realm of botanic medicine. His old herb books, ponderous tomes, printed shortly after the art of printing was invented, bear evidence in the form of notations made in his own handwriting what an indefatigable worker and student he was. Here and there throughout their pages one finds additions to the printed text concerning the characteristics and medicinal value of this and that herb as well as other important data.
These old herb books, now doubly valuable on account of their age and family association, are in the possession of his great-grand- sons, the present proprietors of the business which he established in that "long ago" and of whom we shall speak later.
Owing to his skill as a physician and helpfulness as a man, old Dr. Peter became widely known, in spite of the then limited means of communication, not only throughout the settlements of Pennsyl- vania, but also in the adjacent states of Maryland and Virginia. His fame was, however, largely attributed to an herb-remedy which he prepared as a "blood purge" for the sick.
People were known to come in those days as far as fifty and even a hundred miles on horseback and by wagon over rough country roads and mountain trails, to get this remedy from his hands. It enjoyed a wonderful popularity as a household remedy among the people.
Old Dr. Peter was succeeded by his son, Dr. Jacob Fahrney, who received all the knowledge of the healing art which such a father could bestow upon a son and who continued to prepare the remedy which had won such renown for his father.
Dr. Jacob was in turn succeeded by his son, Dr. Peter Fahrney- grandson and namesake of the old Dr. Peter. He graduated from the Jefferson Medical college in Philadelphia, where he made the study of pharmacy his specialty. He did this in order to enable him to put up the "blood purge" in a liquid and more modern form.
The outbreak of the Civil war, however, interfered with all enterprises. Chambersburg was laid in ashes. Many of the in- gredients used in making the medicine could not be obtained at any price and business was practically at a standstill.
In 1869 Dr. Peter Fahrney opened a laboratory in Chicago, in Dearborn street. Two years later the great fire destroyed his laboratory together with thousands of other business houses. In less than three days, however, he had made arrangements to begin anew and in a few weeks was again shipping to all parts of the country. In order to get ample facilities for handling the rapidly
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increasing business, he finally located at 112-118 So. Hoyne avenue. Here stands to-day, a substantial five-story brick building devoted exclusively to the manufacture of family medicine. It contains a floor space of about 45,000 sq. feet. Its laboratory is one of the most extensive and best equipped of its kind. The Fahrney medicines are now being shipped to every part of the civilized world and the demand at home is greater than ever.
In 1890 the business was incorporated under the name Dr. Peter Fahrney & Sons Co., his four sons, whom he had zealously trained in the business, having been admitted into the enterprise. Such is in brief the record of one of Chicago's most substantial business houses-a house whose history dates back over a century. The present officers are composed of : E. C. Fahrney, president ; W. H. Fahrney, vice-president ; J. H. Fahrney, treasurer ; E. H. Fahrney, secretary.
Possibly no name is more widely known to Chicago people than that of Arthur Burrage Farwell who has for many years taken such an active and aggressive personal interest in all that makes for the clean administration of local governmental affairs. Mr. Farwell was born October 2, 1852, at Leominster, Mass. Until his seven- teenth year he assisted his father in the management of a farm owned by the family and located near the town limits. He attended village and preparatory schools, but in 1869, fired with an ambition to become a factor in the economy of things, he came to Chicago, then in the hey-day of one of her phenomenal eras of business pros- perity. His first commercial venture was as clerk in the office of the Babcock Extinguisher company, of which his brother was sec- retary. He occupied this place about one year and then entered the employ of J. V. Farwell & Co., remaining with this great dry goods firm until 1876, gradually advancing from the position of stock clerk to that of traveling salesman. He experienced all the vicissitudes of the Farwell fire of 1870 and the fire catastrophe of 1871.
In 1876, after leaving Farwell & Co., he connected himself with C. M. Henderson & Co., for many years recognized as one of Chi- cago's great factors in the wholesale shoe trade. Here Mr. Far- well remained for a period of twenty-six years, when the Watson- Plummer company succeeded to the business, he stayed with the latter firm five years. In the early days of his Chicago residence, Mr. Farwell became a member of Plymouth Congregational church, located at Wabash avenue and Hubbard street, the present home of St. Mary's Catholic congregation. It was while a member of Dr. Bartlett's church that Mr. Farwell, who was deeply interested in mission work, became thoroughly aroused to the necessity for con- certed action looking to the moral betterment of existing local con- ditions. He entered into the movement for reform and took a lead- ing position in the work, among other things assisting in the organ-
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ization of the "Ballot Box Brigade," whose efforts in the direction of political reform are matters of history. In 1880, Mr. Farwell was chairman of the Young Men's Republican club, and took an active part in the well remembered Brand-Lehman legislative con- test in the old Eighteenth ward. At this time he distinguished himself by insisting that the saloon was no place for a political meet- ing, a position he has ever since maintained. His persistent efforts in this connection have been successful to the extent that Mr. Far- well has lived to see the day when politics has become at least measurably free from the domination of the liquor interests. Mr. Farwell removed to Hyde Park in 1885. In 1890 he was elected chairman of the finance committee of the Hyde Park Protective association, and in 1892 elected secretary, in which position as one of the executive officers of the association he has always contended that the laws and ordinances must be enforced and the Hyde Park ordinances were to hold all saloons proscribed within the dis- trict. This is due to the efforts of Mr. Farwell, who points with pardonable pride to the fact that of ten saloon cases, appealed to the State Supreme court, nine have been decided in favor of decency, and the right of the people to control the liquor traffic. Mr. Far- well believes that character is more valuable than life itself. He has proceeded upon that principle in the various and exciting cam- paigns of the past, and as president of the Chicago Law and Order League, has been conspicuous in the battle for the supremacy of the laws, decent politics and honest cleanly administration of public affairs.
Mr. Farwell was married on Christmas day, 1882, at Beverly, Mass., his bride being Miss Floretta Woodberry. The family con- sists of one boy and four daughters, one son, Burrage having died in 1888. The surviving son, Stanley P., is a professor in Central university, Danville, Ky. The oldest daughter, Miss Florence, is teaching at Youngstown, O. Elizabeth is a student at Lake Erie college, Painesville, O., while Louise and Dorothy are attending the Hyde Park High school. The family home is at 5046 Jefferson avenue.
Dr. Geoffrey J. Fleming of Austin was born on the West Side, Chicago, on June 1, 1873, and is the son of James, who came from Ireland to Chicago in the early '50s. The Fleming family went from Flanders to England about the time of the Norman conquest and after that were residents of Great Britain. A particular branch of Flemings of which the subject of this review is a member settled in County Coren, Ireland, and there they engaged in farming. Four brothers of the family came to Chicago, Peter, Geoffrey, David and James. Here they prospered, reared families and passed their lives. James was the father of Dr. Geoffrey J. He was at one time con- nected with the Chicago water works department. His first wife died in Chicago and his second wife, Alice Sheridan, was born in
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Montreal, Canada. To him and second wife were born the follow- ing children: Nellie, Geoffrey J., Alice, Elizabeth, Catherine, Jo- seph, Marie and Grace. James was of an inventive and mechani- cal turn of mind. While connected with the water department he devised a non-freezing fire plug. Dr. Geoffrey J. was reared in Chicago and was educated at St. Stephen's parochial school and later attended St. Mary's College, Kansas, from which he was graduated in 1893. He then took a full four years' course in the College of Physicians and Surgeons and was graduated in 1897, with the de- gree of Doctor of Medicine. Succeeding his graduation he served as interne in the Cook County hospital for eighteen months. In 1900 he began the practice of his profession in Austin in the same neighborhood where he yet lives. He soon had a large and lucra- tive practice and at the present date is one of the leading physicians and citizens of this portion of the county. He is a member of the Chicago Medical society, American Medical association, and is a diligent student of medical questions and economic problems. He is one of the medical staff of Oak Park hospital. On July 23, 1890, he married Harriet Sonn, a daughter of James Van Ness and Sarah (Bowen) Sonn. The Sonns were of Holland stock. The Doctor is a Knight of Columbus and a Forester. In politics he is inde- pendent.
John S. Flizikowski, a prominent architect, with office at room 24, 70 LaSalle street, and residence at 1935 North Fairfield avenue, was born in Pr. Stargard, Province of West Prussia (Germany), on April 19, 1868, and is a son of Joseph and Anna ( Paluchowski) Flizikowski. He was reared to manhood in his native country and was educated in the Gymnasium, Pr. Stargard and in the Art Insti- tute of Coeln on the Rhine, and in addition took a technical course of study at the Technical High School of Charlottenburg where he was graduated in 1891. Thus unusually well equipped with in- formation and culture, particularly of a technical character, he came to the United States in 1893 and located in Chicago where for eight months he was employed as a draftsman by various institutions and concerns.
In 1894 he started in business for himself-that of practical arch- itecture-and his signal success is proof of his skill and fitness for this difficult yet charming art. He has made a specialty of residence, church and school buildings. Among the buildings designed by him are St. Michael's Lithuanian church on Paulina street, Holy Cross church at Forty-sixth and Wood streets, the parish residence of Holy Cross at Forty-sixth and Wood streets, the Lutheran church on Humboldt and Dickens avenues, St. Florian school at 132d street and Houston avenue, Chicago, the home office and head- quarters of the Polish National Alliance of North America, 102 W. Division street. He is a member of St. Philomann's Roman Catholic church, Catholic Order of Foresters, Western Catholic
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union, and in politics is a Democrat. He has been twice married : First to Annie Kowalkowski by whom he had one daughter-Helen; second to Elizabeth Dettlaff by whom he had two children : Evelyn and Dorothy.
Daniel Forbes, for more than forty years a resident of Chicago, was born November 15, 1842, at Bridgeville, Nova Scotia, where he was reared to manhood on a farm and received his education in the public schools. At the age of 17 years he was apprenticed to Robert McGregor, leather merchant of New Glasgow, and three years later went to Boston, Mass., where for eight years he worked at his trade. March 1, 1869, he came to Chicago, which has since been his home, and here he has become one of the substantial, reputable, business men of the city. In 1878 he organized the firm of Daniel Forbes company, leather merchants, of which he is the president. Mr. Forbes, inheriting the characteristics of his Scottish ancestry, is chiefly noted for his attention to business, the ability with which he conducts it, the fixed principles of attending strictly to his own affairs and sturdy honesty. November 1, 1877, he was united in marriage with Caroline Shipman and to them have been born eight children, the following are now living: George Shipman, Mabel Frances, Walter M., James Skinner and Helen Kathryn. Mr. Forbes is of the Congregationalist faith, and socially is a member of the Congregational club. For fourteen years he served as superin- tendent of the Erie Street chapel, and of which he was for many years trustee. He is a member of the Illinois Manufacturers' asso- ciation and his home is at 432 South Clinton avenue, Oak Park. John Forbes was the name of his father, and his mother's maiden name was Ellen Grant.
Frederick E. Foster was born in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, August 21, 1867, the son of Daniel and Sarah (Vrooman) Foster. The parents were natives of Canada and there the father was a brick- manufacturer. He died in 1907, aged 75 years, but the mother, now 84 years old, is still alive and active, living on the old home place in Belleville.
Frederick E. Foster was educated in the public schools of Canada, and in 1892 came to Chicago where he engaged in the hardware business on Forty-third street, remaining in business for three years. In 1895 he established the shoestore of F. E. Foster & Co., at 36 Washington street, opposite Marshall Field's, later purchasing the interests of his partners and continuing alone. Mr. Foster is a conservative business man. He is identified with the South Shore Country and Rotary clubs and the Association of Commerce. In 1895 he married Marian Merriam (deceased, 1901,) of New York State. He resides at 3000 S. Park avenue.
Benjamin Marsh Frees, prominent Chicago lumber merchant and veteran of the Civil war, was born in Orono, Me., August 3, 1846, and is the son of Benjamin M. and Maria (Buffum) Frees. Early
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in life he came with his parents to Monroe, Wis., and here was edu- cated in the public schools. August 3, 1864, on his eighteenth birth- day, he enlisted with the boys in blue for the preservation of Union. He joined Company H, of the Thirty-eighth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and was appointed first lieutenant, subsequently taking part in the campaign in and around Petersburg, Va., and during this series of engagements being promoted to the rank of captain. This latter promotion made Mr. Frees one of the young- est officers of that rank of the whole Union army.
He first engaged in the lumber business at Monroe, Wis., later removing to Whitewater, Wis., and in 1872 coming to Chicago, where he has since been successfully engaged in that line of business. Mr. Frees is vice-president of the Barnett Lumber Company, of the Day & Frees Lumber company and the Platt & Frees company, and is also vice-president and secretary of the Perry & Bee Lumber com- pany and the F. C. Knotter company, besides being identified in various capacities with many other companies and firms. He is president of the First National Bank of McCook, Neb., and vice- president of the First National Bank of Lisbon, N. D. He is a Republican in politics and a member of the Loyal Legion, U. S. Grant Post, G. A. R., and of the Masonic fraternity. He married Miss Ellie Rosine Adams, of Union Grove, Racine county, Wis., and their home is in the Lessing, Surf street and Evanston avenue. Mr. Frees' offices are located at 505, 234 LaSalle street.
David H. Fritts was born May 26, 1847, and is a son of Joseph and Lena (Banghart) Fritts, of Hunterdon county, N. J. The family has been long in America. The paternal great great grand- father coming to the colonies in 1740, from near Berlin, Germany. Joseph was a farmer in New Jersey, and was an active and devout member of the Lutheran church. He was the father of nine chil- dren, six of whom are still living and in the enjoyment of health and prosperity, as follows: George B., vice-president of the D. H. Fritts company ; Dr. L. C. and David H., residing in Chicago; and John F. and two sisters, Mrs. J. D. Siegfried and Mrs. Rachel A. Caskey, residing in New Jorsey. The father died in Glen Gardner, N. J., in November, 1904, at the remarkable age of 92 years. His wife died in May, 1869.
David H. was educated in the public schools of Mt. Airy, N. J., and worked on his father's farm until 17 years old. He then entered the employ of John I. Blair of the Oxford Furnace Rolling mills and there remained for one year. He then served an apprentice- ship of three years in the picture molding trade with the Cardner Manufacturing company at Glen Gardner, N. J., coming out in 1869. Tlie same year he came to Chicago and accepted a position with R. B. Appleby in the molding business and was thus employed for two years. He then was partner with John Moore and O. Berg in the same business for some time; but in 1878 the firm dissolved and
Vol. I-42.
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eaclı of the three members established a business of his own. D. H. Fritts & Company was founded at this time at 31-33 South Canal street and a branch was soon established at 103-105 South Canal strect. Needing more room the firm in 1881 removed to 197-199 South Clinton, and four years later for the same reason to 196-198 S. Desplaines, wood work being carried on at Harrison and Canal streets. The growth of the business compelled a relocation at 111- 113 N. Wood street in 1889, and also at 12-14 Smart street. An immense building was erected and the plant was extended over four and a half acres, with 100,000 square feet of floor space and with a capacity of 150,000,000 feet moldings per annum. In 1905 the busi- ness was incorporated under the old style D. H. Fritts & Co. In 1909 it acquired the molding plant of the A. C. Wilkerson Moulding Co., at Fortieth and Fullerton avenues, thus adding about 35 per cent. to its output. The company employs 250 men, all of whom are in charge of machines. The company makes a specialty of moldings and its products go to all parts of the United States and to the lead- ing foreign countries. It is the largest concern of its kind in the United States. David H. is a member of the National Union and of the Lutheran church. On May 23, 1872, he married Georgiana Thomas, of Chicago, and they had the following children: Ada Maud; George W. ; William T .; Anna Louise ; and Marie. He re- sides at 1237 Washington boulevard.
William T., son of David H., was born October 14, 1879. He was educated in the public schools, Lewis Institute and Columbia university. In 1900 he entered his father's molding establishment in the capacity of a clerk, beginning at the bottom in order to learn all features of the business. Later he took a position in the factory and in 1909 became manager. He is thus associated at the present time. He is a member of the Eighth Presbyterian church. On April 5, 1904, he married Emma Brenneman, of New York City, and they have the following children: Helen, Catherine and David. They reside at Oak Park.
Abram Dale Gash, born at Elmer, Macon county, Mo., Feb -. ruary 11, 1861, was educated in the common schools of his home town. His first business venture was in the capacity of clerk and then proprietor of a drug store at LaPlata, Mo. He was connected with the business twelve years ; four years, of the latter part of which he was deputy circuit clerk of Macon county. During the four years, having made up his mind to become a lawyer, he applied him- self diligently to the study of that profession. In March, 1890, he removed to Provo, Utah, and became manager of the Smoot Drug company, the senior member of which firm is the present United States Senator from Utah. In the meantime Mr. Gash continued his legal studies, and resigning his position with the drug company, passed the required examination and was admitted to the bar Sep- tember 22, 1891. He commenced the practice and soon attracted
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attention by his activity and ability. The following year, so rapidly had he advanced in public favor, he was elected prosecuting attorney of Utah county, being the first non-Mormon ever elected to public office in that county. So well did he serve the people he was elected to succeed himself in 1894. During his incumbency he prosecuted some of the most notorious criminals ever brought to justice in the State, among them being the Hayes murder case, one of the most 110ted in Utah's history. Mr. Gash was and is prominent in Masonic circles. He was Most Worshipful Grand Master of Utah in 1897. From 1893 to 1896 he had the honor and distinction to serve as Judge Advocate General on the staff of Governor West of Utah, with the rank of colonel. He removed to Chicago in August, 1898.
He has been attorney for the Chicago Crayon company from its inception, and has directed the defense of all inter-state commerce cases throughout the United States in which this corporation has been interested. In this exacting work he has invariably been suc- cessful. Mr. Gash in addition to his legal practice is president of the Scheidel-Western X-Ray Coil company, the largest institution of its kind in the world, and is also vice-president and treasurer of the Chicago Solder company, as well as secretary of the Bell Bros. Piano Company of Chicago.
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