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 71
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Mr. Gash has written a novel called "The False Star," a work which has enjoyed wide popularity, and in addition to this literary venture, has written many poems of great merit. The following beautiful article on Chicago is from his pen :
"GRAND, BEAUTIFUL, MAGNIFICENT CHICAGO! Where the power of nature has set her approving seal and determined as the spot on which shall stand the coming metropolis of the world ; where the rolling waves of a fresh water sea skirt her borders on the east, giving an outlet to the world, by craft, for her mighty commerce, and which supplies the liquid sufficient to turn the flow of her river through the great canal which conducts her waste on and on to the restless ocean's tide; where broad and fertile fields stretch in wide expanse in every other direction, threaded with many railroad lines, each with numerous trains, laden with the products and fruits of the mine and farm, coming in exchange for the wares of the factory and the forge; where charming parks and summer gardens with placid lakes, forest trees, flowers of every hue and clime, birds of every note and plumage, beasts from every land, verdant lawns and statuary of the great and good who have gone to the better land- all blending to form resorts more enchanting to the eye and wooing to the heart than arose in Daphne of old.
"ENTERPRISING, RUSHING, BUSINESS CHICAGO! Where more than a million souls have taken their abode during the last decade: where the music of industry rises from a score of thousand plants to kiss the first rays of the morning's sun and bid him a last good- night as he sinks behind the Western horizon; where wagons, car-
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riages, automobiles, and cars roll in mighty concourse through her streets, each bearing its burden of animate or inert load; where mammoth buildings raise their towering forms, like cliffs in the far away mountain range, within whose walls a rush for wealth and glory is made with bounding strides, unsurpassed in all the world; which, though destroyed by flames, arose again as if by magic and on the spot of its origin.
"INTELLIGENT, EDUCATED, CHRISTIAN CHICAGO! Where schools for our children stand by every way with armies of instructors patiently toiling that the rising generations may be qualified to carry forward the great work which awaits them; where church spires rise on every hand, whence chimes peal forth on Sunday morn calling all to walk in the way that leads to Paradise.
"HONORED, HALLOWED CITY OF THE PRAIRIES! BELOVED METROPOLIS, MAIDEN OF THE WESTERN SOIL! With the bloom of youth still lingering on her cheek and coursing through her veins to lend grace and beauty to her form; yet she stands forth in size of all this grand old sphere. Let us continue to work for her ad- vancement, and for the elevation of her citizens. Let us declare that in life and in death Chicago is good enough for any man."
Mr. Gash first married in October, 1885, Mrs. Nannie Dougherty, of LaPlata, Mo., who died in Chicago, August 26, 1902. There was one son by this union. April 12, 1905, Mr. Gash was married to Miss Maude Blomquist, of Chicago, from which marriage there are two sons. The family home is at 5449 Winthrop avenue, Edge- water.
John A. Gauger, president of John A. Gauger & Co., and presi- dent of the Standard Glass company, ex-president of the Hamilton club and prominently identified with many other public and semi- public institutions, was born on a farm in Northumberland county, Pa., February 8, 1856, and is of Frenchi ancestry on his father's side and of German on his mother's. His early education was obtained in the district schools during the winter months, his summers be- ing passed in assisting in the work on the home farm. He sub- sequently attended the high school at Milton two years and Selins- grove Theological institute four years, graduating from the latter institution when 19 years old. It was the desire of his parents that he enter the ministry, but at this time he advised them that he could not conscientiously comply with their wishes, but desired to take up the law. Their disappointment was so great that they refused to longer contribute to his support, and for two years, or until failing health compelled him to relinquish such pursuits, he taught school as a means of livelihood. In March, 1877, he went to Spring Lake, Mich., where for a time he was employed by the Cutler & Sanidge Lumber company in the saw and lumber mills at $7.50 per week. Close attention to business and natural aptitude resulted in his ad- vancement until at the end of two years he was placed in full charge
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of the office and financial affairs of the company which then was operating six logging camps, three large saw mills, and employing a capital of $1,000,000.
In 1881 Mr. Gauger was employed by Col. E. L. Roberts, whole- sale blind, sash and door manufacturer of Chicago, continuing with him until 1887, when he formed a partnership with the late Severt T. Gunderson, under the firm name of John A. Gauger & Company. From a comparatively small start this firm, in time, forged to the front and became one of the best and largest of its line in the city. The first year, on a total capitalization of $14,000, they transacted a business amounting to $201,000, which netted a profit of $24,000. To accomplish this result required aggressiveness and the hardest kind of work. In 1892 Mr. Gauger bought out the interest of Mr. Gunderson by paying him $52,000 cash. This he was able to do from his investment of $7,000, made five years previously. Since then the business has continued as the John A. Gauger company which, in 1905, became incorporated, and which now transacts an annual business amounting to $3,000,000. The manufactured prod- uct of the corporation goes to every state in the Union and to many foreign countries.
In addition to the foregoing Mr. Gauger has become connected with many other financial and commercial institutions of note. He is the president and principal stock owner of the Standard Glass company, one of the leading wholesale plate and window glass houses of Chicago; he is a large stockholder, director and a member of the executive committee of the Illinois Life Insurance company, . and in addition is the owner of considerable real estate including his residence on Drexel boulevard. In 1885 he married Miss Helen Pierce and to this union has been born one daughter, Esther, who is the wife of W. L. Eaton, the secretary and general manager of the Standard Glass company. For many years Mr. Gauger has been prominently identified with the Masonic fraternity in which he has officiated in all the offices from Master of his lodge, Apollo 641, to Eminent Commander of his commandery, Montjoie No. 52. As president of the Hamilton club, one of the foremost and influential Republican organizations of the country, Mr. Gauger had the honor and pleasure of introducing President Roosevelt on several occasions during the campaign of 1905. On one of these occasions the Presi- dent turned to Mr. Gauger and asked, "How long have you been in politics ?" Mr. Gauger replied, "I am not in politics; I am only president of the Hamilton club." "I never saw a man introduce so many men and call them by name in so short a time in my life," re- plied Mr. Roosevelt. This was once the President had met a man who could astonish him. Mr. Gauger is an enthusiastic golfer, be- ing a member of the Midlothian and Beverly Golf clubs, and his recreations are equally enjoyable when with his horses or his auto- mobile.
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The moral of this brief and condensed sketch of the life of Mr. Gauger is found in the fact that it is entirely within the range of possibilities for a young man possessing a fair degree of ability and the determination to arise from the medicority to a position of superiority and one of wealth and honor.
Benjamin J. Glaser, Chicago banker, was born May 9, 1872, the son of John and Anna ( Biehl) Glaser, natives of Motzfeld Shenkls- feld by Herzfeld Kurhessen, Germany. The parents emigrated to America in 1851, locating in Little York, Pa., where the father fol- lowed farming until 1854, then moving to a farm near Dayton, Ohio. In 1864 he removed to San Jose, Macon county, Ill., where he fol- lowed the same profession until 1886, then coming to Chicago. Here his death occurred January 17, 1907, and subsequently that of his wife on September 9, 1909. To their union were born the follow- ing eleven children: Anna E., Jacob, Mary, Katie, Hannah, Henry, Julia, Christopher (deceased), Benjamin J., William and Edward.
The subject of this review, Benjamin J. Glaser, was educated in the common schools of San Jose, Ill., and in 1886, at the age of 15 years, he decided to start out in life for himself and came to Chi- cago where for a year and a half he worked as cash boy for Marshall Field & Company. Later he entered the employ of T. P. Keefe, real estate dealer, located at Monroe and LaSalle streets, and became manager of their sales department when they removed to Madison and Dearborn streets. In 1897 he entered the real estate business for himself, locating at what is now 3644 Ogden avenue. 'Having in his hands the handling of the Dempster estate, his ten years of experience with down-town property assured him success, and in 1903 he built a new real estate and safe deposit building which is absolutely fire and burglar proof. He also holds private banking interests in the city. May 22, 1895, he married May McDonald, of Chicago, and to them have been born two children, Lester (deceased) and Violet, ten years of age. In politics Mr. Glaser is a Democrat and is active in ward and local affairs. He is identified with the Royal Arcanum, K. O. T. M., Knights of Pythias, Ogden Avenue Business Men's association and the Ogden Avenue, Millard Avenue and Clifton Park Avenue Improvement clubs. He also belongs to the Cook County Real Estate board and the Chicago Board of Underwriters. Mr. Glaser and family reside at 1854 Clifton Park avenue. Mr. Glaser is also a member of the American Bankers' association and State Bankers' association of State of Illinois.
He handled the property on Millard avenue between Ogden avenue and Sixteenth street for the Dempster estate exclusively. Millard avenue is the finest private residence street in the entire city of Chicago and Mr. Glaser points with pride to it as a monument to his individual efforts. He also was the leader of the fight for the improvement of Ogden avenue which is now considered to be the
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finest business street in the world. Mr. Glaser has been instrumental in securing many other improvements in the vicinity west of Douglas Park and is continuously working for the many improvements necessary. He is also a great believer in a better and cleaner city.
John Bartosz Glowacki, proprietor of the Star Cornice works, 4528 So. Ashland avenue, and with residence at 1511 West Twenty- second street, was born in Klodawa, Russian Poland, on September 19, 1877, and is a 'son of Frank and Prowidencya (Cudkowska) Glowacki. The paternal grandfather of John B. was Bartosz Glowacki who under the famous General Kosciuszko distinguished himself in the Polish revolution against the Russian government. For his valor generally and on the field in particular Kosciuszko granted him the special honor of the right to prefix to his name the title of von. This raised him above the rank of peasantry and made him the overseer of a large estate. Frank, father of John B., was a wood carver by trade and an artist in his business. He died in Poland in 1894 leaving a family of five daughters and two sons, as follows: Otelia, Pelagia, Anton, Francisca, Rosalia, Maria and ยท John B. All are yet residents of Poland except the latter. Anton is a prominent jeweler of Warsaw and an artist of distinction; Ludwicka Glowacki, an aunt of subject, is a painter of note and re- sides near Constantinople.
John B. was reared in his native city and educated there in the Polish gymnasium. He studied metal sculpture in Berlin, Vienna, Munich, Zurich, Rome and Venice. After the completion of these studies he returned home and was immediately pressed into the Russian army, but soon afterward deserted, and followed his trade in Cracow, Vienna and several cities in Switzerland. In 1899 he went to Paris and spent two years at work on the metal sculpture exhibit for the world's fairs afterward held there. He was granted a gold medal for the excellence of his work. In 1901 he came to the United States and located in Chicago where for three years he was specially employed by the Friedley-Voshardt Co. This company found him the most efficient workman in his line ever in their em- ploy. In the Spring of 1905 he embarked in his present business on Gross avenue and there remained one year. Since 1906 he has been at his present location, 4528 So. Ashland avenue. He has a large business which is rapidly expanding. Mr. Glowacki is ex- tremely versatile and speaks Polish, Russian, German, French and English fluently. He is the inventor of a water heater and cooker greatly liked by all chefs and cooks. He is also the inventor of a life saving apparatus to be used in case of disaster at sea, enabling a passenger to save himself without trouble. He is also the inventor of shoes for walking on the water, for which he is applying now for patents in Europe and the United States.
Frank Gould was born on a farm near the village of Peacham, Caledonia county, Vt., on August 1, 1841. He lived on the home
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place until his 19th year, securing such education as the country schools and village academy afforded. An elder brother, Leonard Gould, had removed to Chicago in 1856 and established himself in business in May, 1860, while the historic wigwam was being erected but a few days before the nomination of Abraham Lincoln for the Presidency. His alluring pictures of the possibilities of the Garden City proved too strong to be resisted. Accordingly, in the Fall of that year, Frank Gould determined to cast his fortune with the coming city on Lake Michigan.
He arrived in Chicago October 1, 1860, and at once entered the employ of his brother in a clerical capacity. Owing to the illness of his father it became necessary for him to return to the old home in the fall of 1861, where he remained until 1865, when he again came to Chicago and resumed his position in his brother's store. In 1867, while the firm was located at 57 So. Water street, the brothers formed a partnership under the firm name of L. Gould & Company, and were doing a prosperous business when overtaken by the great fire of 1871. Nothing daunted they leased a vacant lot on Canal street, upon which was erected a frame building, in which temporary structure they transacted business for about one year. They then moved back to So. Water street, thence to 42 Wabash avenue, where they remained twelve years. The firm then occupied quarters on Lake street for a period of five years, then removing to 46 Wabash avenue where they remained until 1905. They then moved into their present commodious building, erected expressly for them at 702 Lake street, northwest corner of Union. Leonard Gould the senior member of the firm and founder of the house, died at Block Island, R. I., August 5, 1899, but the business has continued under the original title of L. Gould & Company. He was buried at Peacham, Vt., in the village cemetery, which originally was part of his father's farm, and in ground over which he had worked with hoe and scythe in his boyhood days. He contributed materially to the upbuilding of Chicago, and left as a legacy to his family an un- blemished reputation both in business and society ...
Frank Gould married Myra Miller, a daughter of T. L. Miller, one of Chicago's best known insurance men. His family consists of his wife and two daughters, the elder, Elsie, being the wife of George R. Work, of Chicago, and the younger, Miss Leone, residing at home in Evanston, where the family have lived for the past twenty-five years. Mr. Gould laughingly says he believes he is the only man in Chicago who religiously celebrates two anniversaries, one being the day he was born amid the mountains of Vermont, and the other the 15th of October, 1860, when he was borne into Chi- cago. He is an enthusiastic Chicago man, finding time to praise just as fulsomely the beauties and advantages of Evanston where he has so long made his home.
Rev. Casimir Gronkowski, pastor of St. Adalbert's Polish Rom-
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an Catholic church, at Seventeenth and Paulina streets, was born in Linne, Poland, July 23, 1873. He received his elementary educa- tion in his native town and his classical education in the College of Neumark and Lipno. In 1893 he came to the United States and entered St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, Md., where he pursued a full course of study and was graduated with credit in philosophy in 1894. He then entered St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee, from which institution he was graduated in theology in 1897. The same year he was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Katzer, of Milwaukee. His first appointment was as assistant pastor of St. Josaphat Parish, Chicago, where he remained two years and ten months. He was then appointed pastor of St. Salomea church at Kensington and there remained until December 1, 1904, when he was transferred to his present charge. Under his able administration the membership has increased about 3,000. The parish was founded in 1874 and its present membership is about 14,570 souls. The parochial school connected therewith has 1,638 pupils who are under the instruction of twenty-six sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Father Gronkowski has three assistant priests: Revs. L. Zuchola, F. G. Ostrowski and B. Orlemanski.
Lorenz Guthier one of the pioneers of Leyden township is of Germanic stock and is the son of Nicholas and Mary (Witzenbach) Guthier. The father Nicholas was a miller by occupation and was independent in circumstances. In addition he owned a large farm. He died in the prime of life, the cause of death being mill dust, in 1837. He left a widow, and five children as follows: Mary, Katie, Annie, Lorenz and George all now deceased except Lorenz. All came to the United States except Annie and Mary who died child- less in the old country. George who was born in 1837 came to America, but died in 1871 without issue. The old homestead in Germany descended to Nicholas from his ancestors who had owned the property for several hundred years. In the time of Nicholas this farm was divided among three sons.
Lorenz was born on this estate August 10, 1830. The farm stood in Heppenheim, Darmstadt, Prussia. In youth he received a com- mon school education and was brought up to the occupation of farm- ing and milling. When seventeen years old he served in the Prussian army in Baden during a revolt. He participated in several battles, one at Heidelburg being very severe, many lives being lost, especially at the bridge which was blown up. One night when on guard he bought a ragged suit of clothing, released his horse, stuck his saber in the ground and over it placed his soldier coat and armor, giving the outfit the appearance of a man in the darkness, and im- mediately afterwards struck across the national line into France. He had no money but was fed by hospitable people until he reached Paris where he secured work as a butcher. A little later he worked his passage across the English channel and followed butchering in
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London for a time. Later he returned to France and finally took passage for New York where he arrived October 3, 1848. He secured work in a market for three dollars per month, but a little later was paid first eighteen dollars and finally thirty dollars per month. He saved his wages, doing his own washing and saving every penny. When he had accumulated $275 he left New York and in December, 1849, went to Cleveland and thence to Chicago, arriv- ing December 25 of that year. He secured work, saved his wages and invested in a lot on the North Side in the vicinity of Division and Sedgwick streets. Later he sold the same and in 1850 bought his present farm in Leyden township. From time to time he added to this tract until up to the present time he owns one hundred and thirty-seven acres. The corporation line of Chicago is one mile east of his land.
On October 1, 1857, he married Catherine Knight who was born in Germany in 1830 and is the daughter of Martin Knight who came to Cleveland in 1837. Mr. Guthier had settled on his land one year before his marriage. He and wife became the parents of the follow- ing children ; Lorenz, born July 16, 1858; Katherine, born July 4, 1861, now the wife of Henry Kolze; George, born November 27, 1863; Henry, born December 8, 1869; killed by lightning, 1895; Rosie, born May 25, 1866. The latter married William Shaw, a farmer of Cook county. Mrs. Guthier died October 15, 1906. She was an excellent business woman, well educated and was much as- sistance to her husband in the management of business affairs. In addition to his farm Mr. Guthier owns a two-story frame building on Wilmot avenue, Chicago, and is also the owner of considerable personal property.
John D. Haggard, 307 South Pine avenue, Austin, was born in Chicago, December 4, 1847, a son of Samuel B. and Mary (Ma- son) Haggard, of an old Virginia family, and a distant relative of H. Rider Haggard, author and reformer. Mr. Haggard traces his ancestry to Sir Andrew Ogard, Knight, of Brandenham castle, England, who came from Denmark in 1433. The English manner of spelling the name has long been familiar. David Haggard, of Ware, was a forefather of the American branch of the family. James, descended from David, came in a merchant ship from Eng- land to Norfolk, Va., in 1698, when he was 21 years old, and was the first of the blood in America. David, his descendant, was a farmer near Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson. His son, David H., born in Albemarle county, Va., in 1763, enlisted at 16 in the Continental army, served under Washington and witnessed the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. Family tradition has it that after Jefferson's return from France, David H. Haggard helped to put French windows 'in his mansion at Monticello. He married Nancy Dawson in 1792, moved to Kentucky, where they reared ten children. Their son, Nathaniel, had a son, Dawson, born in Clark
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county, Kentucky, in 1793 and married Charity Baldwin. He was a property owner, a slave owner and a Baptist preacher.
His son, Samuel, eldest of seven children, was orphaned at 15, and in addition to the care of the family had also the care of a cousin, John L. Routt, who was the first territorial and the first governor of Colorado. In 1832, then 21, he rode a horse to Illinois, settling at Blooming Grove, a suburb of Bloomington. He married Mary Mason, a native of Winchester, Ky., took up carpentering and in 1843 moved to Chicago. He was, 1847-50, superintendent of the mowing machine factory of McCormick & Gray, the fore- runner of the great McCormick reaper works, then in 1850 began making pumps on Randolph street, between Market and Franklin, Chicago. At this time he resided on the North side, but when burned out in the great conflagration of 1871, moved to the West side, taking with him the family Bible and a horse and buggy, all that he had saved from his material possessions. He became a hardware merchant on West Lake street, and in 1873 established his home in Austin. He voted for every Whig and Republican candidate for President from William Henry Harrison to William McKinley and at the time of his death, in 1899, was the oldest sur- vivor in Cook county of the historic Tippecanoe club. He was a Baptist.
John D. Haggard was educated in the free schools (including the . high school) of Chicago. Among his early recollections are those of Indians who visited John H. Kinzie, pitching their wigwams on land at Michigan and Cass streets, and the visit of the Prince of Wales, now Edward VII., of England, to Chicago. He treasures the memory of a speech made by Lincoln before Moody's Sunday school, in North Market hall. In May, 1864, when he was in high school, less than 17 years old, he enlisted as a private in Company D, 134th Illinois volunteer infantry, his father going with him to the recruiting office. After some months' active service doing garri- son duty in Kentucky, he contracted typhoid fever and was honor- ably discharged in November, 1864. Except for a time while he was with Vant, Cook & Co., manufacturers, he was connected with his father's hardware business until 1879, when he became a pioneer in the manufacture of spring beds. He is now president of Haggard & Marcusson company, one of the leading producers in that line. Mr. Haggard lived at Austin 1873-79, in Chicago 1879-81 and since 1881 has lived again at Austin. He is a past commander of Kil- patrick post, Grand Army of the Republic, of Austin, and is a Blue lodge, chapter, commandery, Eastern Star and Scottish Rite Mason and a member of the Mystic Shrine. In politics he is staunchly Republican. Mr. Haggard married Miss Sarah U. Bennett on December 4, 1871, his twenty-fourth birthday. She was born at Canton, N. Y., a daughter of Harmon Bennett. Their daughter, Mabel H., married Frank W. Yale and their daughter Florence is the wife of Samuel M. Farrar.
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