USA > Illinois > Stephenson County > History of Stephenson County, Illinois : a record of its settlement, organization, and three-quarters of a century of progress > Part 61
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There are thirty-eight active members in good standing and four honorary members. The membership list follows. In all cases, except where otherwise specified, the members are Freeporters. The list includes B. A. Arnold, E. H. Best, Paul Burrell (Winslow), E. E. Burwell, R. J. Burns, C. L. Best, J. S. Clark, J. N. Daly (Orangeville), F. A. Dietrich, B. Erp-Brockhausen, J. F. Fair, T. J. Holke, W. A. Hutchins (Orangeville), Linda Hutchins, N. R. Har- lan, Sara Hewitson, W. Karcher, A. F. Kober (McConnell), C. P. Leitzell (Da- kota), F. J. Lins (Durand), D. C. L. Mease, H. E. Morrison, W. B. Peck, N. C. Phillips, W. J. Rideout, Mary L. Rosenstiel, A. Salter, M. Saucerman (Rock Grove), J. H. Stealy, W. B. Stiver, R. J. Stiver (Lena), A. E. Smith, K. F. Snyder, E. J. Torey, S. C. Thompson (Cedarville), E. A. Carpenter (Baileyville), L. G. Voigt, A. A. Wilson (Davis), J. G. Woker (Pearl City).
The honorary members are : R. F. Hayes, C. M. Hillebrand, D. B. Bobb (Da- kota), and J. W. Saucerman (Winslow).
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HISTORY OF STEPHENSON COUNTY
The officers of the present association are: President, A. E. Smith, vice president, B. Erp-Brockhausen ; secretary, J. Sheldon Clark; treasurer, D. C. L. Mease.
Meetings are held quarterly subject to call by the president of the society.
FREEPORT CLUB.
The Freeport Club is an organization of which the business men of Free- port are justly proud. It possesses a club house which for convenience and elegance of appointments is hardly surpassed by any similar building in a city of this size. For twenty years it has been in existence during which time it has maintained the high standard of excellence set by its founders.
On October 21, 1890, the organization was completed by twenty-nine of Free- port's business men and the present Freeport Club was founded. Previous to that time a club had been maintained by ten of the men who now went into the Freeport Club. This club maintained a club room in the Wilcoxin building, then known as the Opera House Block. When the Freeport Club was formally in- stituted the club rooms were moved from the Opera House Block across the street to a room which is now occupied by the C. E. Wilkins photograph gallery. The twenty-nine men whose names are to be found on the original document of the Freeport Club are: Wallace Collins, Boyd P. Hill, W. Ensign Boyington, F. A. Read, James W. Hyde, W. A. Stevens, Alfred Brown, John S. Harp- ster, Dwight B. Breed, Edward Winslow, C. C. Hanford, W. E. Fry, Henry J. Porter, Charles A. McNamara, John A. Martin, Mathias Hettinger, Jr., Charles D. Knowlton, Arthur Rodearmel, Lalon Z. Farwell, W. H. Taggart, Michael Stoskopf, Charles E. Scott, W. S. Benson, Horace Webster, Addison Bidwell, Dr. E. H. Allen, William J. Hall, Frederick Bartlett and Robert Hall Wiles.
Soon after organization a large number of new members were accepted into the club, which then entered upon a season of rapid and promising growth. Charles D. Knowlton was elected president, and retained his office for a num- ber of years. His successors have been Boyd P. Hill, Michael Stoskopf, and L. Z. Farwell, the present officer. Mr. Farwell has occupied the chair for the past nine years and has proved himself an able and efficient president.
Three years after the organization of the club it was found advisable to change quarters. The room on Stephenson street had become too small to suit the needs of the growing society and the officers began to look about for a site for a club house. At this time they made a very fortunate "find." The present club property on Stephenson street was then owned by ex-mayor Ja- cob Krohn, who had become a member of the club. Circumstances made it necessary for Mr. Krohn to move, and he offered to sell his home to the Free- port Club for use as a club house at a very small figure. The club found the Krohn property admirably suited to its needs and closed the bargain at once. The house was secured for the sum of $5,500, which now seems ridiculously small, as the house and lot are at present valued at a much larger sum.
On July 8, 1893, the club moved from its cramped quarters down town and six days later, on the 14th, the house warming was held, an occasion which will long be remembered by the older members of the organization. The
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building has been occupied during the seventeen years which have passed since that date, and numerous improvements have been made upon the property, rais- ing its present value to something over $10,000.
Among the additions made have been the bowling alley, ball room, billiard room and tennis court. The bowling alley was built in at the rear of the build- ing, a special structure being erected for the purpose about ten years ago. At the time the club members took a great interest in the sport. Various teams known by the names of Rough Rollers, Smooth Rollers, Smith P. I.'s, etc., were organized and captained by enthusiastic members, and two silver cups on the mantel over the fireplace of the reading room give evidence of the one time interest in the game.
The club house ball room has been the scene of many a brilliant function since its equipment not a decade ago. The floor is one of the best dance floors in the city and the room itself while somewhat small is quite adequate to the needs of the club and has been used and enjoyed continuously by the members and their families. The billiard room and tenis court have also been in constant use, and the club men and their families have derived a great deal of pleasure and enjoyment from the use of them.
Among the customs instituted by the club have been the annual New Year's ball on New Year's eve for the purpose of watching the old year out and the new year in, and the annual Fourth of July fete on the club lawn. A large amount of money has been expended at these fetes in securing displays of fire- works, and the results have always been highly satisfactory, the spectators al- ways enthusiastically reporting a most enjoyable time.
The club is now established on a firm basis as one of Freeport's oldest so- cial organizations, and, in fact, the only one of its especial kind. It is the only club affording a means of entertainment to both members and their families and out of town friends. As such it is assured of a continued prosperity. The present officers of the club are : president, L. Z. Farwell; vice president, T. H. Hollister ; secretary, Norman Tuckett; treasurer, J. Manly Clark.
The present membership is eighty-six active members. There are also a number of honorary members.
LAKOTA CLUB.
The Lakota Club is a club made up of the younger business men of Free- port. It is exclusively a social organization, and possesses a handsome (if some- what diminutive) club house in West Freeport on the Schofield property.
The Lakota Club had its inception two years ago in June, 1908, when seven young men who found themselves congenial and united by the common bond of bachelordom, met and formulated plans for the organization of a social club. These seven young men, who are still, with one single exception, members of the club today were : Raymond S. Wise, Dr. J. Sheldon Clark, Jos. Sibley, George Creighton, F. A. McNess, F. H. Bowers, and Mentor Wheat. A committee was immediately appointed to look over the various properties in and around Free- port which would afford a suitable location for a club house.
After some deliberation the committee selected as a site the land north of Stephenson street owned by Ira Schofield, which was then known as Schofield's
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Park. The park contained a miniature lake which afforded excellent facilities for bathing in summer and skating in winter. In addition to this the situation was quite ideal in all other respects for the location of a country club. It is a somewhat retired glen, sloping somewhat from the road and invisible through a grove of tall spreading trees. The land leased by the Lakota Club surrounds the lake and extends south nearly to the street.
It was not until the work of equipping the club house was under way that the subject of a name for the club was broached. It was then decided to call the club by the Indian name of "Lakota" which means "Our Allies" or "Our Friends."
The club house has been well fitted out. It contains an excellent dance floor as well as all the other attachments of an up-to-date club house.
Last year the Lakota Club instituted the custom of giving monthly Sunday receptions to their friends and their wives. The club house and grounds were admirably suited to giving receptions of this sort and the townspeople who en- joyed the out-of-door afternoons feel deeply indebted to the Lakota men for their kindness in entertaining them. The practice has not been continued this spring but will probably be begun again this summer. The latest project of the Lakotas is to secure the Ben Greet Players to give a performance on the Lakota grounds which are very well adapted to this sort of sylvan produc- tion.
While the Lakota Club is one of the newest circles of the city in respect to years, none is more firmly established and none enjoys a greater social prestige. The membership of the club has now increased to ten. The officers of the club which have remained the same since the founding are: President, Raymond S. Wise; vice president, Mentor Wheat ; secretary, Dr. Clark; treasurer (Ist year), George Creighton, (2nd year), F. W. McNess.
· GERMANIA SOCIETY.
The Germania Society, as a separate organization, dates back only as far as 1877, but in reality it existed for many years before that in the shape of two distinct societies ; The Freeport Saengerbund, and the Freeport Turn-Verein. Of the two, the history of the Saengerbund has been preserved with more fidelity, but the early records of both are entirely lost, and the charter members of both organizations have long been dead.
In 1855, the Saengerbund was organized and in 1865 the Turn-Verein. The membership lists of both clubs immediately grew to large proportions and before long nearly every influential German citizen of Freeport belonged to one society or the other. At that time the German population of Freeport was for the most part made up of people who had been born and bred in Germany, and the customs of the Fatherland were fresh in their minds. Of late years, the activity of the Germania Society has somewhat decreased, and for a very obvious reason. The younger generation have little or no interest in the preservation of German customs and traditions. They are to be American citizens and their whole in- terest is centered on the new country. For this reason, if for no other, the Ger- mania Society is an object of marked interest to the historian-because in another
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generation or two it will be a thing of the past. During its existence it has been one of the most active organizations of the city, but many of the old members are gone, and the activity is waning. It is useless to hope for a very vigorous re- suscitation, for the interest is dying a natural death, and the members of the Germania are directing the bulk of their efforts elsewhere.
The Turn-Verein and the Saengerbund were long regarded as the most pop- ular and important organizations of their kind in nothern Illinois. The Turn- Verein was established in August, 1856, and sought excellence among its mem- bers not only in music, but also in athletic sports. It erected the structure formerly known as Turner hall, now Germania hall, on Galena street between Adams and Mechanic streets, in 1869, at a cost of $18,000. Germania hall is still in use, and for a long time was the only opera house of the city. The hall contains the rooms of the Germania Society on the ground floor and a spacious auditorium with a stage on the second floor, where the meetings of the Saenger- bund are held and their entertainments given.
The Saengerbund was organized less than a year earlier than the Turn- Verein, in December, 1855, and had as its object the formation of a musical society, vocal and instrumental, among the German section of the population. On Saturday evening, December 15, in response to an appeal from the "Deut- scher Anzeiger," twenty men, both old and young, assembled in the hall on the third floor of the Hoebel building, at present 79 Stephenson street, for the pur- pose of organizing the Saengerbund. The first president was Mr. Carl Strohacker, and Mr. John Geiger long held the office of secretary. The following were among the charter members : William Bergholte, Philip Fleischmann, John Geiger, George Held, John, Philip, and Peter Hoebel, Louis Jungkunz, Joseph Lampert, Carl Schoen, H. Schrenkler, John M. and Henry Spratler, Carl Strohacker, and William Wagner, Sr. Philip Knecht, a German teacher, who had but a few years pervious come to Freeport from Rhenish Bavaria, was unanimously chosen director, a position which he continued to fill for eight years in a very creditable manner.
The first rehearsal of the Saengerbund took place on Friday evening, Decem- ber 21st, of the same year, in the same hall in which the organization of the Bund was perfected, and for the following fifty-five years from that time to the present rehearsals have been held every Friday evening except in unusual cases. The first social entertainment was held on January 27, 1856, and bi-weekly so- cial gatherings continued to be held for many years, at first in the afternoons, later in the evening.
The first public event fostered by the Saengerbund was a public concert held in Phoenix hall, on Easter Monday, March 24, 1856, followed by a dance. The reports of the affair are meagre but those which exist in the "Anzeiger" seem to proclaim the attempt as a decided success.
In 1856, the Turn-Verein was organized, and it also started a singing so- ciety. The two societies worked hand in hand for a long time. Many of the German citizens were members of both Saengerbund and Turn-Verein, and everyone of consequence thought it necessary to be a member of at least one of them. Mr. Knecht, leader of the Saengerbund, became also the leader of the Turn-Verein, and, while there was always a certain rivalry, friendly but very
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much in earnest, existing between the two societies, still on many occasions the two joined forces and forgot all their differences. On November 10, 1859, at the celebration held in commemoration of Schiller's birth, the two choruses sang together and each rendered two selections independently. About the same time, the Saengerbund took an active interest in a National Saengerfest held in Chi- cago by the North American Saengerbund, but the details of this event are en- tirely lacking.
In 1863, the society had increased in membership to a large extent and larger quarters were necessary. Accordingly, in February, of the next year, they moved to the rooms in the building at 100-102 Stephenson street, which had formerly been occupied by the Masonic lodges. In the same year, Mr. Knecht resigned as director and William H. Wagner was chosen by the Bund to fill his place. Mr. Wagner was young in years and experience, but he was not lacking in cour- age or enthusiasm, and so it came about that he filled the position, with oc- casional temporary intervals of rest, for a period of thirty-three years. At that time, the director received no stipulated salary, but from time to time benefit concerts were given for him, and considerable sums were occasionally realized.
About the beginning of 1866 the Saengerbund again moved its base of oper- ations to the Hettinger building. In the meantime the singing of the society was constantly improving, and at a concert given by the Bund at Mineral Point, Wis- consin, the singers, and especially the young director, received an ovation for the manner in which they acquitted themselves.
The Saengerbound of the northwest held a fest in Galena from the 17th to the 19th of June, 1869, and, although the Freeport society was not a member of that organization at the time, the Galena people extended them an invitation to attend, which invitation was gladly accepted. For some reason the Freeport singers arrived at Galena in advance of any of the other societies, and on the occasion of the first concert the Freeport and Galena associations were the only ones present. Tradition says that the Galena Fest-President in his address com- ·mended the Freeport Saengerbund upon this fact, and called them "a model so- ciety."
In 1870 arrangements for a private Saengerfest were perfected and an invi- tation was extended to all German singing societies within a radius of one hundred miles. The fest was held from the 14th to the 16th of June, and was participated in by singers from Davenport and Dubuque, Iowa, Mineral Point, Janesville, and Burlington, Wisconsin, Galena, Sterling, Rockford, Mendota, Lena, and Davis, Illinois. The Dixon and Amboy societies did not send singers, but were represented by delegates, and the people from Davenport, Dubuque, and Mineral Point were accompanied by bands. The grand chorus comprised about two hundred voices, and was assisted by the visiting bands and the local Union Cornet Band. Addresses were delivered on the occasion of the gather- ing by Mr. Caspar Butz, of Chicago, who spoke in German, and Hon. Thomas J. Turner, of Freeport, who spoke in English. The event aroused great enthusi- asm and was pronounced a decided success.
In 1875, the Turn-Verein presented the whole of Carl Maria von Weber's opera "Der Freischuetz," under the direction of Professor E. Bischoff. On this
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occasion, some members of the Saengerbund also assisted and aided in making the affair a great success.
In 1877, it was decided that the Saengerfest of the Northwest Saengerbund should be held in Freeport. On this occasion Mr. W. H. Wagner, director of the Saengerbund, did not feel competent to conduct the concerts of the organiza- tion and temporarily turned over his baton to Mr. Bischoff, leader of the Turn- Verein. Under Mr. Bischoff's direction, the fest was held. The attendance was not much greater than that at the private Saengerfest of seven years previous, and only about one hundred and seventy visiting singers were present. This was due to the fact that only one society from Milwaukee appeared in a body and two of the other societies merely sent delegates. It was a great disappointment to the local fest committee, who had expected the Milwaukee singers to turn out en masse; but from a musical standpoint, the fest could not have achieved a greater success. Bach's Ochestra from Milwaukee furnished the instrumental music and all of the grand choruses were rendered with orchestral accom- paniment.
One of the immediate results of the Saengerfest of 1877 was the union of the Saengerbund and Turn-Verein who combined in the hope of becoming a more influential factor in the German life of the city. The organization took on the new name of the Germania society, and Turner hall was rechristened Germania hall. In 1882, the hall was entirely rebuilt and remodelled and as a dedication, a grand concert was arranged, at which part of Flotow's "Stradella" was pro- duced. The several roles on this occasion were sung by local talent, Miss Anna Meyer (now Mrs. Louis Biersach), Mr. H. W. Schroeder, Mr. Ben Stoneman, and Mr. R. Hefti taking the leading parts. A chorus of forty voices accom- panied their efforts, and all the records of the occasion unite in declaring that the event was unquestionably one of the best ever given under the auspices of the Germania Society.
In 1887, the official body of the Saengerbund of the northwest solicited the local society to undertake another Saengerfest. This was accordingly done. At both of the previous fests, Wilcoxin's Opera House had been utilized as a con- cert hall, but directors feared that the size of the new audience would prohibit that. They made arrangements for the use of Taylor's Park and had a great singing platform built in front of the grand stand for the accomodation of the choruses. The events justified their expectations, for over four hundred visiting singers were in attendance, and the platform was crowded. Concerts were given afternoon and evening, and large audiences heard all of them. The fest was a great success, and even the weather man was kind until the last day when he sent down a pour of rain. The rain somewhat dampened the ardor of the audiences, and the treasury of the society suffered in consequence. However, owing to the generosity of J. B. Taylor, owner of the park, who gave almost the free use of the grounds for the occasion, the deficit was avoided.
In 1896, a split occurred within the ranks of the Germania Society. The Turn-Verein and Saengerbund had supposedly worked side by side through the years in perfect harmony, but in reality there had been an undercurrent of dis- satisfaction. This was brought to the surface in February, 1896, in the with- drawal of the Saengerbund division of the Germania Society, which for a while
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continued to hold its meetings in Blust hall. Scarcely a year later, they decided that "in union there is strength" and, having overcome their old differences, and healed their old wounds, they again allied themselves with the Turn-Verein and continued to hold their meetings in Germania hall. From that time the society has been united and no differences have occurred.
On July 3rd and 4th, 1905, occurred the Fiftieth Anniversary of the found- ing of the Saengerbund, and, in commemoration of the event high festival was held. Many singing societies from out of town attended, and Professor Theodore H. Trost, director of the local society, wielded the baton. July 4th was observed by appropriate Independence Day exercises, and July 3rd was marked by the holding of two concerts. In addition to the out of town Saengerbunds, several soloists of national reputation were secured, and the Germania Society received their guests royally.
Since that time, the Germania Society has done nothing in a public way, but has continued to conduct the business of its organization without interruption. The president of the society for the current year is Charles G. Steffen, with F. P. Ohden acting as secretary. The club meets on the first Wednesday of the month in the club rooms in Germania hall.
COUNTY CLUB.
The County Club, which represents the interests of the Republican party in Freeport and the county, was founded in 1899 and has been in existence for about eleven years. Before its organization a need for a club of the kind had long been felt, and several abortive attempts had been made to establish one.
On August 30, 1899, the present County Club was organized and incorporated under the Illinois state laws with a membership of forty-one Republicans of Freeport and the surrounding country. On October 5th of the same year the first meeting was held and Robert P. Eckert was elected president of the or- ganization. The object of the County Club as stated in its charter was "to advance the science of political Economy; to promote friendly and social re- lations between its members; to levy and collect dues; to exert such influence and render such service as it can in behalf of good government, and to promote the growth and spread of the principles of the Republican party. The forty- one members whose names were affixed to the original document were:
James E. Taggart, Robert P. Eckert, William H. Foll, J. R. Young, Louis H. Burrell, Homer F. Aspinwall, Oscar E. Heard, B. H. Brundage, J. L. Mey- ers, W. A. Stevens, R. W. Burton, A. Grier, F. C. Held, H. W. Bolender, James B. McCool, C. L. Snyder, J. H. Firestone, G. A. Huenkemeier, J. F. Fair, E. L. Stewart, Horatio C. Burchard, C. P. Leitzell, James Rezner, W. A. Schwarze, L. M. De Vore, James R. Cowley, G. S. Kleckner, Dwight B. Breed, Louis McGovern, J. E. Adamson, Henry Gilbert, W. B. Peck, R. M. White, F. P. Waite, W. H. Crotzer, J. M. Fox, Charles F. Rieger, Charles Hall, L. W. Lyon, C. J. Wells, A. W. Hershey.
The first step taken by the club was the securing of suitable club rooms for the use of the members. A suite of room on the second and third floors of the building over Barrett and Emerick's Jewelry Store was engaged and has
Je Manden mit tinh in der
Dexter A. Knowlton, Sr
Dexter A. Knowlton. Jr
August Bergman
Loyal L. Munn
PROMINENT BUSINESS MEN OF FREEPORT
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
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HISTORY OF STEPHENSON COUNTY
been in use ever since. The membership of the club is somewhat larger than at the beginning, but has remained throughout an exclusive organization. The officers of the County Club for the current year are: President, C. W. Harden; first vice president, James E. Taggart; second vice president, W. W. Krape; third vice president, J. R. Young; secretary, T. M. Kaufman; treasurer, Boyd P. Hill.
DEMOCRATIC CLUB.
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