ILLINOIS HISTORICAL SURVEY 
 
PORTAGE, PIONEERS, AND PUBS 
 
 A History of Lyons, Illinois 
 
 by 
 
 Rose Marie Benedetti 
 
 and 
 Virginia C. Bulat 
 
Copyright 1963 by Rose Marie Benedetti 
 
 and Virginia C„ Bulat 
 
 First Printing, September, 1963 
 
 Printed by: Angel Guardian Orphanage Press 
 Chicago, Illinois 
 
1,31 
 
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 UL 
 
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 TO ELSIE 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
 
 http://archive.org/details/portagepioneerspOObene 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Introduction 7 
 
 Forward 9 
 
 I LYONS AND ITS FAMOUS PORTAGE 11 
 
 II PIONEERS 25 
 
 III EARLY SETTLERS 33 
 
 IV BEGINNING OF INDUSTRY 45 
 
 V LYONS AND ITS OFFICIAL BEGINNING 59 
 
 VI FIRE DEPARTMENT 91 
 
 VII POLICE DEPARTMENT 95 
 
 VIII U. S. POST OFFICE 99 
 
 IX HEALTH CENTER 103 
 
 X LYONS PUBLIC LIBRARY 111 
 
 XI PUBLIC SCHOOLS 115 
 
 XII CHURCHES 119 
 
 St. Hugh Church 119 
 
 St. John ! s Church 124 
 
 Zion Church 128 
 
 XIII BUT NOT FORGOTTEN 133 
 Index 137 
 
INTRODUC TION 
 
 Being, by comparison, one of the newer residents of 
 our village, it was indeed a pleasure to be given the oppor- 
 tunity to play some minute part in the compiling of a book 
 on one of the subjects which interest me most - Lyons. 
 
 This book is not intended to be and makes no pretext 
 of being a means of glorifying any individual organization 
 or set. It is simply a grouping of facts and figures, clev- 
 erly blended with a story that has unfolded through the 
 years -- A story that will shed light on the important hap- 
 penings in the life and times of people from the earliest 
 pioneers and adventurers to the contemporaries of our 
 time. 
 
 Because of the diligent care taken in gathering the 
 information necessary to complete this book, it is almost 
 certain to be one hundred percent accurate. There is no 
 way one can give an iron clad guarantee, however, that 
 there isn't one mis-statement of fact. If, by chance, 
 there is an error in this manuscript, it is solely because 
 of the limitations of the human memory when there were 
 no records or other reference material available. 
 
 One of the most gratifying rewards given to the 
 young authors of this book was the knowledge that there 
 were so many senior citizens unselfish enough to sit down 
 and devote many hours reminiscing and generally discus- 
 sing the "Good Ole Days". These interviews proved to be 
 the source of many of the invaluable stories offered in 
 this text. 
 
 For many who read this book there will be twinges 
 of nostalgia when poring over a passage about Cream City 
 or the Talley-Ho which carried groups of merry-makers 
 to Clam Bakes. Possibly, for some, it may bring a feel- 
 ing of melancholy for days lived to their fullest but never 
 to be seen again. For others, such as myself, it will be 
 
a story that unfolds with such interest that, once started, 
 there will be no way to set the book down until the final 
 chapter has been read. 
 
 Whatever this book means to you, it will be time 
 well spent reading what is sure to be a treasured work in 
 the years to come. 
 
 So now, please sit back and clear your mind of 
 present day cares and prepare to embark on an adventure 
 into the past that will not soon be forgotten. 
 
 James A. Hartman 
 
FORWARD 
 
 The home you live in today, the ordinary items that 
 you use in everyday living and you yourself shall be con- 
 sidered important in the history of Lyons at some future 
 date. Time is relative. Seventy-five or a hundred years 
 from now, the home you live in - if it still remains - will 
 be known as an early homestead -- Your everyday items 
 will be antiquest and you, at this future date, will be known 
 as one of the early pioneers of the Village of Lyons. 
 
 Historians are commonly pictured as older men or 
 women who have lived their biblical three score and ten 
 years and are endeavoring to set their interpretation of 
 the events of their lifetime on paper before they pass on. 
 In this book, however, you will read historical facts that 
 are not colored by the imagination of the authors or dulled 
 by the passing of time - for the two authors are not too 
 long out of their "teens". 
 
 Rose Marie Benedetti and Virginia C. Bulat, the 
 authors, believe - as many other residents of Lyons - 
 that our village was an important part of early American 
 history and should receive the recognition to which it is 
 entitled. They commenced the original manuscript while 
 freshmen in high school -- They have painstakenly revised 
 and rewritten portions as new facts were uncovered; and 
 so you are about to read the first history book written 
 solely about your village. 
 
 Enjoy this book to its fullest, remembering even as 
 you read that you are a part and portion of the Village of 
 Lyons - Gateway to the West. 
 
 Ellsworth J. Hartwig 
 
CHAP T ER I 
 
 LYONS AND ITS FAMOUS PORTAGE 
 
 It is our honest opinion that if it hadn ! t been for 
 Lyons, the great center of commerce known as Chicago 
 would have been built at some other more favorable loca- 
 tion. This may sound a little sensational but it is the 
 simple truth. We will prove our statement in this chapter, 
 and try to draw as clear a picture as possible of the early 
 days of Lyons and its surrounding area. 
 
 Our story begins over three hundred years ago when 
 this entire area was populated with many Indians. The 
 Indian inhabitants of the Northwest Territory included 
 such tribes as the Chippewa, Fox, Sac, Illinois, Kickapoo, 
 Miami, Ottawa, Pottawatomi and Winnebago. 
 
 The principal Indians in the neighborhood of Lyons 
 were the Pottawatomi, Miami and an occasional foray by 
 the war-like Iroquois from New York. When the first 
 pioneers settled west of Fort Dearborn, they found a Pot- 
 tawatomi Village in Lyons. 
 
 The Great Plains Indians lived in tepees made of 
 hide, or in dome-shaped huts covered with grass, hides 
 or earth. Their clothing was made of deerskin, furs, 
 woven hair, etc. 
 
 The Indians recognized Lyons and the nearby region 
 as an excellent location for their homes. The Des Plaines 
 River gave them a convenient supply of water, transporta- 
 tion and fish of many species. The forests provided timber 
 for fuel and huts. There was an abundant quantity of fur- 
 bearing animals which included muskrat - raccoon - opos- 
 sum - squirrel - deer - wolves - rabbit - buffalo - elk - 
 beaver - and black bear. As for game birds, there were 
 flocks of wild duck, quail, pheasant, wild geese, swans, 
 sandhill crains, ruffed grouse and prairie chicken. Their 
 corn and other crops thrived in the fertile land. 
 
 11 
 
Although the Indian was a hunter and fisherman, 
 the necessity of tending fields forced him to live a set- 
 tled life in one locality, varying only by fall or winter 
 hunts. Indians traveled in a canoe made of bark or hal- 
 lowed out of a log. 
 
 The Indian inhabitants in this "neck of the woods" 
 left many trails along the river and streams. The early 
 settlers had no difficulty identifying these trails for they 
 bore common characteristics - all were narrow, deep 
 and serpentine in their course. The Cook County Forest 
 Preserve now owns and maintains much of the property 
 so that many of the early Indian trails are again clearly 
 visible. 
 
 Hundreds of arrow heads and many stone imple- 
 ments have been found throughout Lyons. There is also 
 a plot of land located about two hundred feet along the 
 north bank of the Des Plaines - where Salt Creek enters 
 the river in Riverside - where bones of many Indians lie. 
 This legendary spot is known today as Indian Gardens. 
 Henry Metz, a resident of Lyons, owned a sand pit in 
 that area during the early 1900's. While excavating the 
 property, he discovered an Indian skeleton. 
 
 For many centuries, the Northwest Indians trav- 
 eled a short portage to Lake Michigan and the Great 
 Lakes Region. To explain this route clearly, we will 
 start at its beginning - the Mississippi River. This 
 body of water connects with the Illinois River at Grafton, 
 Illinois. The Des Plaines is a major tributary of the 
 Illinois River. At Lyons, there was a shallow creek 
 (Portage Creek) two miles long, which connected the 
 Des Plaines with a slough (Mud Lake). By traveling 
 over Mud Lake to its eastern end, a short land portage 
 of one and one-half miles long led to the West Fork of 
 the South Branch of the Chicago River. (This land port- 
 age was located at about what is now Kedzie Avenue. ) 
 The Chicago River then led into Lake Michigan. Early 
 Frenchmen referred to the route as "Le Portage". It 
 was commonly known as the Chicago Portage. 
 
 12 
 
The Chicago Portage was to be recognized as the 
 shortest and most direct connection between the St. Law- 
 rence River in Canada and the Mississippi River and 
 Gulf of Mexico. 
 
 Indians in the Great Lakes area had informed the 
 French of a "Great River" in the west. Because of this, 
 Comte de Frontenac, the Governor of New France, sent 
 Louis Joliet to discover and explore the river. Father 
 Jacquest Marquette was elected to accompany Joliet 1 s 
 party. The "Great River" was, of course, the Mississippi. 
 
 On May 17, 1672, Father Marquette, Louis Joliet 
 and five other voyageurs began their long journey at St. 
 Ignace, Mackinaw Strait. The trek was made in two birch 
 bark canoes with just a string of dried beef and a bag of 
 cornmeal for food. Father Marquette's purpose was to 
 reveal the Catholic religion to the Indians. To make fri- 
 ends with the Redman, the kindly priest carried beads 
 and crosses, which were used as gifts. Louis Joliet's 
 job was to establish trade for the French. The French 
 believed that once trade was established, they would be 
 able to rule the country. 
 
 The route taken from Canada by the small party 
 was Lake Michigan to Green Bay, and the Fox-Wisconsin 
 Rivers to the Mississippi. They explored the Mississippi 
 as far south as the mouth of the Arkansas River. At this 
 point they decided to start back toward Quebec. The Indians 
 told them of a shorter route back to Lake Michigan - via 
 "Le Portage". 
 
 Therefore, Father Marquette, Louis Joliet, and 
 their party were in Lyons in 1673. They reported French- 
 men were found living in Illinois. Because of this, many 
 people believe these Frenchmen named our town in memory 
 of their home country - Lyon, France. Father Marquette 
 entered the first reports of white men living in this area. 
 
 Thus the history of Chicago began as Farther Mar- 
 
 14 
 
quette and Louis Joliet entered Portage Creek at Lyons 
 and from there started for Lake Michigan. Knight and 
 Zeuch referred to it in their book The Location Of The 
 Chicago Portage Route Of The Seventeenth Century as: 
 
 "Portage Creek, the 'birthplace of 
 Chicago', the place where Joliet 
 and Father Marquette turned from 
 the Des Plaines into Mud Lake." 
 
 The famous expedition was very much impressed 
 with this route. Joliet proceeded to Quebec and reported 
 to Governor Frontenac that it would only be necessary to 
 cut a canal one and one-half miles long (between Mud Lake 
 and the Chicago River) to enable travelers to go by canoe 
 from Lake Erie to the Culf of Mexico. This idea was to 
 become a reality over ZOO years later with the Illinois - 
 Michigan Canal. 
 
 Father Marquette had promised to stay with the 
 Indians on the Illinois River so, in the fall of 1674, after 
 a short stay at Green Bay, he traveled south on Lake 
 Michigan to the east end of Mud Lake, arriving in Decem- 
 ber. He remained on the South Branch of the Chicago 
 River from December 1674 to March 30, 1675. This area 
 was afterwards called "Hardscrabble" and is now about 
 Archer and Racine Avenues in Chicago. 
 
 Although the good missionary was rich in faith and 
 love, he was very poor in health and, for that reason, was 
 unable to travel further in the Illinois territory. Since he 
 could not travel great distances, he made his way around 
 Lake Michigan, stopping at every possible Indian Village. 
 Father Marquette died near Ludington, Michigan, west of 
 Mackinac Island. 
 
 French fur traders from the Quebec area, influenced 
 by Joliet's reports, were among the first traders to deal 
 with the Indians then camped in Lyons. They arrived in 
 approximately 1675. Furs could often be traded for a string 
 
 15 
 
of beads, a hatchet, or a knife. These furs then traveled 
 over the Chicago Portage on their way to Paris, or other 
 points in Europe. 
 
 After talking to Joliet, Robert Cavalier de LaSalle, 
 a courageous and adventurous Frenchman, became very 
 interested in exploring the Mississippi. He planned to 
 build up the fur trade, and establish a series of forts along 
 the routes to the Mississippi. If this could be done, LaSalle 
 felt that France would have control of almost all of North 
 America. After securing permission from the King of 
 France, he made three trips to this area between 1679 
 and 1682. 
 
 It is important to note at this time that there were 
 three portages into or out of Lake Michigan. Green Bay 
 Portage - Chicago Portage - and St. Joseph-Kankakee River 
 Portage. The Chicago Portage was much shorter than the 
 other two, being only nine miles long. It was only on 
 LaSalle' s last trip that he used this shorter route to the 
 Mississippi River. 
 
 Realizing its importance, LaSalle instructed his 
 ever faithful lieutenant, loyal friend, and devoted com- 
 panion, Henry de Tonty, to build Fort St. Louis at Starved 
 Rock. The French, with their Indian allies, now had 
 complete control of the Chicago Portage and the fur trade 
 in the Northwest. 
 
 Henry de Tonty was known as The Man With The 
 Iron Hand. His right hand had been blown off by a grenade 
 during a battle at Libisso, Sicily. He wore an iron hook 
 which the Indians feared as "big medicine" . 
 
 LaSalle took possession of the vast region drained 
 by the Mississippi. He named it Louisiana in honor of the 
 King of France, Louis XIV. 
 
 Despite many disastrous attacks, Tonty - as the 
 representative of the French - and his army maintained 
 
 16 
 
control of the Portage for many years. But in 1700 he 
 was replaced as governor of Fort St. Louis, and was 
 forced to vacate the Fort and the Chicago Portage. 
 
 The British decided they wanted to get into the fur 
 trade act and formed an alliance with the Iroquois who 
 were long standing enemies of the Illinois Indians and the 
 French. Gradually, the English - through their freindship 
 with the Iroquois - began to gain control of the Northwest 
 region. By 1760 they had established the Hudson's Bay 
 Company, North West Fur Company, and Mackinac Fur 
 Company. 
 
 Competition was at its peak between the fur com- 
 panies. They found it was very necessary to make friends 
 with as many Indian nations as possible. And they did not 
 hesitate to use the Indians against their competitors. The 
 Indians were filled with liquor, and robbery and murder 
 became a common business. 
 
 There was great rivalry between the English and 
 French in Europe. This rivalry spread to their colonists 
 in the New World. The French settlements were near 
 enough the English to cause disputes over boundaries and 
 prevented explorations west - in addition to the difficulties 
 over fur trade rights. By 1754, affairs were in such a state 
 that the final struggle between the English and French 
 seemed inevitable. One or the other had to control North 
 America. Their disputes resulted in the French and 
 Indian War. An important major served under the British 
 in this war - George Washington. Although the French 
 and their Indian allies put up a strong defense, the British 
 finally won out and, after many years of warfare, the 
 peace treaty was signed at Paris in 1763. France gave 
 England the territory east of the Mississippi - except 
 New Orleans which went to Spain - and Canada. 
 
 George Rodgers Clark conquered the Northwest Ter- 
 ritory from England during the Revolutionary War. He 
 was aided by French settlers living in this area and their 
 Indian allies. 
 
 17 
 
The Chicago Portage was used quite often as a route 
 to the battle grounds at the Mississippi during the American 
 Revolution. A British military force is known to have 
 stayed at Lyons during the Revolution. 
 
 The close of the Revolutionary War, with the Treaty 
 of Paris in 1783, legally gave the American Colonies ter- 
 ritories that included the entire area as far west as the 
 Mississippi and south to Louisiana. 
 
 The "Ordinance of Virginia", passed on July 13, 
 1787, defined the Northwest Territory. This included 
 areas north of the Ohio and Missouri Rivers, Indiana, 
 Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South 
 Dakota. It set up townships and boundary lines. The 
 Ordinance also included a passage regarding the Chicago 
 Portage. This passage read: 
 
 "The navigable waters leading into the 
 Mississippi and the St. Lawrence, and 
 the carrying places between the same, 
 shall be common highways, and forever 
 free, as well to the inhabitants of the 
 United States, and those of any other 
 state that may be admitted into the 
 Confederacy, without any tax, impost, 
 or duty therefor. " 
 
 TJhe English were revengeful as evidenced when 
 Charles d'Iberville, a French Canadian in the English ser- 
 vice, spent a night in Lyons in 1779. Accompanying him 
 was a group of white men and Indians. They were on their 
 way to an American settlement at Peoria, for the purpose 
 of antagonizing the pioneers of the village. 
 
 Although the Treaty of Paris gave the power of this 
 region to the United States, it was now the Government's 
 duty to obtain title to the land from the Indians, so that it 
 might be opened for settling by the pioneers. The Indians 
 that controlled the land were influenced by the English to 
 
 18 
 
resist any efforts made in settling the region north of the 
 Ohio, As a result, after many attacks with the Indians, 
 General Meredith Anthony Wayne's Treaty of Greenville 
 was signed on August 10, 1795 which took away the Indians' 
 title to the land in Ohio. This treaty is important to the 
 Chicago Portage because it freed: 
 
 "One piece of land six miles square 
 at the mouth of the Chicago River 
 emptying into the southwest end of 
 Lake Michigan", 
 
 a like piece at the site of Peoria, a strip twelve miles 
 square where the Illinois River empties into the Missis- 
 sippi, and: 
 
 "free passages of the portages and 
 rivers connecting these grants"; 
 
 thereby freeing the entire route from the Chicago Portage 
 to the Mississippi. 
 
 The French control in other parts of the country was 
 ended in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase. 
 
 John Jacob Astor, an American, came into the fur 
 trade picture with his American Fur Company, incorpo- 
 rated in 1808. He got rid of competition by influencing 
 Congress to pass an act in 1816 that prevented foreigners 
 from trading furs in the United States - except as employ- 
 ees. 
 
 Since the discovery of the Portage, Chicago has al- 
 ways been a strategic point for either trade or war. Re- 
 alizing this, the United States Government erected the 
 first Fort Dearborn on the Chicago River in 1804 - to 
 protect the Chicago Portage. The other two portages 
 were also guarded by forts. Because of its protection, 
 the Portage literally overflowed with fur traders and 
 travelers. This continued until the War of 1812 when the 
 
 19 
 
first Fort Dearborn was burned and many soldiers and 
 settlers massacred. For a period of four years, the area 
 went back to the Indians. The English planned to regain 
 control of the Portage during this time, but were too slow, 
 for in 1816 the Government ordered Fort Dearborn rebuilt. 
 
 The fur traders returned in great numbers. It is 
 quite possible that many decided to spend a portion of their 
 time in Lyons, since it was an ideal place of encampment. 
 The area was filled with many fur -bearing animals due to 
 its proximity to water. 
 
 Traffic was now quite heavy over the Portage, due 
 to the great amount of fur traders and the increasing popu- 
 lation. Mud Lake needed much improvement. A treaty 
 was made with the Indians on August 24, 1816, giving the 
 United States the territory ten miles north and ten miles 
 south of the mouth of the Chicago River. A grant was ob- 
 tained on February 14, 18Z3 for the purpose of building a 
 canal and road to keep up with the intense amount of traf- 
 fic traveling over the Chicago Portage. Post and Paul, 
 engineers, were hired to survey and draw up a map of the 
 area of the intended canal. 
 
 An Act was approved by the United States Congress 
 on March Z, 18Z7 - and signed by President Andrew Jack- 
 son on May 21, 1830 - which read: 
 
 "An Act granting a quantity of land to 
 the State of Illinois for the purpose of 
 aiding the opening of a canal to con- 
 nect the waters of the Illinois River 
 with those of Lake Michigan." 
 
 This tract of land included Lyons. 
 
 Following a number of delays, the Illinois -Michigan 
 Canal was opened on April 16, 1848, and the land was free 
 to be settled upon. 
 
 Z0 
 
Catherine Mitchell Pond today -- This is also 
 probably very much as it was one hundred and 
 fifty years ago. 
 
 21 
 
A portion of Portage Creek can still be seen. It is 
 located in the Forest Preserve west of Harlem Avenue 
 and south of 47th Street. Prior to 1835, the Des Plaines 
 River made a sharp turn east at Lyons. The River was 
 rerouted when the Illinois -Michigan Canal was dug. 
 Catherine Mitchell Pond is a part of the original river. 
 
 A treaty was signed in September, 1833, that sent 
 the Chippewa, Ottawa and Pottawatomi tribes from this 
 area to west of the Mississippi. The meetings of the com- 
 missioners and chiefs were held in a temporary building 
 just north of the Des Plaines. According to the terms of 
 the treaty, the last meeting was held at Lyons, and from 
 Lyons the start was made for the West. 
 
 It was two years before the treaty was put into effect. 
 On September 21, 1835, the first party of Indians left 
 Chicago with their Chiefs - Alexander Robinson, Billy 
 Caldwell and LaFramboise (all half-breeds). They as- 
 sembled at Lyons and the final distribution of goods was 
 made. In all, about five thousand Indians were removed 
 from this part of the country. The migration was con- 
 ducted by Colonel J. F. Russell. This last great tragedy 
 of white and red took place in Lyons, Illinois. 
 
 For nearly two hundred years, Lyons saw a succes- 
 sion of explorers, missionaries, and traders from Canada, 
 and other parts of the world, pass down the Des Plaines. 
 Some of the great names of early western annals passed 
 this way. All of the great Indian chieftains knew the ter- 
 ritory and scores of names, familiar to the history of the 
 west and Chicago, are associated with Lyons and its port- 
 age. 
 
 Because of its location at the Portage, Lyons is the 
 oldest village in this entire area. It is mentioned in early 
 French writings as a meeting place. Not only was it the 
 western end of the Chicago Portage, but the main overland 
 trails from the southwest met at Lyons and continued east- 
 ward. The main trail leading eastward was located at 
 
 22 
 
approximately the same position as Ogden Avenue is situ- 
 ated today. This trail led to Fort Dearborn. 
 
 The information presented in this chapter includes 
 the activities of the Indians, explorers and fur traders in 
 the area. More railroads and other means of transporta- 
 tion start and connect at Chicago today than any other 
 place in the world. The city originated as a trading post, 
 and its very name is taken from the Chicago Portage. 
 Therefore, if it hadn't been for Lyons, with the Des Plaines 
 running past Portage Creek at Lyons and thereby form- 
 ing the Chicago Portage, the second largest city in the 
 United States would have been built up at either the St. 
 Joseph, Michigan or Green Bay, Wisconsin portages. 
 
 23 
 
CHAPTER II 
 PIONEERS 
 
 Until the middle 1800' s, the colonists felt that land 
 containing great trees was the only indication of fertility, 
 and considered the prairies of the Great Plains area fit 
 only for buffaloes and Indians. They were afraid to build 
 their log homes in the area because of the strong winds 
 that reportedly whipped across the vast prairies and de- 
 stroyed homesteads. At one time, the Government con- 
 sidered setting the Great Plains region aside as a perma- 
 nent home for the Indians - to be known as the Permanent 
 Indian Frontier. Eastern Indians would be encouraged to 
 migrate and the Frontier would be bordered by a road of 
 forts - beyond which no whites would be permitted to set- 
 tle. The Permanent Indian Frontier was to run across 
 Northern Wisconsin to the Mississippi, down to Northern 
 Iowa. 
 
 Their theories were disputed, however, as they be- 
 gan to realize how ideal the Great Plains area was for 
 farming. Courageous, strong-willed people began to arrive 
 in the area in their covered wagons in the 1820's. These 
 early pioneers settled, braved many hardships, and be- 
 came the settlers of the area. 
 
 Accommodations for travelers began springing up in 
 the area. It seems reasonable that, because of its con- 
 venient location, it was at Lyons that taverns and trading 
 posts were built. Travelers and Indians alike met here 
 and discussed the news of the day relating to politics, 
 military, fur trading and latest Pow-Wows. 
 
 David and Bernardus (Lawton) Laughton, brothers, 
 owned a Trading Post at "Hardscrabble" and moved to the 
 east bank of the Des Plaines - near the portage at Lyons - 
 in 1827. It was called Laughton's Trading House and is 
 the first known permanent building in this area, west of 
 Chicago. Not only was this a Trading Post, but we feel it 
 
 25 
 
is logical to say it was also a tavern. There are some 
 opinions that the Laughton brothers owned a Trading Post 
 at one location in Lyons, and a tavern further up the Des 
 Plaines in Riverside. We feel that these buildings were 
 originally one and the same. Taverns in that era differed 
 from the modern day tavern in that they offered food and 
 lodging for the weary traveler. 
 
 The fur trade was still thriving in 1827 but a new 
 group of people were also entering the picture - the pio- 
 neer,, The road conditions were very hazardous and muddy, 
 Upon reaching the Laughton' s - one of the few buildings in 
 the wilderness - the traveler was quite exhausted from his 
 journey over the trails and probably overjoyed to find a 
 place where he could regain his strength. Fur traders 
 also needed a place of encampment since their stays were 
 only temporary and a permanent home was not necessary. 
 
 It seems improbable the Laughton' s would provide a 
 tavern at one location and a trading post at another. This 
 could very well be the reason why the Laughton place was 
 always referred to as a Trading House and not a Trading 
 Posto 
 
 David Laughton' s wife was a Pottawatomi squaw. A 
 Pottawatomi meeting was held at Lyons in May of 183Z 
 which she attended - along with Shabbona (Head Chief of 
 the Pottawatomie s), Billy Caldwell and Alexander Robin- 
 son (two half-breed chiefs). The meeting was held to de- 
 termine what stand the tribe would take in the Black Hawk 
 War -- They decided to remain neutral. Mrs. Laughton 
 was supposed to have said, however, that some of her 
 people were with Black Hawk and would begin to raid set- 
 tlements as soon as he gave the word. 
 
 As the area was cleared for farms and settlements, 
 the fur trade began to vanish. Chicago was rapidly grow- 
 ing in population and industry. The water routes used for 
 centuries were left neglected and the overland trails 
 hummed with traffic. Although the water route was a 
 
 26 
 
more desirable means of transportation, the water of the 
 Des Plaines and Mud Lake could not be used for travel 
 throughout the entire year. And the pioneers carried too 
 heavy a load to make water transportation feasible. 
 
 Three important Indian trails led pioneers through 
 Lyons on their journey west. 
 
 The main trail was the "Ogden Avenue Trail" which 
 ran to Brush Hill (Fullersburg). This trail was to be cal- 
 led the Naperville Road because it was laid out in 1831 by 
 Joseph and John Naper. 
 
 The trail from Green Bay, Wisconsin ran south to 
 the present Harlem Avenue, through Riverside and met 
 the Ogden Avenue trail in Lyons at Barry Point Road. 
 
 A trail had been formed through the years which ran 
 parallel to the old Chicago Portage and, therefore, was 
 known as "Portage Road". It was located on the north side 
 of Mud Lake and Portage Creek. Portage Road ran in a 
 fairly straight line from the west bank of the Des Plaines 
 until it reached what is presently Joliet Road and 47th 
 Street. It then curved south to the Illinois River. The 
 Portage Road of yesterday can still be seen in the modern 
 highway of today known as Route 66. Portage Road was 
 later extended north at Joliet Road and 47th Street, and 
 met the Ogden Avenue Trail at what is now Joliet and 
 Ogden Avenues. 
 
 Many of the workers employed in the construction of 
 the Illinois -Michigan Canal in the 1830 ! s and 1840's made 
 our village their permanent home. They built their dwell- 
 ings along the Ogden Avenue trail. 
 
 One of the major problems encountered by the pio- 
 neers using the overland trails was transporting their 
 covered wagons, animals and other belongings safely over 
 the many water crossings. A shallow spot had to be lo- 
 cated in the river bed that was firm enough to support their 
 heavy load. 
 
 27 
 
There were four fording spots in the Des Plaines 
 River between Riverside and Summit. These fords were 
 used for centuries by the Indians, fur traders, explorers, 
 military troops and the American Pioneer. 
 
 A ford was located in Riverside just below the nat- 
 ural dam, and was known as "Indian Ford" or "Riverside 
 Ford". Travelers on the Green Bay trail used this ford. 
 
 Another low spot was situated one hundred and fifty 
 feet south of the Ogden Avenue Bridge and was known as 
 "Stoney Ford". This was convenient to the Ogden Avenue 
 trail. 
 
 "Laughton's Ford" was located three-eighths of a 
 mile south of Stoney Ford. This ford was in a straight 
 line - directly west - of Laughton's Trading House, and 
 the closest to the Portage Road trail. 
 
 The fourth ford was on the south side of the Chicago 
 Portage in Summit and was called "Summit Ford". 
 
 Laughton's Ford was chosen as the crossing point 
 of Portage Road because it was the shortest route between 
 the Portage Road west of the Des Plaines and Portage 
 Road east of the Des Plaines River. If Stoney Ford was 
 used, it would add three-quarters of a mile to the jour- 
 ney - Indian Ford would increase the route three miles - 
 and the Summit Ford was on the south side of the Portage. 
 Portage Road's crossing at Laughton's Ford is just another 
 reason for Laughton's Trading Post and Tavern being one 
 and the same. 
 
 There is some doubt, however, as to the true loca- 
 tion of Laughton's tavern as it is referred to at times as 
 being on property included in Riverside and also at the 
 Laughton Ford. As mentioned before, Laughton's Trad- 
 ing House was definitely situated east of the Laughton 
 Ford. 
 
 28 
 
SO- M 
 
 ETON'S FO*D OS "HI ** , ... , 
 
 PLANES HE* MP ECU y ' Mr/ 
 
 Laughton Trading House site marker 
 
 Map, taken from abstract to title for Neher 
 property, marks the Portage Road Trail 
 
 29 
 
Whether or not the Laughton tavern was relocated in 
 Riverside at a later date is hard to prove. There is evi- 
 dence, however, to prove that the Laughton Trading House 
 was situated at Lyons, one-half mile north of Portage 
 Creek. Early maps of the Chicago Portage and Portage 
 Road indicate the exact position of the "old Laughton 1 s 
 Trading House" and Laughton Ford, but a tavern known as 
 Laughton' s Tavern has never been shown. 
 
 The Forest Preserve has dedicated a stone marker 
 in the Ottawa Trails (47th Street and Harlem Avenue) which 
 clearly marks the true location of Laughton 1 s building, and 
 also states: "Laughton 1 s Ford on the Des Plaines lies 
 directly West. " This marker was erected because of a 
 low stone foundation or cellar of a building discovered 
 while the property was being excavated. 
 
 The Laughton Brothers died within a few weeks of 
 each other in 1834. Their establishment was then cared 
 for by Mr, Scott and Stephen White -- The latter being one 
 of the first permanent settlers in Lyons. 
 
 We would like to close this chapter on the history of 
 Lyons with a few quotes, found over the years, which des- 
 cribes Lyons as it looked in the era when the fur trade in- 
 dustry was vanishing and farming was slowly entering into 
 the picture. 
 
 An article, appearing in an 1834 Gazetter, described 
 Lyons as follows: 
 
 "Lyons is a town site on the Des Plaines 
 at Laughton 1 s old trading house twelve 
 miles west of Chicago. It has a saw 
 mill, three houses and a tavern." 
 
 The Chicago Historical Society keeps a record of 
 every suburb of Chicago, which includes its early begin- 
 ning and growth. The following information was taken 
 from A. T. Andreas' History of Cook County, Illinois. The 
 
 30 
 
copyright of this book, whose pages are yellow with age, 
 is 1884. 
 
 "Lyons is a town nine miles wide and 
 six miles long. In exploring the cob- 
 webbed reminiscences of Lyons pre- 
 cinct, the earliest are those that re- 
 late to David and Barney Laughton, 
 who settled at Bourbon Springs, near 
 the present Chicago, Burlington and 
 Quincy depot at Riverside, in the year 
 1828." 
 
 A February 12, 1900 edition of the Chicago Tribune 
 stated: 
 
 "Lyons is the oldest suburb west of 
 Chicago, so old in fact that all its first 
 settlers have long passed on to their 
 reward, and with them has gone 
 memory of the identity of the sponsor 
 of the place, if it ever had one. Lyons 
 it was in 1830 when the old Buckhorn 
 Tavern was a noted hostelry on the 
 stage road from Fort Dearborn to 
 Joliet, and Lyons it has persisted in 
 being through all the vicissitudes of 
 time and expansion. David and Ber- 
 nardus Laughton are known to have 
 settled on the site in 1827 or 1828. 
 Elijah Wentworth, who was Chicago's 
 first letter carrier, bringing the mail 
 from Fort Wayne before there was any 
 post office in Chicago, went to Lyons 
 in 1830 and kept, if he did not build, 
 the Buckhorn Tavern. " 
 
 The Buckhorn Tavern was located on the west side 
 of the Des Plaines River on Plainfield Road. Plainfield 
 Road was also one of the main trails at that time, and con 
 
 31 
 
nected with the Ogden Avenue Trail at Lyons. The Buck- 
 horn was another tavern that provided accomodations for 
 the weary traveler. 
 
 32 
 
CHAPTER III 
 EARLY SETTLERS 
 
 The Polk family was one of the first permanent resi- 
 dents in Lyons, Edmund R. Polk was born in Pennsylvania 
 in 1776 and died in 1859. He served under General "Tip- 
 pecanoe" Harrison in the War of 1812. Edmund and Mar- 
 garet Polk's children were Henry H. , James, William, 
 Wesley and Wilson. Wesley was born in Jefferson County, 
 Kentucky on November 4, 1818. 
 
 The Polk family left Jefferson County in 1831 and 
 moved to Indiana where they lived until 1833, when they 
 headed their covered wagon toward Illinois. They settled 
 in Lyons Township and purchased a tract of wild, unculti- 
 vated land on Section 21 of the Township. This pioneer 
 family braved many hardships on the trail and discovered 
 the prairies still housed numerous Indians and Chicago 
 was the center of trading for the pioneers. 
 
 Wesley spent his early manhood on the new farm un- 
 til 1849 when he, his brother, Henry, and three other ad- 
 venturous young men headed their pack mules west with 
 California and the famous Gold Rush as their destination. 
 They reached California after traveling several months - 
 walking most of the way. Wesley was a prospector and 
 miner from 1849 until 1851. His venture proved quite 
 successful and, after a visit to New York, he returned to 
 Lyons by way of the water route, via, no doubt, the Chi- 
 cago Portage. 
 
 Wesley responded to the country's call for troops in 
 1862 and enlisted as a private, was assigned to Company H, 
 127th 111. Infantry and was mustered into service in Chi- 
 cago. After serving in the Battles of Vicksburg and Arkan- 
 sas Post, he was discharged in 1865 as a corporal. 
 
 Mr. Polk returned to the family farm after the war 
 where he resided until 1881. He then purchased another 
 
 33 
 
farm, located at what is now Route 66 and Manheim Road. 
 Mr. Polk f s farm consisted of 190 acres of rich land. 
 
 Wesley married Miss Mary J. Bielby in I860. She 
 was born in 1843 near Utica, New York and died in 1904. 
 They had one child - Edmund R. who was born on March 7, 
 1866 and died in 1936. 
 
 Wesley Polk served as Justice Of The Peace for 
 fourteen years, was Township Collector and Supervisor, 
 and a member of the Grand Army Post. Wesley died on 
 May 23, 1893 and his remains are entered in the Lyons - 
 ville Cemetery. The Polk family burial plot occupies a 
 corner of this cemetery. Many other first families of 
 Lyons and the surrounding area are also buried in the 
 Lyonsville Cemetery. 
 
 Edmund R. Polk married Agnes M. Little (1869- 
 1950) on January 14, 1891. One of their children, Wesley 
 W. , carried on the family farm after his father's death. 
 
 Stephen White was also one of Lyons 1 oldest resi- 
 dents. He was born in Hanover, Crafton County, New 
 Hampshire - three miles south of Dartmouth College - on 
 April 10, 1807. He came to Lyons in 1830 and, after vis- 
 iting the area at frequent intervals, settled here in 1840. 
 
 A large tract of land (over 300 acres) was owned by 
 Mr. White and was located between Joliet and Ogden Ave- 
 nues - extending west beyond the stone quarry. He owned 
 and operated a farm and the White Stone Quarry and Lime 
 Kilns which were across the road from the red brick home 
 stead. 
 
 Mr. White was a very active man and held a variety 
 of public offices in Lyons and its Township. Namely, 
 School Trustee 18 years, Assessor 9 years, Supervisor 
 2 years, and Postmaster 15 years. He was chosen over- 
 seer of Highways of District 2 in 1850, in addition to sev- 
 eral other minor offices. 
 
 34 
 
•"* 
 
 *r* 
 
 STEPHEN WHITE 
 
 35 
 
Stephen White Homesteadt in 1896, Dr. &: Mrs 
 Salisbury, their daughter (Helen), Ralph, Glen 
 Laura and George White, and Fred Schultz 
 
 36 
 
Stephen White married Elizabeth Gregg in Cleveland, 
 Ohio in 1837, and they had two children - John Clarence 
 and Harriet Francis. Harriet married Dr. George M. 
 Fox on July 2, 1851, and they also had two children - Har- 
 riet, born April 25, 1854, and Mary F. , born March 10, 
 1861. Dr. & Mrs. Fox resided in LaCrange where Dr. 
 Fox also had his office. He reported 200 people living'in 
 Lyons in 1851, and a very comfortable hotel. There were 
 no other communities between Lyons and Naperville at 
 that time. Mrs. Harriet White Fox died in 1892. 
 
 John Clarence's children were George Stephen, 
 Frank Leland, Ralph Clarence, Laura Elizabeth, Glen, 
 Bessie, Hazel May, and Helen. Laura White presently 
 lives in Evanston. Frank's children are Leland ("Docky"), 
 John, Evelyn, Eugene and Dorothy. All of these descend-' 
 ants of Stephen White, except Evelyn, presently reside in 
 Lyons. 
 
 The old White Family homestead it still standing on 
 the southwest side of Ogden Avenue (between Leland and 
 Lawndale Avenues), and is presently owned by Mrs. Martin 
 Potokar whose husband purchased the property in 1914. 
 
 Mr. A. T. Andreas, when compiling the records for 
 his book > History Of Cook County, Illinois , copyright 1884, 
 states that he was fortunate in being able to interview 
 Stephen White. The following is a statement made by An- 
 dreas. 
 
 "Notwithstanding Mr. White 1 s three 
 score and seven years, he is hale 
 and his brain is as quick and active 
 as it was many years since. To his 
 memory the public are indebted for 
 much of the oldest history herein 
 presented. " 
 
 Mr. White recalled that the earliest settlers in the 
 township were Edmund Polk, Russell E. Heacock, Thomas 
 
 37 
 
One of the oldest buildings in Lyons, recently- 
 razed, was located on Joliet Avenue and known 
 as Hotel D'Lyon when operated by Mrs. Faradeau 
 who claimed her ancestors came to Lyons in the 
 late 1700's. 
 
 Stone structure on Joliet Avenue, recently torn 
 down, built in 1800' s and known as "Palmer 
 House". 
 
 38 
 
Flaherty, Samuel Mars, John Jay, George W. Beebe, 
 Thomas Butcher, Wilson and James McLintock, Elijah 
 Wentworth, Jr., Joseph Evans, "Scotch" Brown, Joseph 
 Vial, and Henry and William Carrington. There was also 
 Joseph Evans, who kept a tavern at Mount Pleasant, a 
 Colonel Witt, and Joshua Sackett. 
 
 Stephen Forbes, an in and out settler in this area 
 and Cook County's first sheriff, purchased 166. 56 acres of 
 land situated in the North East quarter, Section 2, Town- 
 ship 38 N. , R. 13 East of 3rd P. M. for $208. 20 on Octo- 
 ber 17, 1835. Lyons was referred to as "Town of Lyons" 
 in an abstract of tittle in the year 1838. 
 
 Stephen White bought the majority of Forbes' pro- 
 perty (163. 28 acres) on May 17, 1843 for $1, 000. 
 
 The first link in public transportation began around 
 1834. A stagecoach line was operated from Chicago to 
 Ottawa at a fare of $5. 00 per person. It takes approxi- 
 mately two hours to travel this distance today -- The 
 stagecoach was on the trail a day and a half. This was 
 also a very uncomfortable journey since the dirt roads 
 were nothing but widened Indian trails and filled with many 
 deep ruts. And, after a rain, the wheels of the stage 
 were often buried in the mud. 
 
 Joshua Sackett built the first log house in Lyons and 
 kept a tavern at the triangle on Ogden Avenue and Barry 
 Point Road. His property included forty acres of land. 
 Another tavern was located on the south side of the street 
 a little west of Sackett's, and was known as Lund's (or 
 Lunn's) Tavern. Both taverns faced Ogden Avenue - Com- 
 petition had begun! 
 
 Our town was known for its taverns many years ago 
 just as it is in this day and age. An important evidence of 
 
 39 
 
this fact is shown in 1833 when a group of officials met in 
 Lyons to discuss the incorporation of Chicago as a city 
 over a keg of beer. There is a possibility that this im- 
 portant discussion may have taken place at either Sackett's 
 or Lund's Tavern. 
 
 Theodorus Doty and his wife, Catherine, bought Mr. 
 Sackett's tavern and property in September of 1848 for 
 $360. This tavern was then called the Yorkshire and was 
 very popular with the farmers who were on their way to 
 Chicago to sell their cattle since pens were provided for 
 the livestock. The Yorkshire also had accommodations 
 for anyone wishing to spend the night. 
 
 Doty sold the portion of his forty acres lying west 
 of Harlem, east of the Des Plaines and north of the Naper- 
 ville Road (Ogden) to Isaac Cook in 1850. Mr. Cook had 
 another strip of land in this area also and decided to de- 
 velop the property into a town. A plat was recorded in 
 1857 and the town of Cooksville was subdivided. This 
 land was later included as part of Riverside, and was trans 
 ferred to Lyons in 1897. 
 
 Theodorus Doty was a prominent citizen of Lyons for 
 many years, and did much to improve the town. During 
 his residence, he held the offices of Postmaster and Jus- 
 tice Of The Peace. He left Lyons in about 1864 and set- 
 tled in Chicago where he kept the Doty House at Randolph 
 and State Streets until the Chicago Fire. 
 
 The Hofmann family, also long time residents of 
 Lyons, migrated to America from Germany in the early 
 1800's. They wished to purchase land rights and traveled 
 to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. They left Cincinnati, well 
 prepared to pioneer and build in Northern Illinois. The 
 three Hofmann brothers - George, John and Valentine - 
 finally settled in Chicago in the Western Avenue area. 
 
 Around the time of the Civil War, John decided to 
 
 40 
 
come to Lyons, and bought property in Lyons and Summit. 
 He also retained his property in Chicago. John established 
 a slaughter house on the corner of Joliet and Ogden Ave- 
 nues, and built a home on Ogden Avenue where his chil- 
 dren - John Jr. , Mary, Elizabeth, George, Valentine and 
 Martin - were raised. He also built a home at 3948 Joliet 
 Avenue for his parents, where they lived for a short time. 
 After their return to Sharpsburg (near Pittsburgh), John 
 Sr. made his home in this dwelling until his death in 1918 
 at the age of ninety-one. 
 
 Martin (John Sr. f s youngest son) married Minnie 
 Gatz in 1904. He was the first president of the Lyons 
 School Board and introduced the free text book system in 
 the early 1890's. He also served as Village Clerk and was 
 instrumental in obtaining the sewage and water for Lyons. 
 His children were Marion, Dorothy, Patricia, Virginia, 
 John and Shirley. Martin's only son, John, was elected 
 to the office of President of the Village Board of Lyons on 
 April Zl, 1953 -a position he held until 1961. 
 
 Valentine Hofmann (John Sr. 's brother) was pro- 
 prietor of a tavern and picnic grove on Ogden Avenue, the 
 site of Mangam's Chateau. His children were Catherine, 
 Elizabeth, Margaret, Mamie, Frank, Jack and William. 
 He also owned a great deal of property in Lyons and River- 
 side. 
 
 George Hofmann, Sr. resided in Chicago and had 
 three sons and a daughter, Elizabeth. His sons - Alves, 
 George Jr. and Valentine - organized and directed the 
 Hofmann Brothers 1 Brewing Company for many years. It 
 included several individual breweries and was finally sold 
 to the Peter Fox Brewing Company in the 1930's. 
 
 George Hofmann, Sr. was the next proprietor of the 
 Yorkshire (after Theodorus Doty) and changed its name to 
 the Lyons Tavern. He added a horse yard and settlers 
 brought their horses to Lyons, where they were bought by 
 the Army. 
 
 41 
 
HOFMANN TOWER 
 
 42 
 
The Lyons Tavern received a new owner in approxi- 
 mately 1876 in the person of Louis Leonhardt. The tavern 
 still provided for the travelers and farmers, but there was 
 also a smaller structure in use at its side called the "side 
 room". The side room was a meeting place for community- 
 residents. In addition to a pool hall, Leonhardt 1 s side 
 room was used for weddings, dances and meetings. The 
 side room was also a gymn for boxers who came from 
 Chicago to train. John L. Sullivan was one of many famous 
 boxers to train at Leonhardt's. The work-out route used 
 by the fighters was Joliet Avenue to 47th Street - 47th to 
 Lawndale - Lawndale to Ogden - and Ogden back to the 
 gymn. Louis Leonhardt ! s porter served as a sparing part- 
 ner for the boxers and, as a result, became a professional 
 boxer. His name was Charlie White. 
 
 Leonhardt's tavern burned down in 1892 and the land 
 was sold to George Hofmann, Jr. 
 
 George Hofmann, Jr. also came into possession of the 
 property where the Chateau now stands from the Valentine 
 Hofmann heirs. He remodeled the old tavern which came 
 to be known as the Chateau and was considered to be one of 
 the finest night clubs of its time. 
 
 George constructed the concrete tower in 1908 which 
 very often identifies Lyons. It was a very impressive 
 sight to behold in the dark of the night, since the tower 
 was illuminated with hundreds of electric lights. It is re- 
 ported that the glowing lights could be seen across the 
 prairies by the residents of Chicago. Mr. Hofmann also 
 owned launches which embarked at the tower and made 
 scenic trips up the river. The river was then crystal 
 clear. 
 
 George Hofmann, Jr. probably had many ideas for 
 the tower's usage, but no one knows exactly why it was 
 built. Some think he intended it to be a hotel; others that 
 he would hold an art contest annually for teenage artists, 
 and the winning paintings would grace the winding walls of 
 
 43 
 
the tower. In that way, Lyons and the tower would have 
 become well known throughout the world. Another thought 
 is that it was built as a lasting monument to the Hofmann 
 family and its part in the early days of Lyons. Although 
 there are many theories for the tower's construction, the 
 one uppermost in people's minds is that Mr. Hofmann in- 
 tended it to house machinery (which he invented) for the 
 purpose of generating electricity from the dam; since he 
 repaired the dam at the time of the tower's construction 
 and possessed riparian rights for a period of 100 years. 
 When the Sanitary District began depositing sewage into 
 the river, however, he became discouraged and conse- 
 quently the tower was neglected. 
 
 Regardless of the intention for the tower's construc- 
 tion, it is a landmark which whispers the name Hofmann, 
 a pioneer family of Lyons. 
 
 44 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 BEGINNING OF INDUSTRY 
 
 The Naperville Road was in terrible condition in the 
 1830 ! s and 40 f s. This is explained in a Chicago newspaper 
 article of that time: 
 
 "We have never seen worse roads than 
 that to Barry's Point and five miles 
 west to Doty ! s Tavern on the Naper- 
 ville Road. In an enterprising com- 
 munity like ours, such obstacles to 
 commerce and inland trade ought to 
 be removed. If the Commissioners 
 of this county will not do it, let them 
 authorize the city to make the road. 
 But in all events let the road be made. " 
 
 Because the Naperville Road (Ogden Avenue) was the 
 main trail west from Chicago, it was the first road to be 
 covered with wooden planks by the South Western Plank 
 Road Company, and consequently called the Southwestern 
 Plank Road. The road was completed in 1850 and extended 
 from Bull's Head Tavern at Ogden and Madison Streets in 
 Chicago to Brush Hill (Fullersburg). 
 
 The Southwestern Plank Road was a one lane road, 
 eight feet wide and constructed of planks three inches thick, 
 A toll gate was located at Joliet and Ogden Avenues and 
 charged the following tolls: 
 
 37£ - Carriage pulled by two horses 
 
 25£ - Carriage, cart or buggy pulled 
 by one horse, 
 
 10£ - Horse and rider 
 
 4£ - Head of cattle 
 
 45 
 
3£ - Sheep 
 
 The plank road was later connected to another plank 
 road at Fullersburg. This was the Oswego Plank Road 
 and reached Naperville. It was originally planned to ex- 
 tend to Oswego but never quite made it. The Southwestern 
 Plank Road was quite a success since farmers hauled their 
 produce to Chicago to be sold. Consequently, the toll 
 charge got the farmers both coming and going. 
 
 A mill was one of the earliest reported enterprises. 
 Stephen Forbes built this structure, probably in the 1830's. 
 Theodorus Doty bought the mill in 1843 from Forbes. The 
 property is described as: "Commencing at North East cor- 
 ner of Section 2, T. 38 N. , R. 12 E. thence S. 40 rods, W, 
 23 rods, thence due North to the center of the Des Plaines 
 River, thence down said river until it strikes the North 
 line of said Section, thence East to place of beginning, 5 
 acres more or less." 
 
 By the purchase of the mill property from Forbes, 
 Doty also acquired the rights to operate a dam, as granted 
 by the Illinois State Legislature, May 4, 1845. This right 
 permitted him to "construct dams, millraces, etc. , and to 
 overflow the bottom lands. " The right was mentioned in 
 a property deed to one of the local businesses situated 
 near the banks of the Des Plaines. The mill was located 
 on the south bank of the Des Plaines River, just east of 
 the Lyons -Riverside Bridge (Barry Point Road). 
 
 It was first a sawmill and supplied lumber to such 
 wagon makers as Schuttler, Weber and Poterman of Chi- 
 cago. 
 
 Theodorus Doty sold his holdings to Dr. William B. 
 Egan in approximately 1853. The mill and right to operate 
 the dam were purchased by Stephen White shortly after- 
 ward. Dr. Fox, Stephen White's son-in-law, took over 
 the mill in 1856 and replaced it with a new two- story 
 
 46 
 
Dr. Fox's Mill 
 
 47 
 
stone structure on the same section. This mill lasted un- 
 til the end of the century. 
 
 Along with the changing of the building, Dr. Fox also 
 changed the purpose. The mill now served the farmers by 
 grinding their wheat, oats, barley, etc. The mill was 
 known and used by farmers for miles around. Many of 
 these early settlers made their trip to the mill an all day 
 affair. Lyons was known for its hospitality in those days 
 also and they were assured of an enjoyable time. 
 
 Unfortunately, the mill burned down around the turn 
 of the century, bringing to an end a very profitable and 
 familiar place of business. The present Tower Inn build- 
 ing (which is the new headquarters of the Lyons Chamber 
 of Commerce) is constructed of the remaining stones. 
 Mr. Pershing and his son, Oscar, were the last men to 
 run the mill according to information supplied us. 
 
 Among the first industries, the brewery excelled and 
 was one of the most popular businesses in this vicinity. It 
 was known to all as Mueller ! s Brewery and began operation 
 in 1856. Three brothers, Henry, Adolph and Rudolph 
 Meuller were its proprietors. One daughter is reported 
 to have been born on this property. 
 
 The Brewery and Mueller home were situated on the 
 east bank of the Des Plaines River, north of the Ogden 
 Avenue Bridge. This was "Cooksville" land and the resi- 
 dents of Riverside and Lyons carried on disputes for many 
 years as to the correct locality. The Muellers designated 
 Lyons as their address, however, and many people con- 
 nected this establishment as a part of Lyons. 
 
 In addition to being a place of business, Mueller's 
 Brewery was also a place for enjoyment and relaxation. 
 A person was always welcome and many came not only for 
 the delicious beer but for their splendid gardens as well. 
 These included well kept grounds and beautiful flower beds 
 
 48 
 

 u 
 
 <D 
 U 
 
 PQ 
 en 
 
 CD 
 
 o 
 
 W) 
 
 d 
 Q 
 
 1 
 
 49 
 
which were widely known as the "Brewery Gardens". 
 Thus, a view of the clear water plus an added attraction 
 of a glass of beer "on the house", kept Mueller's filled to 
 constant capacity. 
 
 Mueller's business included the production and dis- 
 tribution of beer. The wagons, pulled by horses, delivered 
 the kegs to many of the local taverns, and were a familiar 
 sight to early residents. 
 
 Although a place of gaiety, the Brewery did witness 
 one of the greatest historical tragedies in the United States. 
 This took place on October 8, 1871 when the eastern sky 
 became a brilliant red. The late Mrs. Frank Neher, Jr. 
 (then a small child), her mother, Mrs. Stubbing s, Adam 
 Metz, and many more people watched a spectacular tragedy 
 from the top of the Brewery -- The burning of Chicago. 
 
 Many residents of Lyons were kind and sympathetic 
 toward the people of Chicago. As a result, they opened 
 their hearts and homes to many who had lost all their pos- 
 sessions. 
 
 The Brewery itself was destroyed by fire in 1873, 
 and ended an industry that had provided enjoyment to many 
 and the scene of one major tragedy. 
 
 The ruins of the Brewery remained standing for 
 many years. Julius Gatz lost his life when one of the walls 
 collapsed while he was exploring the decayed site. The 
 unfortunate lad, just thirteen years old, was the twin 
 brother of Minnie Gatz, now Mrs. Martin Hofmann, and 
 mother of a past Village President. As a result of the ac- 
 cident, the entire ruins were torn down and filled in. Re- 
 mains of the caves, where the kegs of beer were stored, 
 can still be seen along the river bank. 
 
 An original architects drawing of the Brewery is 
 still in existence, and can be seen on the wall of the tavern 
 owned by the Neher s - which is now the oldest tavern in 
 
 50 
 
4 s 
 
 iSmtfr 
 
 Neher's Tavern 
 
 51 
 
Lyons and has been in the Neher family since 1888. Al- 
 though the painting of the Brewery had faded a good deal 
 with the passing years, it was recently "touched up" and 
 now reveals all of the many details of the structure. 
 
 The Neher ! s came to Lyons in .1866 and a homestead 
 was built by George and Elizabeth Neher on "Lot 2, block 
 30 of the town of Cooksville being a subdivision of the East 
 half (except that part of said half lying south of the South- 
 western Plank Road and where Mueller's Brewery is located) 
 of Section 36, T. 38 N. , R. 12 of the 3rd P.M. in Cook 
 County, Illinois." Frank Neher came into possession of 
 the property in 1876. 
 
 Frank Neher, Jr. bought the present Neher tavern in 
 1888. This was originally Hauser's Tavern and was built 
 in 1870. Neher ! s tavern is presently operated by Frank 
 Neher, Jr. 's son - Walter Neher. 
 
 Mrs. Frank Neher, Jr. (Grandma Neher), who passed 
 away recently at the age of ninety-one, lived through an era 
 of sixteen United States Presidents and five major wars. 
 Grandma Neher was born during President Andrew John- 
 
 The Galena & Chicago Union Railroad ran from Chi- 
 cago to Elgin in the 1840's. Aurora needed better transpor- 
 tation so, in 1849, the State Legislature was asked to build 
 a railroad from Aurora north to the Galena &: Chicago Union 
 in Elgin. This branch became known as the Aurora Branch 
 Railroad. The road was later expanded from Aurora west- 
 ward to Mendota, Galesburg, Peoria, Quincy and Burling- 
 ton, Iowa. As a result, the name was changed to the Chi- 
 cago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. 
 
 Farmers and manufacturers living east of Aurora, 
 who desired to send their goods to Chicago, were required 
 to take their products to Aurora and ship them from there. 
 The towns located on the Southwestern Plank Road formed 
 
 52 
 
a committee and, on July 28, 1858, petitioned the railroad 
 to build a line through their settlements. The towns of 
 Lyons, Brush Hill, Downers Grove, Lisle and Naperville 
 were involved in the petition. The following is a portion 
 of the document which was sent to the President, Board of 
 Directors, and Stockholders of the Chicago, Burlington & 
 Quincy: 
 
 "Gentlemen: We respectfully beg 
 leave to submit for your considera- 
 tion a few facts connected with the 
 building of an independent track from 
 Chicago via Naperville to connect with 
 your road at Aurora. 
 
 "This route, which is at present 
 deprived of Railroad facilities, is not 
 surpassed for diversified beauty and 
 productiveness by any section of 
 Northern Illinois. With these natu- 
 ral advantages it is not surprising 
 that it is now for the most part thickly 
 settled with an enterprising population. 
 
 "No section of the country between 
 Lake Michigan and Fox River affords 
 equal inducements to the farmer and 
 mechanic, and no part of the West, 
 of easy access to Chicago, presents 
 the same attractions to families in 
 the city who are seeking residences 
 in the country; for, while no portion 
 of the route is too remote, it lies 
 through a beautiful region which is 
 proverbial for its healthfulness. 
 
 "We would add, for your considera- 
 tion, the following statistics of the 
 business transacted during the past 
 year at the different points on the route 
 
 53 
 
of your contemplated road. 
 
 "LYONS, ten miles west from Chi- 
 cago, is a point which your road would 
 soon bring into notice for business 
 and for suburban residences, and al- 
 though it is but a short distance from 
 Chicago, its business would be desir- 
 able to any road. It is estimated that 
 this would be one of the most remunera- 
 tive stations within fifty miles of the 
 city. There are inexhaustible quarries 
 of stone here of the very best quality 
 for lime and suitable for building pur- 
 poses. The demand for rubble stone, 
 for the City of Chicago, on this place 
 would be immense, and could be sup- 
 plied to any extent. 
 
 "The Lime business as now carried 
 on, has furnished, during the past 
 year, to Chicago, over 100, 000 barrels, 
 equal to 20, 000, 000 lbs. at a cost for 
 transportation of more than $13,000. 
 Your road would open a new and exten- 
 sive market to this business from the 
 west, which could be supplied to any 
 account. 
 
 "There is an extensive Brewery at 
 this place, which now furnishes freight 
 equal to one car load per day. With 
 Railroad facilities, this establishment 
 would more than double its present 
 freight, for at least nine months in the 
 year, and has capacity to supply any 
 increased demand which the building 
 of your road would create. 
 
 "Other local freights, not enumer- 
 54 
 
ated above, would equal, if not exceed, 
 any other station within the same dis- 
 tance from the City of Chicago. " 
 
 This letter went on to name the advantages of Brush 
 Hill, Downers Grove and Naperville. It closed: 
 
 "As representatives of the people 
 along the line of the proposed road, 
 we offer you their united support and 
 pledge you the right of way between 
 the west line of Du Page County and 
 the Des Plaines River at Lyons, em- 
 bracing some twenty-four miles of 
 the route, and probably the greater 
 portion of the distance from the last 
 named point to the City Limits of 
 Chicago, free of cost, provided the 
 road is soon built. 
 
 July 28th, 1858" 
 
 It was signed by: 
 
 H. Carpenter 
 Walter Blanchard 
 
 Frederick Gray 
 Benjamin Fuller 
 
 Stephen White 
 F. T. Sherman 
 S. T. Swift 
 
 Morris Sleight 
 Joseph Naper 
 John Collins 
 George Martin 
 Jas. G. Wright 
 Hiram Bristol 
 S. M. Skinner 
 John Jassoy 
 
 Downer's Grove 
 
 Brush Hill 
 
 Lyons 
 
 Naperville 
 
 55 
 
mfr$vis o „ 
 
 
 1869 map of the area, showing the "Lyons Station" 
 and a Lyons Post Office 
 
 56 
 
The rails were finally laid in 1864. The road was 
 double tracked from Chicago to the Des Plaines River and 
 continued as a single track from there to Aurora. The 
 station at Lyons was named "Lyons Station". The station 
 west of Lyons was called "West Lyons Station". These 
 are known today as the Riverside and LaGrange Depots. 
 
 By 1870, Lyons had changed from a fur trading sta- 
 tion to a farm settlement, and was rapidly becoming a 
 residential community, ready for incorporation. 
 
 57 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 LYONS AND ITS OFFICIAL BEGINNING 
 
 We devote this chapter to the establishing of govern- 
 ment in Lyons and improvements made with the passing 
 years. 
 
 In order to make the story a little more interesting, 
 we will portray, through stories and anecdotes, the per- 
 sonalities of just a few prominent citizens of Lyons. Many 
 of these stories are familiar to old-timers and will, we 
 hope, not only stir up happy memories of the "good old 
 days" but also be of interest to all. 
 
 Although Lyons is the oldest suburb of Chicago, it 
 seems hard to believe that it was one of the last communities 
 to be incorporated. The farmers and tavern owners of the 
 mid 1800's probably didn't have the need for a local govern- 
 ment, so the incorporation was delayed a bit. Industry was 
 developing, however, in the form of quarries. Lyons was 
 found to be quit'e rich in its limestone, granite, etc. , 
 thanks to the glacier age. Stephen White and Fred Schultz 
 discovered these mines and soon the community was sup- 
 plying nearby towns and Chicago with the needed material 
 for building construction. The quarries proved quite suc- 
 cessful -- Log homes were abandoned and the advantages 
 of stone in buildings were recognized. Not only were the 
 homes sturdier, they also outlived the wooden structures. 
 
 Realizing the need for unity in the community, a com- 
 mittee was formed and Lyons was incorporated as a village 
 on August 16, 1888 with Thomas Collins presiding. This 
 meeting was probably held at Louis Leonhardt's "side 
 room", as were most of the important gatherings of that 
 day. The first board of trustees was: John Berner - 
 August Dobert - George Frimmersdorf - George Neher - 
 Fred Schultz - and Chris Zimmerman. 
 
 After the official business was taken care of, the 
 
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board was confronted with the serious task of organizing 
 the administration. It began by appointing a constable, 
 village attorney, committees on public buildings, streets, 
 sanitation, etc. 
 
 During the first year of its incorporation, the town 
 made many changes toward the betterment of Lyons. Just 
 a few of these improvements were twenty street lamps 
 and a badly needed village "calaboose" - which some re- 
 port was "jam packed" over weekends. Most people of 
 other towns looked to Lyons as a lackadaisical town high- 
 lighted at night by tavern lights. After a hard week's 
 work, men carreto carefree Lyons for a jovial weekend, 
 but often ended up in our popular calaboose. 
 
 The following years viewed the first official map of 
 the town, an animal pound and an oil house. Advancement 
 followed quickly. The main streets proudly showed off a 
 new coat of cinder sidewalks, which were later replaced 
 with wooden walks. 
 
 The fine calaboose burned down in 1892. This did 
 not destroy the people's faith in the Fire Department, how- 
 ever, they just saw to it that the Department was improved 
 by a new fire engine to prevent any further calamities. 
 
 The telephone began appearing in many homes in 
 1894. Arrangements were made for the laying of tracks 
 over the Ogden Avenue Bridge for the operation of tram 
 cars in 1895. The following is a letter, arranging for this 
 construction which the McArthur Brothers Company, Con- 
 tractors, sent the Board of Trustees of the Village of 
 Lyons on May 20, 1895. 
 
 "Confirming the verbal agreement 
 of our Mr. C. L. Spencer, in con- 
 sideration of the privilege granted us 
 by your Board, to lay a tram-car 
 track across that portion of the Ogden 
 Avenue Bridge belonging to the Village 
 
 61 
 
of Lyons, we hereby agree to lay the 
 track as close as practical to the 
 north side of the bridge, and plank 
 between and at the sides of the rails, 
 also to plank lengthwise of the bridge, 
 and when the delivery of crushed stone 
 for improvements under our contract 
 with the Village of Riverside has been 
 completed and the track removed, we 
 agree to replank that portion of the 
 bridge belonging to the Village of 
 Lyons, with one course of 18-feet 
 3-inch pine plank. 
 
 "In crossing Ogden Avenue at the 
 west end of the bridge, we are to put 
 in plank between the tracks and fill 
 up the roadway on each side of the 
 track so as to make an even and 
 smooth roadway. We will also em- 
 ploy a watchman at the bridge for the 
 purpose of keeping a clear passage- 
 way for teams. " 
 
 The letter was signed - "A. McArthur, President". 
 The Ogden Street Railway Company officially opened their 
 line on May 28, 1896. The inaugural train left West Madi- 
 son and 40th Street Station at 2:30 p.m. on the 28th. A 
 new concrete bridge was constructed in 1911, with a tres- 
 tle for trolley cars alongside. 
 
 Near the turn of the century, the streets were named, 
 Many bear the names of early settlers and their families. 
 
 Amelia -- For Mrs. Amelia Prescott, 
 the wife of Colonel Prescott. 
 
 Collins -- In honor of the first Mayor, 
 Thomas Collins. 
 
 62 
 
Gage -- For David A. Gage who 
 owned a large amount of land in 
 Lyons at one time. 
 
 Joliet -- Joliet Avenue is an exten- 
 sion of the Joliet or Portage Road 
 which led to Joliet, Illinois. The 
 Joliet Road has been renamed High- 
 way 66, and Joliet Avenue in Lyons 
 was formed when the Ogden Avenue 
 trail came into prominence in the 
 middle 1800's. Joliet Avenue was 
 the connecting road between the 
 Portage and Ogden Avenue trails. 
 
 Leland -- For Leland Moody who 
 owned a few acres of land in Lyons. 
 His daughter, Laura, married John 
 Clarence White - Stephen White's 
 son. 
 
 Prescott -- For Colonel Prescott 
 who owned land and also subdivided 
 Lyons. 
 
 Salisbury -- For Ackland Salisbury, 
 guardian of the White children and 
 executive of the White Estate. 
 
 White -- For Stephen White, one of 
 the first permanent settlers in these 
 parts. 
 
 The west end of town was settled primarily by a 
 group of people of Polish-American descent. This re- 
 sulted in the naming of streets familiar to their homelands 
 Custer -- Is the English pronunciation of the Polish hero, 
 Kosciusko, who served as an American General during the 
 Revolutionary War. Cracow and Warsaw were streets in 
 the cities of Poland. Pulaski -- After Count Casimir 
 
 63 
 
Pulaski, a Polish soldier, patriot and General in the Amer- 
 ican Revolution. Conrad -- For Joseph Conrad, born in 
 Poland. Teador Jozef Konrad became an English novelist 
 and wrote many famous essays and novels. Included among 
 his works are Lord Jim and Christmas Day At Sea. 
 
 The area in which Laughton ! s Trading House was lo- 
 cated had been bought in two sections. The north half 
 (near Highway 66) was owned by Messrs. Mariott and Rose, 
 while Joseph Drevny possessed the south half (near 47th 
 Street). The property was leased by Mr. McBride and 
 used as a pasture for draft horses in the 1890's and early 
 1900 ! s. These draft horses labored many hours a day, 
 pulling wagons of beer, coal or lumber and, as a result, 
 became very tired and worn. Many owners of industries 
 requiring draft horses brought their animals to McBride 1 s 
 where they could rest and regain their strength. Mueller's 
 Brewery and the Mill probably made use of the McBride 
 pasture also. 
 
 The Forest Preserve District bought the land in 1917, 
 and discovered that the original large trees, grass and 
 wild flowers had been trampled - leaving the entire area 
 completely bare. New trees and grass was immediately 
 planted, and the land has regained much of the original 
 beauty admired by the first explorers and fur traders. 
 The area was called McBride's Woods for many years, but 
 has recently been changed to the Ottawa Trails, because 
 the Ottawa Indians used the Stoney Ford quite often in their 
 journeys. 
 
 Local government was keeping up with the changing 
 times. Officials appointed a Board of Health, and plans 
 were started for a Water Works System, sewage disposal, 
 and an electric plant. The sewage disposal prior to 1910 
 was merely deep ditches along the roads. President 
 Smith began the modernization of the inadequate disposal 
 facilities and, by 1911 or 1912, President White, the 
 mayor at that time, finished the job started by Mr. Smith. 
 Our present mayor, William G. Smith, is the nephew of 
 
 64 
 
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 The Lyons Village Hall Today 
 
 65 
 
the early day President Smith. 
 
 A remembered incident at this time is told by old 
 timers. Tim Ryan owned a saloon on the property located 
 on Ogden Avenue, near the present Ranch. He also owned 
 an ice house close to what is now the Des> Plaines Valley 
 Mosquito Abatement headquarters. Water was taken from 
 the then sparkling clear Des Plaines, refined by the use 
 of chemicals, and turned into ice. During the refining 
 process, Tim injected a coloring that turned all of the ice 
 red. Many of the local and Chicago taverns featured "red 
 ice" in 1900. 
 
 Land was bought on Ogden and Center Avenues in 
 1900 for $1, 000 and the present Village Hall was built on 
 that site. An Agreement, dated October 1, 1900, for the 
 construction of the Village Hall showed (Frank) Hofmann & 
 Arden as the principal contractors, and Nick Metz & Son 
 for the masonry work. 
 
 Although it is true that Lyons had a roaring night 
 life, many people also enjoyed the daytime facilities. 
 George Hofmann, Jr. owned a piece of land along the river 
 bank - in addition to his dam, tower, and the triangle. 
 This piece of land was used as a picnic grovet Extra 
 "Buffalo" type trolley cars were put on the Lyons run on 
 Sundays and holidays. They were always filled to capacity 
 with picnickers. 
 
 Canopied boats were also provided and carried their 
 passengers on scenic trips up the "crystal clear" waters 
 of the Des Plaines and back to the docks, located just west 
 of the dam. (Evidence of these docks is still visible. ) 
 
 In the evenings, Mr. Hofmann provided an orchestra 
 and show in the triangle (formed by Barry Point, Joliet 
 and Ogden Avenues), thus ending a perfect day. 
 
 66 
 
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We have been told that Mr. Hofmann had originally 
 planned fo'r the boat dock and property on the triangle to 
 be used by the underprivileged children of the country. 
 He had inherited the present Mangam Chateau and the 
 building behind it from the Valentine Hofmann heirs, and 
 intended to house the children in these buildings. A high 
 fence was built around the triangle and tower properties, 
 and a pedestrian subway dug from the river property to 
 the triangle, which was to be a playground and park. 
 
 Although Mr. Hofmann 1 s plans never materialized, 
 his property resulted in giving the public many hours of 
 enjoyment. The Chateau was put into use as a dance hall 
 upstairs and a tavern on the first floor. The second floor 
 of the present Mangam Chateau is a portion of the original 
 building owned by the Hofmanns. 
 
 It is interesting to note that, during the early 1900 ! s, 
 clam bakes were the rage of the day. Kate Leonhardt, an 
 early resident, and her husband, Louis, held clam bakes. 
 A businessman usually sponsored these picnics for his 
 employees. The cost was two dollars per couple. 
 
 A two day preparation was necessary for a normal 
 clam bake. Mr. Leonhardt' s first chore was to make a 
 large bed of stones, using oak wood to heat the stones. 
 This wood burned all night. The wood ash was then taken 
 off the stones the following day, and seaweed placed over 
 the hot rocks. 
 
 Clams were placed in the center of the bed, then 
 potatoes, chicken, fish (in bags), and corn (with the husks 
 still on but the silks removed). Live green lobsters were 
 placed on the very top. The entire bed was covered with 
 cheese cloth and a canvas put over the cloth. The bed of 
 food was completely buried with white sand and left to 
 steam. 
 
 Mrs. Leonhardt, in the meantime, set up long tables 
 on which she put bread, butter, clam chowder, spices, 
 
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celery, etc. Each couple was given a basket in which to 
 put their lunch. 
 
 After about two and one-half hours or more - de- 
 pending on how large the bed was - the sand, canvas and 
 cheese cloth were removed and delicious looking, red hot 
 lobsters came into view. Everyone then brought their bas 
 kets to the pit and chose the food they desired. 
 
 The Talley-Ho was used to transport guests to the 
 clam bakes. It was a very beautiful carriage of fine ma- 
 hogany, brass trim, and red plush upholstery. It was 
 drawn by four horses. The rental of the Talley-Ho was 
 paid for by the sponsor of the Clam Bake. 
 
 Moving on, we find that gas mains and electricity 
 had been installed in many homes. The people were 
 amazed as well as pleased when, in 1905, they were pro- 
 vided with cement sidewalks on many of the main streets. 
 It was not long after that many of the other streets were 
 also producing these modern cement walks. 
 
 Near the end of 1905, one hundred and thirty-five 
 people took action in "cleaning up the town". They did so 
 by drawing a petition and having it signed by all concerned 
 and presented to the village officials - requesting them to 
 close picnic grounds, public dance halls, and forbid music 
 within the dram shops. After a time, moderate ordinances 
 were passed to the satisfaction of the one hundred and 
 thirty-five residents. 
 
 Amusement and fun on a grand scale had a compara- 
 tively short life in Lyons. Cream City was a Riverview 
 type park, owned and operated by a corporation of business 
 men. The property was originally owned and operated as 
 a quarry by Fred Schultz. Cream City was built in 1907 
 and was a favorite of the people for miles around. The 
 trolley line on Ogden Avenue ran right past the park, mak- 
 
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 75 
 
ing it very convenient to reach from Berwyn, Cicero and » 
 Chicago. 
 
 Its many thrills and attractions included roller 
 coasters, merry-go-rounds, ferris wheel, figure eight 
 (which was forty feet high), and many others. Side attrac- 
 tions, booths, and an old time movie theatre - showing one 
 of the current movies of the day - were enjoyed by many of 
 the older folks who didn f t feel up to "risking their lives on 
 those new f angled inventions". 
 
 One of the big attractions, especially for the young 
 people, were the dances held on weekends. An excellent 
 band (led by a gentleman named Rubin, who was later re- 
 placed by Bohumil Kryl) was provided and everyone was 
 assured of a good time. 
 
 Along with its side attractions, Cream City also 
 provided enjoyable entertainment for the elders in the 
 form of band concerts. Many people sat and listened to 
 the concert with a glass of beer at hand. Yes, beer and 
 other drinks were served, showing they were surely 
 situated in Lyons. It was not all drinking, however, and 
 this amusement park was frequented and loved by many. 
 
 Unfortunately, Cream City provided entertainment 
 for a short period. White City had been built in Chicago 
 and attracted many Chicagoans, and thereby cut into 
 Cream City ! s business. The rides and buildings were 
 burned down, and the Lobe Wrecking Company removed 
 the dance pavillion and towers which were located at the 
 entrance to the park. 
 
 People who saw and enjoyed Cream City can still 
 see its "funny mirrors" in Neher's Tavern. Although 
 these mirrors are over fifty years old, they are still as 
 bright and shiny as new. 
 
 In the gay amusement park f s place now stands Cer- 
 mak Park and swimming pool, owned and operated by the 
 
 76 
 
LUN'Wi 
 
 CE CREAM PA 
 
 First ice cream parlor was operated by- 
 Mrs. Kate Leonhardt, shown here with 
 her son and sister, Miss Behrens. It 
 was located on the northwest bank of the 
 Des Plaines on Barry Point Road. 
 
 77 
 
Forest Preserve District. A good time is still had by 
 this generation, and many people enjoy the grounds pro 
 vided for picnicking and the pool facilities. 
 
 Going back in time once more, we find that the news- 
 paper of the day was The Lyons Herald. We were fortunate 
 enough to obtain a July 17, 1909 copy of the paper, and will 
 quote a few parts of articles which may be of interest. 
 
 "Eleven motor boats now ply the 
 Des Plaines River. There will be a 
 Japanese latern regatta on Saturday, 
 July 17. All motor boats, launches 
 and canoes are invited to decorate 
 their respective crafts with Japanese 
 laterns and enjoy this festive occa- 
 sion. Music and singing no doubt 
 will be in abundance, as a great many 
 of the young people have mandolins 
 and guitars, and some musical voices. 
 The sight will be enjoyed by many. 
 
 "There are some spots along the 
 Des Plaines that equal in beauty any- 
 thing in the Alps or any scenic river 
 in the world. 
 
 "Watch for the lights on the tower 
 on the dam in a few nights. This will 
 be one of the most beautiful sights 
 ever witnessed. The reflections in 
 the water will simply be grand. " 
 
 One of the advertisements said: 
 
 "Lyons Family Theatre, F. J. Bau- 
 meister, Manager. HIGH CLASS 
 VAUDEVILLE, Illustrated Songs and 
 Motion Pictures. Every evening 7:30, 
 
 78 
 
Saturday and Sunday afternoons 2:00. 
 Change of pictures every day. Fri- 
 day night is Amateur Night. Admis- 
 sion ten cents, Children under twelve 
 years five cents." 
 
 A census was taken in 1910 which reported the popu- 
 lation in Lyons to be one thousand four hundred eighty-three 
 
 By January of 1913, the Lyons -Riverside Bridge had 
 become so weakened with age and traffic, that local town 
 officials condemned the bridge. Barricades were erected 
 at either end to prevent possible accidents. They proved 
 of no avail, however, for they were seen soon afterward 
 floating down the river. 
 
 The barricades were erected again and again but al- 
 ways removed by annoyed citizens. Officials then ordered 
 that, in addition to the barricades, the center planks of the 
 bridge be removed. The new barricades were also of a 
 type that prevented easy removal. 
 
 Complications over the building of a new bridge re- 
 volved around the fact that the south end was in the Village 
 of Lyons, while the north end was on property included in 
 the Village of Riverside. To settle the legal angle, Lyons 
 dis -annexed the area that included the bridge. The two 
 townships of Riverside and Lyons were then able to handle 
 the problem of raising funds for the reconstruction of the 
 bridge. Each township agreed to pay one quarter, with the 
 county paying the other half. This new bridge lasted over 
 forty years, and was condemned in the spring of 1957. It 
 was replaced with a bridge that was dedicated and opened 
 to traffic on May 9, 1959. 
 
 Movies were made in Lyons in the early ^OO's. 
 The Popular Motion Picture Production Company of Chi- 
 cago used a large tract of land in town for movie locations. 
 Headquarters for the movie company was in a hall over 
 Neher's Tavern. Wallace Berry and Gloria Swanson were 
 
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two of the many stars who came to Lyons to make movies. 
 The outskirts of town possessed fields and prairies ideal 
 for a western or country setting. 
 
 The population in the early 1920's was approximately 
 two thousand five hundred. As Lyons grew, so did its trans 
 portation needs. A bus company was issued a sixty day 
 permit to run its five cent bus line through the village. 
 
 Traffic safety began to be a problem as far back as 
 1925. That year, traffic safety was improved when the 
 Public Service Company installed traffic lights. Houses 
 were numbered that year also. 
 
 At this time, the Lyons Theatre, located at 4011 
 Joliet Avenue, was in full operation and going along quite 
 well. The admission prices were: Adults - week days 
 twenty cents, Saturday, Sunday and holidays - twenty-five 
 cents; Children - always admitted for ten cents. Popular 
 movies of the day included "San Francisco" with Clark 
 Gable, Jeannette MacDonald, and Spencer Tracy -- "White 
 Fang" starring Michael Whalen and Jean Muir -- And 
 another oldy, "Educating Father" with Shirley Deane and 
 Dixie Dunbar. 
 
 Village policemen barred service on the Chicago and 
 West Towns trolley line in 1926. This occurred when a 
 street car jumped the track and fell from the Ogden Avenue 
 Bridge into the Des Plaines River with fifty passengers on 
 board. The following is a vivid news item of the day: 
 
 "Village President, John R. 
 Hlavka, ordered that all cars be stop- 
 ped at the bridge and service not be 
 resumed until the railroad company 
 install better track on the testle. He 
 blamed poor track for the accident 
 
 81 
 
and said that only a miracle pre- 
 vented the loss of lives instead of 
 twenty-five injuries in the wreck. 
 Hlovka stated: 'There is a switch 
 about thirty feet from the trestle. 
 It was at that switch yesterday that 
 the car jumped the rails, cut along 
 the ties and dived into the river. 
 It's a miracle that fifty persons 
 were not drowned. It is fortunate 
 that the river was lower than it had 
 been a few days ago. ! 
 
 "The car was on its way from 
 Berwyn to Lyons, carrying students 
 from J. Sterling Morton High School 
 in Cicero. Suddenly there was a for- 
 ward leap, a grinding noise, and the 
 car dashed front first into the Des 
 Plaines River, the rear cars hanging 
 on the trestle. Windows crashed as 
 the seat backs reversed, throwing 
 the passengers into the aisles, down 
 on the floor and against the windows. 
 
 "Girls and women screamed from 
 pain and fright as the water rushed 
 into the car. Lyons firemen and 
 police, hurriedly summoned, lowered 
 ladders and rescued the trapped pas- 
 sengers. Twenty passengers were 
 taken to the Berwyn Medical Unit 
 hospital where they were given treat- 
 ment. Sixteen were removed to their 
 homes after their wounds were treated. 
 
 "Those more seriously injured 
 were: Victor Prince, Robert Schiefel- 
 bein, Joseph Fiedler, and Marvel Deike, 
 all of Lyons. " 
 
 82 
 
It is said that the trolley cars seemed to be jumping 
 off the tracks at least once a week, although, fortunately, 
 all of the occurrences weren't as drastic as the mishap on 
 that particular day in 1926. The trestle was torn down in 
 1933, when the present Ogden Avenue Bridge was built. 
 
 It seems the year 1928 was filled with new develop- 
 ments and proposed projects. We will mention just a few. 
 
 The Lyons Monitor was designated as the official 
 newspaper of the village in April by the village officials. 
 
 The Village Attorney was ordered to draw up an ordi 
 nance for sidewalks on both sides of Ogden Avenue from 
 Lawndale Avenue to Plainfield Road, and also on the south 
 side of Plainfield Road. 
 
 In October, police officers were instructed to shut 
 off the stop and go signs at 11:00 p.m. and turn them on 
 again at 6:00 in the morning. The town must have rolled 
 up its streets after 11:00 p.m. 
 
 Although prohibition was at its height and the out- 
 ward appearance of the town was very quiet with the streets 
 deserted, the "red carpet" was rolled out in many of the 
 local saloons. One of these was a certain establishment 
 located midway between what is now The Ranch and Rio 
 Vista. Legal three point two beer was sold to strange, 
 unfamiliar customers. But if the proprietor knew the pa- 
 tron, the beer served would have alcohol injected into it. 
 The better the customer was known, the higher the content 
 of alcohol. The beer was sold at twenty-five cents a glass 
 and, needless to say, its trade was booming. 
 
 The riding stable in the Forest Preserve at Lyons 
 was ordered moved in 1929, after many complaints of the 
 residents. It was described as a "nuisance to the neigh- 
 borhood". 
 
 83 
 
Outh©uses were ordered in by May 1, 1930 or sub- 
 ject to a fine. Four snow plows were purchased in 1929., 
 
 President Klug instructed the Village Attorney to 
 draw up a contract to furnish water to the Forest Preserve 
 District for Cermak Park pool in 1930. The village Water 
 Works Department was started in 1913 with the drilling of 
 an artesian well one thousand six hundred fifty feet deep. 
 A water tower, located on Joliet and Collins Avenues, was 
 built at a later date for five thousand six hundred eighty- 
 four dollars. Since its beginning, the Water Works De- 
 partment has done an excellent job in seeing that the water 
 supply in the village has been taken care of as efficiently 
 as possible. 
 
 The Heinz Company pickle wagon upset on the muddy 
 roads of Custer and Grove Avenues early in the spring of 
 1930 -- The neighborhood youngsters had a good time pick- 
 ing up the pickles as fast as they tumbled from the wagon. 
 
 The Emil Scheive Post No. 699 of the American Le- 
 gion dedicated a stone marker and two cannons in front of 
 the Village Hall on May 19, 1935. The stone is inscribed 
 "Dedicated In Memory Of OUR DEPARTED COMRADES", 
 commemorating the war heros of Lyons. The Emil Scheive 
 Post was formed in 1920 and named after a resident of 
 Lyons who lost his life defending his country. 
 
 A branch of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (V.F.W.) 
 was also formed in Lyons. Since only those individuals 
 who served overseas are eligible to belong to the V.F.W. 
 an extension was formed -- They are known as the Vet- 
 erans of Lyons. Any resident who was a member of the 
 armed forces may belong to the Veterans of Lyons. 
 
 The Lyons Lions Club was organized in 1934 for the 
 purpose of uniting business and professional men in good 
 fellowship. A few of the Club's aims are to maintain high 
 
 84 
 
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standards of business, promote civic projects and chari- 
 ties, and uphold the principles of good government. 
 
 A retaining wall on the south bank of the Des Plaines 
 River was constructed by the Water Works Progress Ad- 
 ministration. This wall is situated just above the Hofmann 
 Dam. A deep well pumping unit was installed in 1938 at 
 the Water Works for four thousand three hundred twenty- 
 three dollars. Leland, Prescott, Amelia, Center and Gage 
 Avenues were widened in 1939 at the colossal cost of sev- 
 enty-five dollars. Traffic control signals were also in- 
 stalled that year on the corners of 47th & Prescott - Ogden 
 &: Harlem - and Ogden & Joliet Avenues. 
 
 Mayor Bulat ordered anyone having music in their 
 place of business to have an entertainment license in their 
 possession in 1942. 
 
 A board of Fire and Police Commissioners in Lyons 
 was appointed on November 4, 1947. This placed our 
 Police and Fire Departments under Civil Service. An 
 ordinance was passed in 1949 which prohibited riding on 
 running boards. 
 
 In 1954, the Lyons Plan Commission was formed, 
 consisting of nine members. Three members must be vil- 
 lage officials. (These might include the Village President, 
 Trustees, Counsel and Engineer. ) The six remaining mem- 
 bers must be residents of Lyons. 
 
 The job of installing new street lights on Ogden and 
 Joliet Avenues, begun by Mayor Bulat, was completed by 
 Mayor Hofmann in 1957. 
 
 Listed below are the Presidents of Lyons, starting 
 at the beginning of our government and ending with the cur- 
 rent President. 
 
 1888-1891 Thomas Collins 
 
 87 
 
1891-1893 George Frimmersdorf 
 
 1893-1895 Frank Moody 
 
 1895-1896 George Frimmersdorf 
 
 1896-1898 George Neher, Sr. 
 
 1898-1903 George Frimmersdorf 
 
 1903-1911 Charles H. Smith 
 
 1911-1913 Frank L. White 
 
 1913-1915 O. H. Nelson 
 
 1915-1919 Robert N. Parchman 
 
 1919-1921 Otto A. Klug 
 
 1921-1922 Eric Olson 
 
 1922-1923 Charles H. Smith 
 
 1923-1925 O. H. Nelson 
 
 1925-1927 John Hlavka 
 
 1927-1928 Otto A. Klug 
 
 1928-1936 William A. Smith 
 
 1936-1937 Charles H. Smith, pro tern 
 
 1937-1938 O. H. Nelson 
 
 1938-1940 Joseph Gentile 
 
 1940-1953 Theofil T. Bulat 
 
 1953-1961 John Hofmann 
 
 1961- William G. Smith 
 
 The residents of Lyons should be very proud of their 
 village at the present time. Through the diligent efforts 
 of many fine Presidents and trustees, Lyons has lost its 
 reputation of just being a town filled with taverns. There 
 are still an abundant number of taverns in town, but these 
 are operated in a respectable manner and very little sen- 
 sational publicity results because of these businesses. 
 There are now more than ten thousand residents in Lyons 
 which is quite remarkable when compared to the 1950 figure 
 of six thousand one hundred twenty. The population in- 
 creased only one thousand two hundred thirty-eight be- 
 tween 1940 and 1950. 
 
 Many of the old landmarks and historic spots of 
 Lyons remain standing today, in addition to the numerous 
 modern buildings. Lyons, it seems, has been able to pre- 
 serve the old and still make way for the new. 
 
 88 
 
We have not gone into detail concerning the numer- 
 ous improvements, ordinances and local clubs in the vil- 
 lage. It is our opinion that these are important but space 
 for detailed coverage is not available. The exciting and 
 unusual happenings occurred in the fur trade era. Early- 
 settlement is of interest also, but later developments and 
 improvements, although important, need the passage of 
 time to make them fascinating. Any local improvements, 
 made since 1888, can be found in the village ordinances 
 and minutes. These records may be read by any resident 
 wishing to do so. 
 
 89 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 FIRE DEPARTMENT 
 
 There was no organized Fire Department in Lyons 
 prior to January 21, 1896. An ordinance was passed at 
 that time for the purchase of a fire wagon. A structure 
 was built only for the purpose of being burned, in order 
 to prove the efficiency of the department. The old Fire 
 Department was located at the village hall. 
 
 Phillip Persian was made head of the volunteer 
 "Fire Fighters", assisted by William Boss and ten volun- 
 teers. The Board of Trustees granted permission that a 
 few needed items be bought. These included: four dozen 
 wooden pails - eighteen hats - two pair of rubber boots - 
 a broom - an alarm bell - and a can of polish. 
 
 The chief received eight dollars a month pay, and 
 the volunteers were paid at the rate of fifty cents per hour 
 for their work during a fire. The first man to answer the 
 alarm received a one dollar bonus. 
 
 Steve Dilli was made fire chief on December 5, 
 1899, and, on October 23, 1900 two hand fire extinguish- 
 ers were purchased. Joseph Metz was appointed fire chief 
 on July 17, 1903. 
 
 The newly combined Fire Station and Water -Pumping 
 Station moved to the present brick fire station - located at 
 Collins and Joliet Avenues - in 1911. The building was 
 dedicated on July 4 of that same year. 
 
 A Diamond T fire truck was purchased in January of 
 1918. It was replaced in 1927 with an American LaFrance 
 fire engine. And replaced in 1947 with another new Ameri- 
 can LaFrance. 
 
 Fred Master became fire chief in 1926 and held this 
 position for many years. There were twenty-five volun- 
 
 91 
 

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 Lyons Fire and Water Departments 
 
 92 
 
teer firemen in 1938. 
 
 There are presently thirty-five volunteer firemen, 
 with James Spolar as fire chief. The volunteers as paid 
 two dollars an hour while at a fire. 
 
 The Fire Department has been improved recently by 
 the addition of new hoses - nozzles - raincoats - boots - 
 helmets - and a two-way radio installed in the fire truck. 
 
 With this up-to-date equipment, citizens are assured 
 of efficient, fast service. 
 
 93 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 POLICE DEPARTMENT 
 
 The beginning of law and order in Lyons is recorded 
 as of September 6, 1888 with the appointment of Joe Fitz- 
 gerald as the first Village Constable. 
 
 His meager symbols of power consisted of one star 
 engraved "Lyons Police" - one revolver - a box of car- 
 tridges - two pairs of handcuffs - and three nippers. 
 
 C. F. Runick, the village attorney, and Joe Fitz- 
 gerald became a team which more than ably established 
 local ordinances. As Constable, Fitzgerald was expected 
 to collect revenue on dogs, and impound any animals roam- 
 ing at large. He was allowed a percentage of the fee col- 
 lected. 
 
 Shortly after, the force was enlarged with the ap- 
 pointment of special police officers, George Mitch and C. 
 O'Neil. Their duties included assisting at emergencies 
 and preventing Sunday frolics and celebrations from inter- 
 fering with Church services, and nightly lighting of the 
 village lanterns. Their assistance in the health and school 
 departments were included in their regular line of duty. 
 
 The Police Department was relocated in 1900, after 
 the completion of the Village Hall. They were able to 
 house prisoners in the basement of the Hall the following 
 year when six cells were installed. 
 
 A new stretcher, with all of the modern values, was 
 obtained in 1905. It was used not only on emergency calls, 
 but also as a fumigator for surgical use. 
 
 Motorcycles were in use as early as 1920, and Dick 
 Huizinga was appointed motorcycle policeman in 1922. In 
 three years he was promoted to Police Chief. 
 
 95 
 
Lyons was evidently living up to its reputation in 
 1929 as witnessed in the order that directed the Chief of 
 Police to bring in all violators of Village ordinances, in- 
 cluding stills and out houses. 
 
 Four new motorcycles were purchased in 1930. The 
 total cost of the cycles, plus full fire and theft insurance, 
 amounted to two thousand ninety dollars. 
 
 Mr. Huizinga was Chief of Police at the end of the 
 1930 ! s. He was assisted by Joseph Blazek, William 
 Smith, Ted Walinski, and Frank Wroga. The department 
 had one squad car which could also be converted into an 
 ambulance. 
 
 The meager salary of a policeman in 1939 ranged 
 from one hundred forty dollars to one hundred seventy- 
 five dollars - depending on the rank. 
 
 The first one-way telephone was installed in the 
 police cars by Mayor Theofil T. Bulat in 1941. This radio 
 had connections between Western Springs to the west - 
 North Riverside to the north - and McCook to the south- 
 west. 
 
 The remodeling of the run down and over crowded 
 village hall was begun in late 1954. All work was done on 
 a voluntary basis only and, within a period of four months 
 and a cost of nearly seventy thousand dollars, Lyons ad- 
 ministrative facilities were housed in attractive, efficient 
 quarters. The Police Department was temporarily relocated 
 in the Fire Station during this period. 
 
 The Police Department presently consists of twelve 
 men with James Svaboda as Police Chief. 
 
 The duties of the present day police include answering 
 all family calls and arguments - locate missing children 
 and adults - arrest speeders - trace prowlers - arrange 
 for ambulance service - provide oxygen in cases of emer- 
 
 96 
 
gency - file death reports - and see that businesses are 
 closed at the proper hours e 
 
 Our policemen serve the town with thorough service 
 twenty-four hours a day n There are three eight hour shifts 
 in each working day c 
 
 The present police equipment numbers four police 
 cars, two motorcycles, one timer, a car equipped with 
 radar and one ambulance (donated by the Lyons Lions Club) 
 which contains an inhalator The inhalator serves a two- 
 fold purpose by aiding in giving oxygen and reviving those 
 close to death. The police cars are renewed every twenty- 
 five thousand miles, or every six months - whichever oc- 
 curs first. 
 
 With the modernization of facilities, we are now able 
 to house up to twenty prisoners at one time. Court is 
 usually held every Wednesday with Judge Frank Machala 
 presiding. 
 
 This modern age has brought with it a police depart- 
 ment well equipped and able to handle the needs of the vil- 
 lage. 
 
 97 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 U. S. POST OFFICE 
 
 Although the exact date is not known, Theodorus 
 Doty conducted a Fourth Class Post Office at Lyons in the 
 1840's. It was probably located in his tavern at Ogden 
 Avenue and Barry Point Road. 
 
 Stephen White became Postmaster in 1850 and held 
 this job for fifteen years. Lyons was the main (or most 
 populated) section of Lyons Tyownship at that time, so our 
 Post Office probably included the entire Township. The 
 mail was picked up and delivered to the Burlington Rail- 
 road Station (Lyons Station) which was built in the late 
 1860's and is now known as the Riverside Station. Mail 
 service prior to that time probably came to Lyons via the 
 stagecoach or horse and rider. 
 
 If Mr. White was Postmaster for fifteen years, this 
 would mean he was replaced in 1865, but we have not been 
 able to determine who his successor was. This period of 
 time is very indefinite and inconclusive, and we were not 
 able to find any specific information at this stage in the 
 life of the U. S. Post Office in Lyons. 
 
 The next known Postmaster was Joseph L. Condon, 
 supposedly appointed in 1880. He operated the Post Office 
 until George Neher took over in 1890. 
 
 George J. Becker became Postmaster in 1894. He 
 was followed by Nick Meyer in 1898. Postmaster Meyer 
 had the Post Office in his home on Barry Point Road, next 
 to what is now the Tower Inn. Postmaster Meyer died 
 during his term, and his daughter, Anna Meyer, took over 
 and completed her father's term as the first Postmistress 
 of Lyons. 
 
 Mrs. Lela Killips became the second Postmistress 
 on April 1, 1902. The Post Office was in her father's 
 home on Ogden Avenue, and consisted of a shelf in the liv- 
 ing room. The town was growing by leaps and bounds, 
 however, and, in 1903, Mrs. Killips' father, William 
 Bentgen, built a one story building for her at 8019 Ogden 
 Avenue. This building was located next to the Bentgen 
 
 99 
 
Lyons Post Office and Killips 1 residence was 
 converted into a two -story building in 1911. 
 
 100 
 
residence and served as the Lyons Post Office for thirty- 
 one years, and the Killips residence until 1959. As the 
 Killips family grew, more room was needed and, in 1911 
 the building was raised and a new first floor was erected' 
 under it. The entire second floor became the living quar- 
 ters for the family and the first floor was a combination 
 Post Office-Grocery Store. Killips' Grocery Store sold 
 everything from asprin to outboard motors. 
 
 Prior to 1929, every resident had a box in the Post 
 Office. On December 2, 1929 a village delivery service 
 came into existence. William Garbutt and Joseph Srotir 
 were hired as the first mail carriers. They delivered 
 mail only to homes located on paved streets, and the boxes 
 remained in the Post Office for those people living in the 
 outskirts. Mr. Emil F. Kulhavy replaced Mr. Srotir as 
 Carrier in 1930. 
 
 The Post Office was raised to Third Class in 1931 
 and, as a result, Mr. Killips was forced to discontinue his 
 thriving grocery business. He then went into the real 
 estate business. 
 
 Mrs. Killips' staff, over the thirty-one years she 
 was Postmistress, included Millie Shure, Clerk - Marion 
 Labush, Marion Hofmann, Assistants - William Garbutt 
 Joseph Srotir, Emil Kulhavy, Carriers - and Henry Vydra, 
 First Substitute Carrier. During this period, George Neher 
 delivered the outgoing mail to the Riverside Depot and 
 picked up the incoming Lyons mail. 
 
 Henry Hosman became the next Postmaster in 1934. 
 The Post Office was moved to 7941 Ogden Avenue. Al- 
 though this building served as just a Post Office, it was 
 used as a dime store, hardware store and drug store by 
 the Neher Family in prior years. 
 
 Bohumil Plos was appointed Postmaster on Janu- 
 ary 18, 1937. His staff included Frank J. Szumski, Clerk - 
 William Garbutt and Emil Kulhavy, Carriers - and Ralph 
 Hosman, Substitute Carrier. Mr. Szumski left in Decem- 
 ber of 1937 and more changes were necessary. Mr. Kovar 
 (hired previously as a replacement for Substitute Carrier 
 Hosman) was put in a clerical position, Grace Landa be- 
 came the new Clerk, and Norman Edward Gabriel was 
 
 101 
 
hired as Substitute Carrier. Longer working hours were 
 also adopted at this time, due to steady growth in the vil- 
 lage. 
 
 Joseph Hruby became Postmaster in approximately 
 1942 and James A. Krecek in 1947. The Post Office had 
 become much too small for the growing village, so, in 
 1955, the United States Post Office in Lyons moved to a 
 modern, spacious building at 7909 Ogden Avenue. G. J. 
 Hobart is the present Postmaster. 
 
 102 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 HEALTH CENTER 
 
 What might be called the beginning of the Lyons 
 Health Center, was the organizing of a Baby Clinic by the 
 Fortnightly Club of Riverside in about 1918. Although the 
 Baby Clinic was formed by women of Riverside, the actual 
 Infant Welfare Center was located at Lyons, > on Ogden 
 Avenue in Mr. Settecase's building. The Clinic included 
 Berwyn, Lyons, McCook, Riverside, Riverside Lawn, 
 and Stickney. 
 
 The Clinic was held once a week, on Friday morn- 
 ings, from nine until twelve, and took care of babies from 
 birth until two years of age. The slogan was "Keep A Well 
 Baby Well" and Dr. Reinhold Schluetter was their first 
 doctor. 
 
 At that time, Mrs. Kate Leonhardt, an active mem- 
 ber of the Baby Clinic, lived on a farm approximately one 
 and one-half miles from the business district of Lyons, 
 near Harlem Avenue and 47th Street. Mrs. Leonhardt 
 drove her son to school every morning in her horse and 
 buggy, picking up the gypsy children (as many as the car- 
 riage would hold) along the way. She would then remain 
 in town the rest of the morning and do the necessary mar- 
 keting or church work - in which she was so active. Dur- 
 ing one of these "typical" mornings, Mrs. Leonhardt met 
 Miss Catherine Brady, a nurse from the Chicago Tubercu- 
 losis Institute. Since Miss Brady did not own a car and 
 Ogden Avenue was one ,of the very few roads paved, she 
 asked Mrs. Leonhardt if she would drive her to some of 
 the places she was to visit. Mrs. Leonhardt said she 
 would be glad to take her wherever she wanted to go. The 
 following is a story, told by Mrs. Leonhardt, of an inci- 
 dent experienced during one of their many journeys: 
 
 "At that time I had two different 
 horses, one of them was a race horse. 
 One day Miss Brady asked me to take 
 her to McCook. I had been told that 
 when a race horse took a notion to 
 run, the best thing to do was to tie 
 the lines about your wrists and let 
 
 103 
 
him run, which he did. We got in at 
 the Baby Clinic and started to drive, 
 when something startled the horse. 
 Modesta Lenzi saw the runaway and 
 started to chase after me in her 
 buggy. When me horse heard 
 another horse chasing us, he thought 
 he was in a race and ran all the 
 harder. Well, here I was with 
 Miss Brady trying to take the lines 
 and screaming. Our hats were off, 
 but we were still in the buggy. The 
 horse ran across the Santa Fe tracks 
 (the gates were up). On the Summit 
 hill, the horse finally stopped, all 
 foaming at the mouth, and people 
 gathered all about to see the runaway. 
 
 "I asked Miss Brady if she still 
 wanted to go to McCook. She said to 
 just get her back to Lyons. 
 
 "This is just one of the experi- 
 ences of the horse and buggy days. " 
 
 Through Miss Brady's meetings with Kate, she be- 
 came the first nurse of the Baby Clinic. Miss Brady 
 worked at the Clinic every Friday morning, assisting Dr. 
 Schleutter in every way possible. Dr. Ingalls was the 
 first doctor in town to recommend the Baby Clinic to 
 mothers. 
 
 Although Miss Brady's main job in Lyons was in the 
 interest of the Tuberculosis Institute, she soon became 
 Lyons' part-time Health Nurse. In addition to her regular 
 duties, Miss Brady inspected all of the schools and made 
 certain the school children received proper vaccines. 
 
 At about this time, Kate Leonhardt decided that, al- 
 though the small babies were receiving wonderful care, 
 the older children seemed neglected, so she thought of a 
 way to help them also. One morning, Kate produced twelve 
 "mite" banks which she distributed in the various business 
 places in town (most of which were taverns, of course). 
 These bright, shiny banks were suspended from the ceilings 
 
 104 
 
on chains. Once a month, Kate emptied the banks, and the 
 money collected from the banks enabled her to hire Dr. 
 Schleutter to work at the Clinic an extra day - caring for 
 the pre-school children over two years of age. This -was 
 in addition to Dr. Schleutter's weekly visits for the tiny 
 babies. The Lyons Gazette published the proceeds of Mrs. 
 Leonhardt's "mite" banks every month. 
 
 Mrs. Theodore Sachs, in charge of the Christmas 
 Seal sales and with the Chicago Tuberculosis Institute (C. 
 T.I.), was informed of Mrs. Leonhardt's charitableness 
 and kindness by Miss Catherine Brady. Mrs. Sachs came 
 to Lyons in 1920 for the purpose of meeting this wonderful 
 woman, and told Kate that she thought the women of Lyons 
 should form a committee and institute a Lyons Health 
 Center. Mrs. Leonhardt was made Chairman of the pro- 
 ject by Mrs. Sachs, and instructed to secure twelve promi- 
 nent Lyons women as members of the committee. They 
 were chosen and an election was held. The officers and 
 committee members were: Mrs. Kate Leonhardt, Presi- 
 dent -- Mrs. E. Fenski, Secretary and Treasurer -- Mrs. 
 Clarence Brown, Mrs. Adam Metz, Mrs. J. Knox, Mrs. 
 F. Grossee, Mrs. Charles Schiefelbein, Mrs. Florence 
 Nelson, Mrs. Fred Mahler, Mrs. H. Sherenberg, and 
 Mrs. Willard Brown. Mrs. W. Joyce of Stickney was a 
 Co- Chairman. 
 
 Mrs. Leonhardt also accepted the chairmanship of 
 the Christmas Seal Sale in Lyons for the coming year, and 
 consented to ask her committee for their cooperation. This 
 was the first project undertaken by the committee. 
 
 The new organization chose the name Ladies Of The 
 Lyons Public Health Committee and set up headquarters in 
 the Settecase building, with the Baby Clinic. 
 
 Even in its early history, charity was evident in the 
 Health Center. Their first "money making" project was a 
 play given at the Village Hall. The forty dollars netted 
 from this undertaking was used to buy baskets of food for 
 needy families. Their first success gave the women con- 
 fidence and soon they were "going to town" with Bunco 
 parties, school affairs, etc. 
 
 Miss Catherine Brady, the Clinic's first part-time 
 
 105 
 
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nurse, was able to hold her position for just a short time. 
 Following Miss Brady's transfer to Oak Park, Miss Eliza- 
 beth Horgan became the second nurse of the Health Center. 
 Miss Horgan had her own car and no further "horse rac- 
 ing" calamities occurred. She was not a strong person, 
 however, and passed away soon after her appointment. 
 The Health Center then employed a nurse by the name of 
 Miss Edith Erickson, who served as a full-time nurse. 
 The C. T. I. furnished Miss Erickson a Forde Coupe. 
 
 We feel that we should explain at this point of the 
 story that these nurses and the doctor worked for both the 
 Baby Clinic and the Lyons Public Health Committee (or 
 Center). The Health Center was put under the direction of 
 the C. T. I. in 1921; therefore, the nurses and doctor were 
 paid by that association. The Baby Clinic, however, re- 
 mained independent and, for their services at the Clinic, 
 they were paid by the Fortnightly Club. 
 
 The first Poppy Day in Lyons was in 1926, when the 
 women of the Health Center took over the chairmanship of 
 the Red Cross Drive -- They collected $112. They held 
 this job until the women of the American Legion Auxiliary 
 took over. 
 
 When the aid of a dentist was required at the Health 
 Center, one of the ladies and the nurse took the children 
 to downtown dental clinics. As the Lyons Health Center 
 grew, however, it became apparent that they needed their 
 own dental equipment. Learning that a dental chair and 
 instruments were for sale in Berwyn, the ladies promptly 
 begain raising funds by social affairs and donations re- 
 ceived from other clubs. They managed to raise $555. 70 
 and, in 1928, the Lyons Public Health Center owned a 
 dental chair and instruments. Their next job was in ar- 
 ranging for the services of a dentist once a week. Dr. 
 Marchelya was asked, and said he would be glad to give 
 them one morning a week. Dr. Marchelya was with the 
 Health Center for many years. He worked on as many as 
 twenty-seven children's teeth a morning. In later years 
 it became impossible to accommodate all of the children, 
 however, and the dental service was abandoned. 
 
 The Health Center moved a few blocks west on Ogden 
 Avenue in the late 1920's or early 1930's, to a building 
 
 107 
 
Present Headquarters Of Lyons Health Center 
 
 108 
 
owned by Mrs. Mitch. The new location offered more room, 
 enabling the Center to care for the increasing number of 
 children. 
 
 The Chicago Tuberculosis Institute stopped their 
 service of providing a nurse for the Center in 1951. Miss 
 McGuredale was hired by the Health Center. After her 
 death, Miss Tracy Yohnke was hired. 
 
 The following is a quote of Kate Leonhardt's on the 
 early years of the Lyons Health Center. 
 
 "We women of the Health Center 
 could go on and on telling of the 
 struggle we had in the years of the 
 depression. We were back in our 
 rent a long time, but told Mrs. 
 Sachs not to worry that we would 
 pay as soon as we could run a few 
 social affairs, which we did. It 
 is an endless tale to tell of how hard 
 everyone worked and still do to this 
 day. " 
 
 In 1957, the garage attached to the Village Hall was 
 renovated into a modern building to house the growing 
 Health Center. 
 
 Mrs. Stan began working at the Health Center part 
 time in November of 1955, and full time for the village in 
 September of 1958. Mrs. Lucy Cooper took over in July 
 of 1963. 
 
 The following are just a few of the activities that 
 come under the heading of the Lyons Health Center: 
 
 The Baby Clinic has been taken over by the Center, 
 and is conducted twice a month - the second and fourth 
 Thursday morning of each month. The babies are weighed, 
 examined and their feeding is supervised by a physician. 
 Most of the babies have been immunized for diphtheria, 
 whooping cough and smallpox by the time they reach one 
 year. 
 
 Physical and dental examinations are required of 
 
 109 
 
the children in the first and fifth grades. The Health Cen- 
 ter handles all those applying for care. These examina- 
 tions are conducted at the Lyons Health Center during the 
 month of May. 
 
 The Health Department of the village and the Health 
 Center become a team in the fall of each year in promoting 
 an immunization program in the schools. Shick and Dick 
 tests are given and toxoid. Vaccinations are also given in 
 the schools each spring, and mothers are urged to have 
 their children vaccinated every five years. At the end of 
 1956, there were only three students in all of Lyons' 
 schools that had never been vaccinated - this was because 
 the parents objected. 
 
 The tuberculin test is given every other year in the 
 schools. The Tuberculosis Institute of Chicago and Cook 
 County send a chest X-ray machine to Lyons once a year. 
 This has been going on for the past twelve years. The 
 X-rays are given free of charge and the proceeds of the 
 annual Christmas Seal drives pay for this service. Through 
 all the years of the Health Center's existence, aid, advice 
 and supervision has been received from the Tuberculosis 
 Institute of Chicago and Cook County. The present mem- 
 bers of the Center hope this assistance will continue in the 
 future. 
 
 Charity is still present in the hearts of all the mem- 
 bers of the Health Center. They sew cancer pads for the 
 Cancer Society at their monthly meetings and still donate 
 baskets of food to needy families. The Lyons Health Cen- 
 ter has had many wonderful, hard working members - with 
 Mrs. Kate Leonhardt heading the list. Although she is now 
 87 years young, Mrs. Leonhardt still participates in a few 
 of the Health Center's activities. 
 
 Because of the many generous people who have given 
 both their time and effort to the Center, Lyons has a Health 
 Center equipped to handle the needs of the children in the 
 village. 
 
 110 
 
CHAP T ER X 
 
 LYONS PUBLIC LIBRARY 
 
 The inauguration of the Lyons Public Library could 
 be attributed to Mrs. Ruth Ingalls Mitch, a civic minded 
 citizen, with the cooperation of several local school teachers 
 The prominent woman decided the village needed a lending 
 library and, in approximately 1936, collected a few books 
 and opened a library in her home. This arrangement 
 proved to be so successful that a need was soon realized 
 for larger accommodations. 
 
 The Council Room of the Village Hall was chosen as 
 the new location of the Lyons Library on February 15, 1938. 
 Mr. George J. Stupka was appointed chairman of the Library 
 Committee by Mayor Nelson. Members of the W.P. A. , 
 along with Mrs. Mitch collected 700 books and 1, 500 were 
 donated by the U. S. Government. 
 
 Shortly after this, the Stupka Committee used the 
 services of the W.P. A. to partially finance their needs. 
 The Administration offered to help in establishing a library 
 providing the library board conform to their requirements. 
 
 An official Library Board was formed in 1939 with 
 the following members: George J. Stupka, President - 
 Dr. Beryl Ingalls - Leo P. Meyer - A. O. Diersen - Paul 
 A. Graunke - and Miss Maud Stubbings. 
 
 The W.P. A. discontinued their services in 1941, 
 and the library was forced to close its doors. This was a 
 temporary state, however, and a store front was rented a 
 short time later at 4112 Joliet Avenue -- The library was 
 in business once again. At this time, Mrs. Elsie Stednitz 
 was hired as Librarian at the rate of fifty cents an hour. 
 The library was usually opened an hour in the afternoon 
 and an hour and a half in the evening. 
 
 The library became tax supported in 1945 when the 
 people voted an amendment to the village regulations. 
 
 The library continued to grow and, at the end of 1950, 
 6, 240 books had been loaned out. In 1952, this number was 
 increased to 7, 772 books. 
 
 Ill 
 
twZJkh 
 
 LYONS LIBRARY 
 
 112 
 
The building at which the library is presently located 
 was bought in 1954, and the wall dividing the store front 
 from the back of the building was torn down. The entire 
 building then became available to the library. New shelves 
 were purchased to hold books on the second landing, and 
 used tables were also purchased for reference purposes. 
 The number of books checked out that year was 15, 151. 
 
 There were 7, 675 books in the library in 1959, and 
 the library had a membership of 3, 001. That included 
 1, 541 juveniles and 1, 460 adults. The number of books 
 checked out for 1958 was 35, 159. 
 
 Additional assistance was needed in 1956, and Mrs. 
 Arthur W. Goettler volunteered her services. The present 
 library hours are: Monday, Wednesday and Friday - 
 1:30 p. m. to 5:00 p.m. , 7:00 p. m. to 9:00 p. m. -- Tues- 
 day and Thursday - 9:00 a. m. to 5:00 p. m. , 7:00 p. m. to 
 9:00 p.m. -- Saturday - 1 :00 p. m. to 4:00 p. m. Mr. 
 James Hartman is the president of the Library Board. 
 
 Through the hard work of the citizens of the village, 
 the library has progressed to the point where it can ade- 
 quately serve the residents. 
 
 113 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
 
 Theodorus Doty was the man responsible for the birth 
 of the school system in Lyons. It is known that the first 
 school was merely a log cabin provided by the taxpayers, 
 and built by Doty - who decided that the children from this 
 region be given "scholastic facilities". 
 
 The log cabin was located at the present Zion Church 
 site and Miss Ellen Storrs was the first teacher, as re- 
 called by Theodorus Doty. Other citizens are of the opinion 
 that a man from Ohio was the first schoolmaster. 
 
 As the village grew, so did the number of children 
 and in 1870, a new building was erected on Joliet Avenue. 
 The new school was named after the father of our coun- 
 try - George Washington. The late Mrs. Frank Neher, 
 Jr. , one of Lyons' earliest settlers, was among the first 
 class that marched from the old log school to the new four 
 room wooden building. 
 
 The enrollment of pupils in 1884 was approximately 
 115, with J. B. Ryan as principal, and Miss Henrietta 
 Wilden, Assistant. The Directors were: George Neher, 
 President; Thomas Collins and Frederick Schultz. Wash- 
 ington School, during the 1880's was the center of social 
 functions for the residents of Lyons. Devotional exercises 
 were held in the school house on Sunday -- Frequent union 
 meetings were presided over by a Mr. North of Riverside -- 
 And German services were conducted by Mr. Borland of 
 Summit. 
 
 The village was forced to add four more rooms on 
 the front of the building in 1894 to accommodate its many 
 needs. The third and final addition was seen in 1910, 
 when four more rooms were added to the back of the origi- 
 nal building. This time, however, they were fortunate 
 enough to have bricks at their disposal. 
 
 In May of 1952, more action was taken in providing 
 adequate room and facilities to Washington School. The 
 back part of the school building was destroyed, and a new 
 building began taking its place. This was completed in 
 
 115 
 
£^iifc*£ 
 
 Present Washington School 
 
 116 
 
h 
 
 at l r 
 
 Costello School 
 
 Elm School 
 
 117 
 
March of 1953; and, in March of 1954, a brand new, modern 
 building stood in place of the old. 
 
 The new, modern Washington School is one of the 
 most beautiful buildings in Lyons. It consists of twelve 
 class rooms, and approximately twelve additional rooms, 
 plus a large, adequate gymnasium. The school year 
 1953-1954 showed that 304 pupils attended the new school. 
 The 1959 enrollment showed 320 pupils. 
 
 The faculty is composed of twelve teachers, seven 
 special teachers, one nurse, and Miss Edna Miller serves 
 as the Principal of Washington School. 
 
 Costello School (named after one of the first school 
 superintendents) was built in 1928 and the original build- 
 ing consisted of four rooms. The school is located at 47th 
 Street and Lawndale Avenue. There were 272 pupils en- 
 rolled in Costello School in 1959. The faculty consists of 
 eleven teachers, seven special teachers, one nurse and 
 the Principal - Mrs. B. Oestreicher. 
 
 Due to the large population increase, a need was felt 
 for another public school in Lyons. This school, built in 
 1952, is called the Elm Street School. The 1959 enrollment 
 was 182 pupils, nine teachers, seven special teachers, one 
 nurse, and the Principal - Mrs. T. Pabst. 
 
 The public schools in Lyons are located in District 
 10 3. Past superintendents have been Augustus Haley, who 
 served from 1890 until 1910. J. W. Costello took over in 
 1910 until 1940. Mr. E. D. Aurand became superintendent 
 in 1940, and Dr. C. A. Christ is the present superintendent 
 of District 103. 
 
 The village has certainly come a long way in its scho- 
 lastic facilities, from the one room log cabin to the ultra- 
 modern buildings of the present day. 
 
 118 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 CHURCHES 
 
 ST. HUGH CHURCH AND SCHOOL 
 
 In 1875, of all the southwestern suburbs, Lyons (a 
 German settlement) and Summit (an Irish district) had the 
 majority of Catholics. Clyde had two families - Riverside 
 four - and LaGrange three. 
 
 At that time, there was no Catholic Church between 
 Chicago and Naperville. There were many dirt roads in 
 those days which made traveling hazardous in bad weather. 
 As a result, many Catholics were missing mass on Sundays 
 and Holy Days of Obligation through no fault of their own. 
 
 The Catholic families in the area formed a committee 
 and, in 1875, formally called on Bishop Foley. They told 
 him of their plan to build a Catholic Church and received 
 permission to begin construction. They were promised the 
 services of a priest. 
 
 A plot of ground was donated by Dr. George M. Fox, 
 a non-Catholic, situated on Joliet Road just south of 45th 
 Street. The material for the building was donated by the 
 people of Lyons and Summit. The Church was also erected 
 by these people, with the help of two men from Riverside 
 and one from LaGrange. The Church was named St. Mary's 
 in honor of the Mother of God. 
 
 In 1876, Father Baldi was appointed Pastor, and was 
 succeeded by Father Louis Saint Louis in early 1878. 
 Father Saint Louis added a bedroom and large living room 
 to the rear of the Church for his living quarters. 
 
 Reverend Andrew Venturi, O. S. M. , was the first 
 resident pastor. He spent his weekends with the John 
 Hofmann, Sr. family prior to the completion of the living 
 quarters furnished by the Church. 
 
 Father Lamb formed the next link in the chain of 
 Pastors. He organized the Married Ladies Sodality, the 
 Young Ladies Sodality of the children of Mary, and the 
 Children's Society of the Holy Angels. 
 
 119 
 

 ST. HUGH CHURCH 
 
 
 W III ■■ III 
 
 St. Hugh School Addition built in 1957 
 
 120 
 
 
From 1902 to 1925, Lyons was without a Catholic 
 Church, since Riverside was considered a more central 
 location than Lyons. A church was built in Riverside in 
 1902, near the Burlington Railroad Depot. The new church 
 retained the name St. Mary's and the parish records were 
 transferred from Lyons to Riverside. 
 
 By the 1920 f s, Lyons had so many Catholic families 
 they decided they should have a parish of their own. There- 
 fore, payment on a piece of property was submitted in 1922 
 by the Lyons Catholic Women's Club. This property was 
 located on Joliet Avenue and 43rd Street. In April of 1925, 
 the property was completely paid for, and Reverend John B. 
 Murphy was appointed to organize and be pastor of the St. 
 Hugh parish in Lyons. While the building of the church and 
 school was underway, Father Murphy said mass in the Lyons 
 Movie Theater. 
 
 The first mass in the new St. Hugh Church was cele- 
 brated on Christmas morning, 1925. The school was opened 
 a few days later with three teachers -- Miss M. Campbell - 
 Miss E. Eberthouser - and Miss M. Sauber, under the 
 supervision of Father Murphy. Mother Alexine, S. S. J. , 
 was appointed Directress of the school in 1926. 
 
 During the first year of St. Hugh's existence, over 
 three hundred children received their first Holy Communion. 
 
 At that time, property and a house located on the 
 corner of Prescott Avenue and 43rd Street was also pur- 
 chased. This serves as a home for St. Hugh's priests. 
 Property and another house were purchased in later years, 
 between 44th Street and 44th Court on Joliet Avenue. This 
 is now a convent and houses the Sisters of Saint Joseph 
 that teach the children of St. Hugh's School. 
 
 Father Murphy was Pastor until 1933, when he was 
 succeeded by Father Joseph Stedronsky. Reverend Corne- 
 lius J. Murray became the next Pastor in 1947. Father 
 Murray is still the Pastor of St. Hugh's and his assistants 
 are -- Reverend Richard Fassbinder - and Reverend 
 Sordell. 
 
 An addition to the over-crowded school was built in 
 1957. With this new building, over five hundred children 
 
 121 
 
are able to receive a fine Catholic education. Sister Mary- 
 Catherine, S. S. J. is the principal, and the faculty is com- 
 prised of the Sisters of St. Joseph and lay teachers. ' 
 
 Religious instruction classes are held on Sunday 
 mornings for the public grammar and high school students 
 of the parish. 
 
 Some of the activities at St. Hugh are -- Ladies 1 
 Altar and Rosary Society - Men's Holy Name Society - 
 Christian Family Movement - and Girl Scout and Brownie 
 Troops. 
 
 The following is a summation of St. Hugh's history, 
 given us by the Reverend C. J. Murray: 
 
 "In our estimation, the history of 
 the Catholic Church in Lyons is 
 unique. For almost twenty-seven 
 years the Catholic people of this 
 community struggled to maintain a 
 Catholic Parish in their midst, only 
 to see it taken away from them. The 
 church, towards the erection of which 
 they had struggled so long and labored 
 so arduously, was closed to them. 
 Old time Catholic residents have told 
 me that they wept whenever they passed 
 the abandoned edifice. The building 
 itself still stands. It was moved from 
 its original location on Joliet Avenue 
 to its present location on Prescott 
 Avenue and 42nd Street, where it 
 served the needs of the people of St. 
 John's Church until 1961. 
 
 "It took a long time for the Catholics 
 of Lyons to recover from their loss. 
 After almost a quarter of a century, 
 St. Hugh's parish came into existence 
 and many of those who had been bap- 
 tized in the old parish were the founders 
 of the new. Like their forebears they 
 had many years of struggle. Their 
 faith and their fortitude, as well as 
 
 122 
 
that of those who went before them 
 must be remembered by us who 
 are now reaping the rich harvest 
 of their sowing. We must be ever 
 grateful for the example they set 
 in refusing to let adversity over- 
 whelm them or draw them away 
 from God and their religious 
 convictions . " 
 
 123 
 
ST. JOHN f S CHURCH 
 
 A small group of devout men met on January 12, 
 1902, for the purpose of organizing a Protestant congre- 
 gation. On January 19, 1902, after a service held in 
 St. Mary's Church, conducted by the Reverend Fred A. 
 Luedeke of Hinsdale, Illinois, a congregation was organ- 
 ized under the name "St. John's Evangelical Lutheran 
 Church". Incorporation papers, under this name, were 
 filed and recorded in the Recorder's Office of Cook County 
 on January 23, 1902. 
 
 Among those present at these meetings were -- Her- 
 man Darnstadt - Christ Giesler - Charles Lange - Albert 
 Ludwig - William Niemand, Sr. - August Radke - Herman 
 Schmidt - John Schreck - August Strebing - and William 
 Von Lunge rshaus en. 
 
 At the January 12 meeting, the following were elected 
 as the first trustees -- Christ Reese - Herman Darnstadt - 
 and Christ Giesler. William Von Lungershausen served as 
 secretary. 
 
 In late February of 1902, ten women organized a 
 Ladies' Aid, now known as the Women's Guild. 
 
 The first services of St. John's were held in Bethel 
 Chapel, a frame building then located on Joliet Avenue, 
 near Collins Avenue. 
 
 Informed that the Catholic Parish had a church build- 
 ing and school house for sale, the trustees entered into 
 negotiations with the Reverend Lamb, and purchased these 
 buildings. The structures were then located on Joliet 
 Avenue just south of 45th Street, and had to be moved. 
 Mrs, Van Horn, who owned several acres in Van Horn's 
 subdivision, offered the trustees two lots at the corner of 
 White and Prescott Avenues as a gift. 
 
 There were no streets laid out in this area. The 
 only markings visible on the streets were those made by 
 wagon tracks. The buildings were moved and placed on the 
 donated lots on July 1, 1902. For a long time, it was known 
 as the "Church in the Prairie". 
 
 124 
 
Former St. John's Church 
 
 125 
 
During the pastorate of the Reverend Herman Hilde- 
 brandt, two additional lots, to the north of the church, 
 were purchased and the parsonage built on them in 1910. 
 
 The Reverend Fred A. Luedeke served the congre- 
 gation for the first two years. He was succeeded by the 
 following ministers in the order named -- Herman Noeller - 
 Herman Fleer - Herman Hildebrandt - Valerius Crusius - 
 John Krause - George Lienhardt - F. Grosse - Theophil 
 Haefele - and Frederick H. Krohne. The present pastor, 
 the Reverend Robert E. Schroeder, assumed the pastor- 
 age on August 1, 1958. 
 
 In 1925, the school house was sold and moved from 
 the premises. The church was raised and the area under- 
 neath excavated to provide for an assembly room and kitchen, 
 The proceeds from the sale of the school were used to buy 
 the necessary material and equipment. In 1934, the garage 
 was built. A tile floor was laid in the church auditorium 
 and new pews installed in the church in 1934. In 1947, the 
 congregation, in recognition of the twenty-two years of 
 faithful service of Pastor Grosse, dedicated a new lectern 
 to his memory. 
 
 On November 14, 1948, the Memorial Pipe Organ was 
 dedicated. Funds for the organ were raised through contri- 
 butions in lieu of flowers in memory of loved ones, and 
 through altar offerings of anniversaires, birthdays, wed- 
 dings, etc. Although the organ was fully paid for, the 
 Memorial Fund was continued. 
 
 The next project to be financed by the Memorial 
 Fund was the installation of an amplifying system with 
 speakers in the church auditorium, Sunday School rooms, 
 and the tower. This was dedicated on Sunday, November 22, 
 1953. When this was paid for, other Memorial Projects 
 were considered. These improvements could be made only 
 because of the cooperative spirit of the members and fri- 
 ends of the congregation. 
 
 The excavation for the basement, the building of the 
 garage, the building of the organ loft, the wiring and instal- 
 lation of the amplifying system, and many other improve- 
 ments were all made by the members of the congregation 
 themselves. 
 
 126 
 
A building program was officially launched on 
 February 28, 1959, and approval granted on April 26, 
 
 1959 for the purchase of eight lots on Route 66 and 45th 
 Street in Lyons, for the building of a new church and edu- 
 cational department. The congregation authorized the sale 
 of the buildings and church on Prescott Avenue on July 17, 
 
 1960 to the Lyons Evangelical Free Church. St. John's 
 church was relocated on December 3, 1961. 
 
 The following organizations are active in the church 
 at present -- The Women's Guild - Sunday School for all 
 ages - Chapel and Junior choirs - Boys Club - Youth Fel- 
 lowship - and Men's Brotherhood. 
 
 The Reverend Frederick H Krohne, who served as 
 pastor of St. John's for thirteen years, gave us the follow- 
 ing message on the church: 
 
 "The congregation has at all times 
 endeavored to bring the gospel of 
 Jesus Christ to the community in 
 its larger Kingdom program in the 
 field of benevolence, Christian 
 education, and missionary work 
 at home and abroad. Its member- 
 ship is open to all who accept 
 Christ as their Saviour and Lord. 
 'Blest be the tie that binds our 
 hearts in Christian love: The fel- 
 lowship of kindred minds is like 
 to that above. ' " 
 
 127 
 
ZION EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH and SCHOOL 
 
 Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church represents an old 
 Landmark of early settlement days in Lyons. Its history 
 dates back to pre -civil war times. Over one hundred years 
 ago, in 1859, religious activities were started by itinerant 
 Lutheran pastors . The congregation was officially organ- 
 ized in 1884, and the present church structure was dedi- 
 cated in 1909. 
 
 The records of official acts such as baptisms, con- 
 firmations, weddings, and funerals for the period from 
 1859 to 1878 are preserved in the church records of 
 Immanuel Lutheran Church at Hillside. During these years, 
 Pastors Carl Meyer, P. Zucker, and P. Johnannes 
 Strieter served the congregation there, known as Proviso. 
 Records show that in 1870 and 1871 Pastor Zucker made 
 several visits to Lyons, ministering to Lutheran people in 
 the young village. 
 
 From 1872 to 1878, Pastor Strieter conducted reli- 
 gious services in Lyons every third Sunday. During this 
 period, in the year 1874, the "First Religious Society of 
 Lyons and Riverside" was organized. The new society 
 purchased the chapel on the "Old Plank Road" and services 
 were held regularly. 
 
 In the fall of 1878, the Lutherans of Lyons received 
 the assistance of Pastor Bohlen of Summit. Under his 
 leadership, the congregation was duly organized as a 
 Lutheran Church and became affiliated with the Lutheran 
 Church- Missouri Synod. 
 
 In the year 1895, Zion Lutheran welcomed its firs 
 resident pastor in the person of Candidate for the Holy 
 Ministry, Jacob Burkhardt. During the pastorate of the 
 Reverend Burkhardt, the congregation opened the parochial 
 school with the pastor serving as the first teacher until full 
 time instructors were called, beginning in 1898. The class- 
 room was the English basement constructed under the old 
 chapel in 1 895. 
 
 During the ministry of Pastor J. Schort, it became 
 apparent that the congregation had outgrown the little chapel 
 and plans were laid for a new and larger house of worship. 
 
 128 
 

 33 = 
 
 if 
 
 n 
 
 ZION CHURCH 
 
 129 
 
The cornerstone was laid on August 22, 1909 and dedicatory 
 services were held on December 1 9 of the same year. The 
 chapel was moved to the rear of the church lot to house the 
 growing Christian Day School. An addition to the school 
 facilities became necessary in 1913 and, in 1927, the pre- 
 sent brick school building was erected. 
 
 In 1913, Pastor Martin Nickel assumed the pastorate 
 of Zion and thus began the longest continuous ministry in 
 the history of the congregation. The Ladies Aid, which had 
 been founded in 1903, during Pastor Ladwig's time, con- 
 tinued to serve the congregation. Auxiliary organizations 
 such as the Sunday School, Young People's Society, Men's 
 Club, and the Church Council came into being over the years 
 of Pastor Nickel's spiritual leadership. After thirty-three 
 years of service to the congregation, the devoted leader of 
 Zion retired and was succeeded by Pastor C. F. Spaude 
 in 1946. As the church grew with the community, Zion 
 School also continued to offer a Christian elementary edu- 
 cation to a large number of boys and girls. Mr. B. E. 
 Petrowsky became principal in 1931. There are currently 
 five teachers on the staff of the Zion school. 
 
 During the years of its history in the Lyons community, 
 two organizations of the church have taken a prominent part 
 in community life. Best remembered is the former Lyons 
 Concert Band, organized in 1910 at Zion Church, and par- 
 ticipated in civic celebrations of the community - particu- 
 larly in "sending-off" the boys during World War I. Zion 
 Lutheran Choir has had a continuous history of service to 
 the congregation since its inception in 1907, and enjoys a 
 present reputation as one of the infest church choirs in the 
 west suburban area. 
 
 Reverend Willard C. Laatz became the pastor of Zion 
 Church in 1956, to lead the congregation in its new respon- 
 sibilities and opportunities in the growing community. The 
 interior of the sanctuary was completely renovated in 1958. 
 Zion Lutheran launched a program in 1959 called "Venture 
 of Faith" to provide a new parish building for the educational 
 and fellowship activities of the congregation. A new school 
 building was dedicated in May of 1962. The old school 
 building was renovated in 1963 and 104 children attended 
 school that year. Mr. Vern Schultz is the present princi- 
 pal. 
 
 130 
 
The following message on the physical and religious 
 growth of the Zion Church was given us by Reverend Laatz: 
 
 "From its humble beginnings a 
 century ago, Zion Church has 
 grown to a large congregation, 
 faithful to its original purpose 
 of bringing God's blessings 
 through Word and Sacrament. 
 Through its affiliation with the 
 more than two million member 
 Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod, 
 widely known for its radio ministry 
 through The International Lutheran 
 Hour and more recently the tele- 
 vision series "This Is The Life, " 
 Zion has participated in a world- 
 wide ministry of concern and 
 charity. In the spirit of the gen- 
 erations that have gone before, 
 Zion looks forward in faith to the 
 challenges before it as the years 
 loom ahead. " 
 
 131 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 BUT NOT FORGOTTEN 
 
 We would like to take this opportunity and space to 
 express our deepest and most sincere gratitude to all who 
 have contributed to make this book possible. 
 
 First of all, we would like to thank Mrs. Stednitz, 
 better known to us as just "Elsie". Without her help and 
 encouragement this book would never have been written. 
 Many times when we were discouraged and ready to give 
 it back to the fur traders, Elsie was always there to boost 
 our spirits. This is the reason we have dedicated this 
 small accomplishment to her. 
 
 Secondly, we owe a great deal to Mr, Herbert J. 
 Bassman, Editor of the Riverside News. He supplied 
 many of the pictures and maps, much needed information 
 concerning George Hofmann, Jr. , and the encouragement 
 and helpfulness we needed so badly when we were in utter 
 states of confusion. 
 
 We are also deeply grateful to Mr. & Mrs. E. James 
 Hartwig and Mr. James Hartman for all of their efforts in 
 helping us realize our ambition of publishing this history in 
 a hard bound book. 
 
 Special thanks go to Alex Pankey for his work in mak- 
 ing the prints suitable for reproduction. 
 
 Next, we would like to acknowledge the names of a few 
 of the very helpful people whom we have had the privilege 
 to talk with: 
 
 Mr. Herman Armgard 
 Sister Mary Aquinas, C.S.J. 
 Mr. E. D, Aurand 
 Mr. James Barnes 
 Mrs. Frank Benedetti 
 
 133 
 
Sister Mary Bernard, C.S.J. 
 
 Sister Mary Bonaventure, C.S.J. 
 
 Mr. Edmund P. Bulat 
 
 Mr. Theofil T. Bulat 
 
 Mrs. Raymond Darnstadt 
 
 Mr. Stanley Demski 
 
 Mr. George Goldbeck 
 
 Mrs. Martin (Minnie) Hofmann 
 
 Mr. &: Mrs. John Hofmann 
 
 Mr. John Killips 
 
 Mr. Otto Klug 
 
 Rev. Frederick H. Krohne 
 
 Mrs. Louis (Kate) Leonhardt 
 
 Mr. Robert Leonhardt 
 
 Mr. Charles Machan 
 
 Mr. Roberts Mann 
 
 Mr. Henry Metz 
 
 Father Cornelius J. Murray 
 
 Mrs. Nagle 
 
 Mr. & Mrs. Walter Neher 
 
 Mrs. Frank (Grandma) Neher, Jr. 
 
 Mr. B. E. Petrowsky 
 
 Mrs. S. Pesch 
 
 Mrs. Martin Potokar 
 
 Mr. Adam Pszczola 
 
 Mr. John Pszczola 
 
 Mr. John Rochowiak 
 
 Mr. William G. Smith 
 
 Rev. Carl Spaude 
 
 Miss Maud Stubbing s 
 
 Mr. Arthur W. Sweitzer 
 
 Mr. & Mrs. Elmer Thode 
 
 Mrs. Emma Waller 
 
 Mr. Frank White 
 
 Mr. Eugene White 
 
 Mr. John White 
 
 Miss Laura White 
 
 A history of this type could not have been written 
 without the facts, stories and tales furnished by these 
 generous people. 
 
 134 
 
If this material had been recorded fifty years ago, 
 many of the early settlers could have told of the events 
 which they experienced during the mid 1800's in the set- 
 tlement of the community. Much of the information has 
 come to us through the generations by word of mouth. 
 
 Unfortunately, we did not have many first hand facts 
 at our disposal to use as reference. Consequently, there 
 are bound to be errors. 
 
 We have great satisfaction in knowing that the people 
 of Lyons now have available, in one place, much informa- 
 tion about the early years of their town. 
 
 Through this book, we have prospered - not by 
 money - but by the friendships we have gained, discover- 
 ing the fascinating background of our historic village, and 
 what a wonderful feeling it was to be called "historians". 
 Through our work, we have gained a great deal in the know. 
 ledge that we have contributed something to ourselves as 
 well as to our town. 
 
 135 
 
INDEX 
 
 Alexine, Mother, 121 
 American Fur Company, 19 
 American Legion, 84 
 Andreas, A.T. , 30-37 
 Aquinas, Sister Mary, 133 
 Arkansas Post, 33 
 Arkansas River, 14 
 Armgard, Herman, 133 
 As tor, John Jacob, 19 
 Aurand, E.D., 118-133 
 Aurora Branch Railroad, 52 
 
 Bassman, Herbert J., 133 
 
 Battle of Vicksburg, 33 
 
 Baldi, Father, 119 
 
 Barnes, James, 133 
 
 Baumeister, F.J., 78 
 
 Beebe, G.W. , 39 
 
 Becker, G.J., 99 
 
 Behrens, Miss, 77 
 
 Benedetti, Mrs. Frank, 133 
 
 Bentgen, Wm. , 99 
 
 Bernard, Sister Mary, 134 
 
 Berner, John, 59 
 
 Berry, Wallace, 79 
 
 Berwyn, Illinois, 76-82-103-107 
 
 Bielby, Mary J., 34 
 
 Black Hawk, 26 
 
 Black Hawk War, 26 
 
 Blanchard, Walter, 55 
 
 Blazek, Joseph, 96 
 
 Board of Health, 64 
 
 Bohlen, Pastor, 128 
 
 Bonaventure, Sister Mary, 134 
 
 Borland, Mr., 115 
 
 Boss, William, 91 
 
 Bourbon Springs, 31 
 
 Brady, Catherine, 103-104- 
 
 105-106 
 Brewery, Mueller's, 48-49- 
 
 50-52-64 
 Bridge, Lyons -River side, 46- 
 
 60-79 * 
 
 Bridge, Ogden Ave., 48-61- 
 
 62-81-83 
 Bristol, Hiram, 55 
 Brown, Mrs. Clarence, 105 
 Brown, Mrs.Willard, 105 
 Brown, "Scotch", 39 
 Brush Hill, 27-45-53-55 
 Buckhorn Tavern, 31-32 
 Bulat, Edmund P., 134 
 Bulat, Theofil T., 87-88- 
 
 96-134 
 Bull's Head Tavern, 45 
 Butcher, Thomas, 39 
 
 Caldwell, Billy, 22-26 
 
 California, 33 
 
 Campbell, Miss M. , 121 
 
 Canada, 14 
 
 Carpenter, H., 55 
 
 Carrington, Henry, 39 
 
 Carrington, Wm. , 39 
 
 Catherine Mitchell Pond, 21- 
 22 
 
 Catherine, Sister Mary, 122 
 
 Cermak Park, 76-84 
 
 Chamber of Commerce, Lyons, 48 
 
 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 
 Railroad, 52-53 
 
 Chicago Historical Society, 
 30 
 
 Chicago, Illinois, 11-26-30- 
 31-33-39-40-43-45-50-52- 
 54-55-57-59-66-76-119 
 
 Chicago Portage, 13-16-23- 
 28-30-33 
 
 Chicago River, 12-15 
 
 Chicago Tribune, 31 
 
 Chicago Tuberculosis Insti- 
 tute (C.T.I.), 103-104- 
 107 
 
 Chicago & West Towns Trolley, 
 81 
 
 137 
 
Chippewa, 11 
 
 Clark, George Rodgers, 17 
 
 Cook County Forest Preserve 
 
 District, 12-22-30-64- 
 
 78-84 
 Christ, Dr. C.A. , 118 
 Cicero, Illinois, 76-82 
 Civil War, 40 
 Clam Bake, 70-71-73 
 Collins, Thomas, 59-62-87-115 
 Condon, Joseph L., 99 
 Conrad, Joseph, 64 
 Cook, Isaac, 40 
 Cooper, Lucy, 109 
 Costello, J.W. , 118 
 Costello School, 117-118 
 Cream City, 73-74-75-76 
 Crusius, Valerius, 126 
 
 Darnstadt, Herman, 124 
 
 Darnstadt, Mrs.R., 134 
 
 Deane, Shirley, 81 
 
 Deike, Marvel, 82 
 
 Demski, Stanley, 134 
 
 Des Plaines River, 11-12-25- 
 
 26-27-28-30-31-40-46-48- 
 
 55-57-66-78-81-82-87 
 Des Plaines Valley Mosquito 
 
 Abatement, 66 
 d'lberville, Charles, 18 
 Diersen, A.O., 111 
 Dilli, Steve, 91 
 Dobert, August, 59 
 Doty, Catherine, 40 
 Doty, Theodorus, 40-41-45-46- 
 
 99-115 
 Downers Grove, 111., 53-55 
 Drevny, Joseph, 64 
 Dunbar, Dixie, 81 
 DuPage County, 55 
 
 Eberthouser, E., 121 
 
 Egan, Dr.Wm.B., 46 
 
 Elgin, Illinois, 52 
 
 Elm School, 117-118 
 
 Emil Scheive Post No. 699, 84 
 
 Erickson, Edith, 107 
 Evans, Joseph, 39 
 
 Faradeau, Mrs., 38 
 
 Fassbinder, Rev.R., 121 
 
 Fiedler, Joseph, 82 
 
 Fenski, Mrs. E., 105 
 
 Fire & Police Commissioners 
 Board, 87 
 
 Fire Dept., Lyons, 61-87- 
 91-92 
 
 Fitzgerald, J., 95 
 
 Flaherty, T., 37-38 
 
 Fleer, Herman, 126 
 
 Foley, Bishop, 119 
 
 Forbes, Stephen, 39-46 
 
 Forest Preserve District, 
 Cook County, 12-22-30- 
 64-78-84 
 
 Fort Dearborn, 11-19-23-31 
 
 Fort St. Louis, 16-17 
 
 Fortnightly Club of River- 
 side, 103-107 
 
 Fox, Dr. George M. , 37-46-47 
 48-60-119 
 
 Fox, Harriet, 37 
 
 Fox Indians, 11 
 
 Fox, Mary F., 37 
 
 Fox River, 53 
 
 Frimmersdorf , George, 59-88 
 
 Frontenac, Comte de, 14-15 
 
 Fuller, Benjamin, 55 
 
 Fullersburg, 111., 45 
 
 Fur Trading, 15-16 
 
 Gable, Clark, 81 
 Gabriel, N.E., 101 
 Gage, David A., 63 
 Galena & Chicago Union Rail- 
 road, 52 
 Garbutt, William, 101 
 Gatz, Julius, 50 
 Gentile, Joseph, 88 
 Giesler, Christ, 124 
 Goettler, Mrs.Arthur, 113 
 Gold Rush, 33 
 
 138 
 
Goldbeck, George, 134 
 
 Goodhardt, Ike, 72 
 
 Government, U.S., 25 
 
 Grafton, Illinois, 12 
 
 Graunke, Paul A., Ill 
 
 Gray, Frederick, 55 
 
 Great Plains, 25 
 
 Great Plains Indians, 11 
 
 Green Bay Portage, 16-23 
 
 Green Bay Trail, 28 
 
 Green Bay, Wisconsin, 14-15- 
 
 27 
 Gregg, Elizabeth, 37 
 Grosse, F. , 126 
 Grosse, Mrs. F., 105 
 Gulf of Mexico, 14 
 
 Haefele, Theophil, 126 
 Haley, Augustus, 118 
 H Hardscrabble M , 15-25 
 Harlem Avenue, 27 
 Harrison, General M Tippecanoe", 
 
 33 
 Hartman, James, 113-133 
 Hartwig, Mr .&Mrs.E. J. , 133 
 Heacock, Russell E., 37 
 Health Center, Lyons, 103- 
 
 105-107-108-109-110 
 Heinz Company, The, 84 
 Hildebrandt, Rev. H., 126 
 Hillside, Illinois, 128 
 Hlvaka, John R., 81-82-88 
 Hobart, G. J., 102 
 Hofmann, Alves, 41 
 Hofmann Brothers Brewing 
 
 Company, 41 
 Hofmann, Catherine, 41 
 Hofmann Dam, 67-87 
 Hofmann, Dorothy, 41 
 Hofmann, Elizabeth, 41 
 Hofmann, Frank, 41-66 
 Hofmann, George, Sr., 40-41 
 Hofmann, George, Jr., 41-43 
 
 66-67-68-69-70-133 
 Hofmann, Jack, 41 
 
 Hofmann, John, Sr., 40-119 
 Hofmann, John, Jr., 41 
 Hofmann, John, 41-50-87-88-134 
 Hofmann, Mrs. John, 134 
 Hofmann, Mamie, 41 
 Hofmann, Margaret, 41 
 Hofmann, Marion, 101 
 Hofmann, Martin, 41 
 Hofmann, Mary, 41 
 Hofmann, Minnie Gatz, 41- 
 
 50-134 
 Hofmann, Shirley, 41 
 Hofmann Tower, 38-42-86 
 Hofmann, Valentine, 40-41- 
 
 43-70 
 Hofmann, Virginia, 41 
 Hofmann, William, 41 
 Horgan, Elizabeth, 107 
 Hosman, Henry, 101 
 Homan, Ralph, 101 
 Hotel D'Lyon, 38 
 Hruby, Joseph, 102 
 Hudson 1 s Bay Company, 17 
 Huizinga, Dick, 95-96 
 
 Illinois-Michigan Canal, 15- 
 
 20-27 
 Illinois River, 12-27 
 Indian Ford (Riverside Ford), 
 
 28 
 Indian Gardens, 12 
 Indiana, 33 
 
 Ingalls, Dr. Beryl, 104-111 
 Iowa, 25 
 Iroquois Indians, 11-17 
 
 Jackson, President Andrew, 20 
 
 Jassoy, John, 55 
 
 Jay, John, 39 
 
 Johnannes, Pastor P., 128 
 
 Johnson, President Andrew, 52 
 
 Joliet, Illinois, 63 
 
 Joliet, Louis, 14 
 
 Kickapoo Indians, 11 
 
 139 
 
Killips, John, 101-134 
 Killips, Lela Bentgen, 99 
 Klug, Otto A., 84-88-134 
 Knox, Mrs. J., 105 
 Konrad, Teador Jozef, 64 
 Kosciusko, 63 
 Kovar, Mr., 101 
 Krause, John, 126 
 Krecek, James A., 102 
 Krohne, Frederick H. , 126- 
 
 127-134 
 Kryl, Bohumil, 76 
 Kulhavy, Emil F., 101 
 
 Laatz, Rev.Willard C, 130 
 Labush, Marion, 101 
 Ladwig, Pastor, 130 
 LaFramboise, 22 
 LaGrange, Illinois, 37-119 
 Lake Erie, 15 
 Lake Michigan, 12-15-53 
 Lamb, Father, 119-124 
 Landa, Grace, 101 
 Lange, Charles, 124 
 LaSalle, Robert Cavalier 
 
 de, 16 
 Laughton, Bernardus, 25-31 
 Laughton, David, 25-26-31 
 Laughton Ford, 28-29-30 
 Laughton Trading House, 29- 
 
 30-64 
 Lenzi, Modes ta, 104 
 Leonhardt, Kate, 70-71-77- 
 
 103-104-105-110-134 
 Leonhardt, Louis, 43-59-70 
 Leonhardt, Robert, 134 
 Library, Lyons, 111-112-113 
 Lienhardt, George, 126 
 Lions Club, Lyons, 84-97 
 Lisle, Illinois, 53 
 Little, Agnes M. , 34 
 Lobe Wrecking Company, 76 
 Location Of The Chicago Port 
 
 age Of The Seventeenth 
 
 Century, The (Knight & 
 
 Zeuch) , 15 
 
 Louis XIV, King of France, 16 
 Louisiana Purchase, 19 
 Ludington, Michigan, 15 
 Luedeke, Rev. F.A., 124-126 
 Lund's Tavern, 39 
 Ly on , Fr an ce , 14 
 Lyons Gazette, 105 
 Lyons Herald, 78 
 Lyons Monitor, 83 
 Lyons Station, 56-99 
 Lyons Tavern, 41 
 Lyons Township, 33-99 
 Lyonsville Cemetery, 34 
 
 McBride, Mr., 64 
 
 McCook, Illinois, 103-104 
 
 McGuredale,Miss, 109 
 
 McLintock, James, 39 
 
 McLintock, Wilson, 39 
 .MacDonald, Jeannette, 81 
 
 Machan, Charles, 134 
 
 Mackinac Island, 15 
 
 Mackinac Fur Trading Co., 17 
 
 Mahler, Mrs. Fred, 105 
 
 Mangam's Chateau, 41-70 
 
 Mann, Roberts, 134 
 
 Manheim Road, 34 
 
 Marchelya, Dr., 107 
 
 Mariott, Mr., 64 
 
 Marquette, Father Jacques, 14 
 
 Mars, Samuel, 39 
 
 Martin, George, 55 
 
 Master, Fred 
 
 Metz, Adam, 50 
 
 Metz, Mrs. Adam, 105 
 
 Metz, Henry, 12-134 
 
 Metz, Joseph, 91 
 
 Metz, Nick, 66 
 
 Meyer, Anna, 99 
 
 Meyer, Pastor Carl, 128 
 
 Meyer, Leo P., Ill 
 
 Meyer, Nick, 99 
 
 Miami Indians, 11 
 
 Mill, 47-60-64 
 
 Miller, Edna, 118 
 *Machala, Judge Frank 
 
 140 
 
Mississippi River, 12-14-25 
 
 Mitch, George, 95 
 
 Mitch, Mrs. 109 
 
 Mitch, Ruth Ingalls, 111 
 
 Moody, Frank, 88 
 
 Moody, Leland, 63 
 
 Morton High School, J. 
 
 Sterling, 82 
 Mud Lake, 12-19-27 
 Mueller, Adolph, 48 
 Mueller, Henry, 48 
 Mueller, Rudolph, 48 
 Mueller's Brewery, 48-49-50- 
 
 52-64 
 Muir, Jean, 81 
 Murphy, Rev. J.B., 121 
 Murray, Rev. C.J., 121-122-134 
 
 Nagle, Mrs., 134 
 
 Naper, John, 27-55 
 
 Naper, Joseph, 27-55 
 
 Naperville Road, 27-45 
 
 Naperville, Illinois, 37-53- 
 55-119 
 
 Neher, Elizabeth, 52 
 
 Neher Family, 29 
 
 Neher, Frank Sr. , 52 
 
 Neher, Frank Jr., 52 
 
 Neher, Mrs. Frank Jr. (Grand- 
 ma), 50-52-115-134 
 
 Neher, George, 59-88-99-101- 
 115 
 
 Neher f s Tavern, 50-51-76-79 
 
 Neher, Walter, 52-134 
 
 Neher, Mrs. Walter, 134 
 
 Nelson, Mrs. Florence, 105 
 
 Nelson, 0. H. , 88-111 
 
 New Hampshire, 34 
 
 New York, 33 
 
 Nickel, Pastor Martin, 130 
 
 Niemand, William Sr., 124 
 
 Noeller, Herman, 126 
 
 North, Mr., 115 
 
 Northwest Fur Trading Co., 17 
 
 Northwest Territory, 11-18 
 
 Oestreicher, Mrs. B., 118 
 Ogden Avenue Trail, 27-28- 
 
 32-63 
 Ogden Street Railway Co., 62 
 Olson, Eric, 88 
 O'Neil, C, 95 
 Ordinance of Virginia, 18 
 Oswego, Illinois, 46 
 Ottawa, Illinois, 39 
 Ottawa Indians, 11-64 
 Ottawa Trails, 30-64 
 
 Pabst, Mrs. T., 118 
 
 "Palmer House 11 , 38 
 
 Pankey, Alex, 133 
 
 Parchman, Robt. N. , 88 
 
 Peoria, Illinois, 18-19 
 
 Permanent Indian Frontier, 25 
 
 Pesch, Mrs. S., 134 
 
 Persian, Phillip, 91 
 
 Pershing, Oscar, 48 
 
 Peter Fox Brewing Co., 41 
 
 Petrowsky, B. E., 130-134 
 
 Pioneers, 25-26 
 
 Plainfield Road, 31 
 
 Plan Commission, Lyons, 87 
 
 Plos, Bohumil, 101 
 
 Police Department, Lyons, 
 87-95 
 
 Polk, Edmund R. (1776-1859) 
 33-37 
 
 Polk, Edmund R., 34 
 
 Polk, Henry H., 33 
 
 Polk, James, 33 
 
 Polk, Margaret, 33 
 
 Polk, Wesley, 33-34 
 
 Polk, William, 33 
 
 Polk, Wilson, 33 
 
 Popular Motion Picture Pro- 
 duction Co. of Chicago, 79 
 
 Portage, Chicago, 13-16-28- 
 30-33 
 
 Portage Creek, 22-27-30 
 
 Portage Road, 27-28-29-63 
 
 Post Office, Lyons, 56-99- 
 100-101-102 
 
 141 
 
Potokar, Mrs. Martin, 37-134 
 Pottawatomi Indians, 11-26 
 Prescott, Amelia, 62 
 Prescott, Colonel, 63 
 Prince, Victor, 82 
 Pulaski, Count Casimir, 63- 
 
 64 
 Pszczola, Adam, 134 
 Pszczola, John, 134 
 
 Quebec, 14-15 
 
 Radke, August, 124 
 Revolutionery War, 17-64 
 Riverside Depot, 99-101 
 Riverside Ford (Indian Ford), 
 
 28 
 Riverside, Illinois, 12-26- 
 
 28-31-41-48-62-79-103-115- 
 
 119-121 
 Riverside Lawn, Illinois, 103 
 Riverview Park, 73 
 Robinson, Alexander, 22-26 
 Rochpwiak, John, 134 
 Rose, Mr., 64 
 Route 66, 27-34-63-64 
 Rubin, Mr. , 76 
 Runick, C. F. , 95 
 Russell, Col. J. F. , 22 
 Ryan, J. B., 115 
 Ryan, Tim, 66 
 
 St. Hugh Church, 119-120-121- 
 
 122 
 St. Ignace, 14 
 
 St. John Church, 122-124-125 
 St. Joseph-Kankakee River 
 
 Portage, 16-23 
 St. Lawrence River, 14 
 Saint Louis, Father, 119 
 St. Mary's Church, 119-120-124 
 Sac Indians, 11 
 Sachs, Mrs. T., 105 
 Sackett, Joshua, 39 
 Salisbury, Dr.Ackland, 36-63 
 
 Salisbury, Helen, 36 
 Salt Creek, 12 
 Schiefelbein, Mrs, C, 105 
 Schiefelbein, Robert, 82 
 Schluetter, Dr. R. , 103- 
 
 104-105 
 Schmidt, Herman, 124 
 Schort, Pastor J., 128 
 Schreck, John, 124 
 Schroeder, Rev. R.E., 126 
 Schultz, Fred, 36-59-73-115 
 Schultz, Vern, 130 
 Scott, Mr., 30 
 Settecase, Mr., 103 
 Shabbona, Chief, 26 
 Sharenberg, Mrs. H., 105 
 Sherman, F. T., 55 
 Shure, Millie, 101 
 Skinner, S. M. , 55 
 Sleight, Morris, 55 
 Smith, Charles H., 64-88 
 Smith, Wm. A., 88 
 Smith, Wm. G. , 64-88-134 
 Sordell, Rev. Eugene, 121 
 Southwestern Plank Road, 
 
 45-52 
 Spaude, Pastor C. F. , 130-134 
 Spolar, James, 93 
 Srotir, Joseph, 101 
 Stan, Mrs. D., 109 
 Starved Rock, 16 
 Stednitz, Mrs. Elsie, 111- 
 
 133 
 Stedronsky, Father Joseph, 
 
 121 
 Stickney, Illinois, 103 
 Stoney Ford, 28-64 
 Storrs, Ellen, 115 
 Strebing, August, 124 
 Stubbings, Maud, 111-134 
 Stubbings, Mrs., 50 
 Stupka, George J., Ill 
 Sullivan, John L., 43 
 Summit Ford, 28 
 Summit, Illinois, 28-41-115- 
 
 119-128 
 
 142 
 
Svaboda, James, 96 
 Swanson, Gloria, 79 
 Sweitzer, A. W., 134 
 Swift, S. T. , 55 
 Szumski, Frank Jr., 101 
 
 Talley-Ho, 72-73 
 Thode, Mr .6eMr s.Elmer, 134 
 deTonty, Henry, 16 
 Tracy, Spencer, 81 
 Treaty of Greenville, 19 
 Treaty of Paris, 18 
 
 United States, 50 
 
 Van Horn, Mrs., 124 
 Venturi, Rev. Andrew, 119 
 Veterans of Foreign Wars, 84 
 Veterans of Lyons, 84 
 Vial, Joseph, 39 
 Victory Gardens, 85 
 Village Hall, Lyons, 65-66- 
 
 95-96-105-109-111 
 VonLungershausen, Wm. , 124 
 Vydra, Henry, 101 
 
 Walinski, Ted, 96 
 Waller, Mrs. Emma, 134 
 War of 1812, 19-33 
 Washington, George, 17-115 
 Washington School, 115-116- 
 
 118 
 Water Works System, Lyons, 
 
 64-84-87-92 
 Wentworth, Elijah, 31-39 
 Whalen, Michael, 81 
 White, Bessie, 37 
 White City, 76 
 White, Charles, 43 
 White, Dorothy, 37 
 White, Eugene, 37-134 
 White, Evelyn, 37 
 White, Frank L., 37-64-88-134 
 White, George, 36-37 
 White, Glen, 36-37 
 Wayne, Gen. Anthony Meridith, 
 
 White, Harriet, 37 
 
 White, Hazel May, 37 
 
 White, Helen, 37 
 
 White, John Clarence, 37-63 
 
 White, John, 37-134 
 
 White, Laura Elizabeth, 36- 
 
 37-134 
 White, Laura Moody, 63 
 White, Leland ("Docky"), 37 
 White, Ralph Clarence, 36-37 
 White, Stephen, 30-34-35-36- 
 
 37-39-46-55-59-63-99 
 Wilden, Henrietta, 115 
 Winnebago Indians, 11 
 Wisconsin, 25 
 Witt, Colonel, 39 
 World War II, 85 
 Wright, Jas. G., 55 
 Wroga, Frank, 96 
 
 Yohnke, Miss Tracy, 109 
 Yorkshire Tavern, 40-41 
 
 Zion Church, 115-128-129-130 
 Zimmerman, Chris, 59 
 Zucker, Pastor P., 128 
 
 19 
 
 143