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A memorable night, a splendid centennial
On Friday, October 15 at the historic Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, 43 Illinois businesses and not-for-profit organizations were welcomed into the Illinois State Historical Society's Centennial fold. A year in the planning, the event began with a social hour in the mezzanine followed by dinner in the elegant Empire Room. Centennial awardees and their guests dined on filet mignon and grilled chicken breast, along with spectacular side dishes and a chocolate mousse dessert that only the Palmer House kitchen could prepare. In addition to this year's Centennial Awards, special awards were presented to five noteworthy Illinois individuals, businesses, and institutions. The Society's Distinguished Service Award went to the LaSalle Bank and was accepted by bank President and CEO Norman Bobins; publisher John H. Johnson, founder and CEO of Johnson Publishing Company, received the Lifetime Achievement Award; television pioneer Harry Volkman, recently retired Weatherman for FOX-Chicago, received the Jack Brickhouse Excellence in Communications Award; and Secretary of State Jesse White (and Illinois' state librarian) received the Illinois Heritage Award on behalf of the state's Carnegie libraries, of which more than 80 are still in operation.
On hand to present the Centennial Awards were long-time Centennial supporters Jack Taylor and Pat Brickhouse, with Centennial Award Committee Chair Norman Berger serving as master of ceremonies for the evening. Since 1984 more than 1,100 Illinois corporations have become Centennial honorees, ranging from the Chicago White Sox and the AMEREN-Corporation to the Auburn Citizen newspaper and Yorkville National Bank. Centennial Award recipients receive a complimentary dinner at the historic Palmer House, a one-year free membership in the Society, and take home a handsome Centennial Award plaque inscribed by the Governor and ISHS President David Scott. Use of the Society's Centennial Awards logo is available to all Centennial Award recipients who keep their membership active. Corporate contributors to this year's Award Program were: LaSalle Bank, the Edward Fox Studio, Pullman Bank, and Spengel-Boulanger Funeral Home. Individual contributors were Alfred Klairmont, Elaine Egdorf, Scott Lesser, and Norman Berger. For more information about the awards, the winners, and the Illinois State Historical Society, call 217-525-2781, or visit the Society's website at www.historyillinois. org. Illinois Heritage| 21
Centennial Business Profiles —————————— Founded on November 1, 1904, and incorporated in Chicago the following month, the Aldon Company of Waukegan will soon enter its second century of business. Established as a national supply company selling cast-steel car replacers, Aldon has become a leader in manufacturing and distributing of railroad maintenance and safety products. Today Aldon Company is known throughout North America for its railroad wheel chocks, wheel blocks, and trailer jacks. Accepting the Centennial Award for Aldon Company Incorporated was company president Joseph R. Ornig. Art Resources in Teaching (formerly the Chicago Public School Art Society) has operated continuously since it was founded by Ellen Gates Starr on April 16, 1894. Incorporated as an Illinois not-for-profit in 1900, this Centennial organization continues to fulfill its mission of teaching Chicago students through the visual arts, sponsoring scholarships, art residencies, and docent programs. For more than a century it has answered its charge of "building children's capacity for creative thinking." Accepting the award for Art Resources in Teaching was Executive Director Jeanne F. Becker. The Aurora Public Library was established on June 13, 1881. Originally located in the Grand Army of the Republic's hall, the library received a new life and home on August 22, 1904, when it moved into Aurora's brand new Carnegie Library. In 1969, the library was completely refurbished and remodeled, including the addition of a new facade and two three-story wings. But much of the original Carnegie structure remains in use, including the original metal book stacks and decorative bronze plates. Accepting the award for the Aurora Public Library was Assistant Director Kevin Davis. In 1897, Dr. William Smith acted on his then-unorthodox belief that disabled people had the capacity and God-given right to achieve their potential as individuals. With a $7,200 loan from an Alton Bank, he 22 |Illinois Heritage bought 120 acres in rural Godfrey and established Beverly Farm. In ten years his common-sense prescription of loving care, good diet, and better medicine earned Beverly Farm a gold medal at the St. Louis World Fair. Today, Beverly Farm's doors are open wider than ever for the mentally and developmentally disabled, ably carrying on the mission and vision of Dr. Smith. Accepting for Beverly Farm Foundation was Edwin Miller.
Brown, Hay & Stephens, LLP, is ten years younger than the state of Illinois. The firm was founded in Springfield in 1828 by John Todd Stuart, who hired Abraham Lincoln to work for him from 1837 to 1841 and helped him get his license to practice law. Since the very beginning the firm has been engaged continuously in the representation of corporate and business entities, public institutions, and individuals in a diverse range of legal disciplines. In 1921 the practice's name was changed to Brown, Hay & Stephens. In 1993, Robert Stuart Jr. accepted a special award from the Illinois State Historical Society acknowledging Brown, Hay & Stephens as the oldest continuously operating business in Illinois. Accepting the award on the eve of the firm's 175 anniversary was Robert Stuart Jr. Hitzeman Funeral Home of Brookfield was established in Chicago in March 1904. Formerly a tailor, founder Frederick Hitzeman used his home as a chapel until 1922, when he built a two-story brick funeral parlor. Soon his son, Charles Hitzeman, became a partner in the business. Along the way the family acquired property in Brookfield, where they built a new funeral home in 1963. The Hitzemans continued to operate both funeral homes until 1976. Today Hitzeman Funeral Home is a limited corporation, owned by Charles T. Hitzeman and managed by his son and daughter-in-law, Todd and Susan Hitzeman. Accepting the award for this century-old, family-owned business were Todd and Charles Hitzeman. In October 1904, the Champaign Golf Club met with community leaders to establish a new country club. Within weeks more than 100 charter members came forward and the Champaign County Country Club was established. Today the Champaign Country Club serves more than 600 families within a 50-mile radius of Champaign and boasts a state-of-the-art, 36,500 square-foot clubhouse, 18-hole golf course, lighted tennis courts, and much more. It has truly provided a "century of tradition" for its community. Accepting the award for the Champaign Country Club was Dr. Robert McColley.
The First National Bank of Mulberry Grove was founded on June 16, 1904, with a capital stock of $25,000 and twelve stockholders. During the bleak years of the Great Depression, the bank never closed its doors. In 1989, the Mulberry Bank was sold to
Family owned and operated since 1893, the H.J. Mohr and Sons Company of Oak Park began as a coal and building materials supplier for the Chicago suburbs. The founder, Henry J. Mohr, was the first mayor of Forest Park and the last mayor of Harlem. After Henry's death in 1957, his son Carl took over operation of the business, focusing on the ready-mix concrete market, which has brought the company solidly into the 21st Century. For four generations and 111 years the company has occupied the same location, building upon the promise and vision of its founder. Accepting for H. J. Mohr and Sons was office manager Marlene Mohr. The First National Bank of Blue Island was organized as a private financial institution in 1896. It became a state bank in 1905 and a national repository in 1925. In 1946, the Bank of Homewood opened, the first of many affiliate Blue Island lending institutions in the Chicago Southland area. The bank has grown exponentially ever since, expanding customer services, developing regional markets, and broadening its investments. In 2001, the First National Bank of Blue Island and Bank of Homewood officially changed their names to Great Lakes Bank—but the 100-year tradition of providing exceptional banking makes Great Lakes the Bank of Choice for Chicago Southland. Accepting the award for Great Lakes Bank was President Roland T. Shropshire. On June 16 , 1892, Mr. Morris Frisch officially put out his lawyer's shingle. Thirty years later the Cook County attorney was joined in the practice by his son, Sydney Frisch Sr. The firm specialized in Mechanics Lien Law and in 1926 moved to Suite 1500, 134 N. LaSalle Street Illinois Heritage| 23 In the heart of Chicago's business district. When Sidney Frisch Jr. joined the firm in 1966, the father and son team became Frisch & Frisch Attorneys at Law, and later, Frisch & Frisch Chartered. Today the firm's practice is Corporate and Real Estate Law, and its many clients include Weber-Stevens Products and Kroeschell, Inc. Accepting for Frisch and Frisch Chartered was Sidney Frisch Jr. and his daughters, Lauren and Michelle. Public library services began in Jacksonville in 1889 with the passage of the first city tax levy to support a library. Over the next 14 years the library was housed in various locations until February 23, 1903, when the brand new Carnegie library opened to the public. Philanthropist Carnegie donated $40,000 for the construction of the library, which was constructed of Cleveland sandstone. Over the years the library has seen numerous renovations, but the chiseled Corinthian columns, Doric pillars, and solid classic architecture of the original structure still grace the Jacksonville cultural landscape. Accepting for the Jacksonville Public Library was Adult Services Library Chris Ashmore.
The MacCormac School of Business opened its doors on |uly 7, 1904. The founders, Dr. Morton C. MacCormac and his wife Mary, offered their first classes at the Woodlawn National Bank Building in Hyde Park. Courses included business mathematics, English, bookkeeping, typewriting, shorthand, and penmanship. In 1912, the College added court-reporting to the curriculum; today MacCormac is the oldest court-reporting college in the nation. MacCormac Colleges Chicago campus is now located in the historic Heyworth Building, where it continues to offer educational excellence and to prepare students for the demanding needs of America's marketplace. Accepting for MacCormac College was Dr. Leo Loughhead, President. The first meeting of the Morgan County Historical Society took place on November 18, 1904, in the Jacksonville Public Library. The Society's was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization charged with preserving and sharing the history of Jacksonville and Morgan County, as well as the history of nearby Scott and Cass counties. The heritage includes significant sites on the Underground Railroad, the Illinois schools for the blind and deaf, Illinois and MacMurray colleges, and much, much more. Today the Morgan County Historical Society is remodeling Jacksonville's historic post office as a museum, where it will continue its mission into the next century. Accepting for the Morgan County Historical Society was Society President Bob Sibert.
For the past 61 years, Peter Jakstas has owned and operated the jewel of Fox Lake the Mineola Hotel and Restaurant. He bought the business in 1943 from the I low ard family, which had managed Howard's Mineola Hotel since 1900. The hotel, which was built as a private clubhouse in 1884 and placed on the National Register of 1 listorie Places in 1979, has been in continuous operation for 120 years, catering to the recreational needs of thousands of visitors each year to Mineola Bay. Accepting the award for Mineola Hotel and Restaurant was owner Peter Jakstas. For the past MTL Insurance Company, formerly Mutual Trust Life Insurance Company, is one of the 100 oldest life insurance companies in America. Established in 1904 as the Scandia Life Insurance Company, today the business has more than $1 billion in assets and more than $5 billion of insurance in force. Headquartered in Oak Brook, MTL Insurance is licensed in 46 states and the District of Columbia, with more than 275 sales and service offices throughout the nation. For a century MTL has provided superior service and excellent products to meet its clients'varied financial goals. Here to commemorate MTL Insurance Company's outstanding history of professional sendee was CEO Gary Eisenbarth. Nelson Westerberg Incorporated of Elk Grove Village was founded in Chicago in September 1904. Oscar Westerberg and his partner, Fred Nelson started their 24 |Illinois Heritage
coal and general hauling business under the name Nelson and Westerberg Company and bought their first 3-horse-hitch van in their second year of operation. Today the company is the largest moving and storage firm in Illinois and one of the largest corporate movers in the nation, with offices in Atlanta, Dallas, and New Jersey. Now in its fourth generation of ownership by the Westerberg family, the company is moving proudly into its second century. Accepting the award for Nelson Westerberg Inc. was vice president for marketing and quality control, Steven Westerberg. Jens Andreas Paasche immigrated to the United States from Norway in 1900 on a dare. A gunsmith by trade, he worked for an airbrush company and eventually opened his own business with his brother—
Today the company operates in Harwood Heights and is run by Jens Paasche's grandson, John Petterson. And now great-grandsons Brian and Steven Petterson are learning the business. Accepting for Paasche Airbrush Company was John Petterson. Presbyterian Homes, a continuing-care retirement community based in Evanston, was founded on April 21, 1904. An Illinois not-for-profit corporation with a national reputation for excellence, Presbyterian Homes was established on one principal: That older adults can flourish in communities built on dignity and personal and spiritual growth. Today Presbyterian Homes operates in the communities of Arlington Heights, Lake Forest, Chicago, and Evanston, embodying the values of the Christian tradition for persons of all faiths and needs. Accepting the award for Presbyterian Homes was Vice President for Sales and Marketing, Robert Werdan. Opening night at Ravinia Park on August 15, 1904, was something to remember. Billed as "the most beautiful and complete amusement place in the west," Ravinia featured "high class vaudeville" entertainment and band concerts every afternoon and evening, followed by an "electric fountain display." But kitsch quickly became culture as the Ravinia Festival grew in stature and reputation around the nation. Today the Festival attracts 600,000 people to the park every summer to hear the greatest artists in the world perform the greatest music on the planet. North America's oldest music festival lives and thrives in Highland Park, Illinois. Accepting the award for Ravinia Festival was president and CEO Welz Kauffman. In 1896, four Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart arrived in Chicago with the task of operating a small hospital above a bakery on South Halsted Street. A year later their enterprise had outgrown its space and the cornerstone for a new hospital, Saint Anthony, was laid. The hospital provided service to thousands of Polish, German, and Bohemian immigrants. In 1919, Saint Anthony opened its own nursing school. As the community grew, so did Saint Anthony. Today it serves a multi-cultural population, providing state-of-the-art care with timeless compassion. Accepting the award for Saint Anthony Hospital was Chief Operating Officer Gwenn Rausch. In 1903, Father Bernard Murray of Chicago's St. Bernard Church asked the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph in Kingston, Canada, to help establish a hospital in the Englewood Community. Seven sisters responded to the call and 1904 the foundation of St. Bernard Hotel Dieu (House of God) was established. In the early 1920s, a nursing school became part of the hospital's mission, and though it closed in 1976, more than 1,500 nurses were graduated to serve Chicagoland's growing population. Since the first brick was laid, St. Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center has grown with the city. More than 33,000 patients annually receive care in St. Bernard's emergency room. Today St. Bernard's employs 700 people and has a medical staff of 150. Accepting the award tonight for St. Bernard's Hospital and Health Care Center was Sister Elizabeth Van Straten. Founded in 1896 as the "Cosmopolitan Literary Club," the Woman's Club of Carbondale was organized to fill a cultural void in deep southern Illinois. The original eighteen members met in study groups to explore popular magazines, contemporary fiction, and current events. They included teachers from the Southern Illinois Normal University and woman from business and professional families. Today the organization's focus is still on increasing cultural awareness, but after 104 years the Woman's Club of Carbondale is itself a foundation of the community with a vibrant history of service. Accepting the award for the Woman's Club of Carbondale was Dorothy A. Ittner. Centennial profiles of the rest of the 2004 Centennial Award winners will be featured in forthcoming issues of Illinois Heritage. Illinois Heritage| 25 |
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