Chronology 1910-1919

1910 The English spelling of Niles Centre is abandoned. The Americanized version, Niles Center, is adopted. (Whittingham, op.cit., p. 5).

The Junior Maidens Society is formed. (Beaudette, op.cit., p. 31 / League of Women Voters of Skokie-Lincolnwood, op.cit., p. 17).

April George H. Klehm Mayor George H. Klehm Portrait, 1910 becomes President of the Village Board and has the all-night dram shops closed. (Sunday Life (Skokie),* sec. 1-A, January 17, 1971, p. 7 / (Whittingham, op.cit., p. 113).

August 29 A telephone company exchange is installed in Niles Centre at the home of Martha Kindt by the Chicago Telephone Company, which provided crank-type service with free calls to Morton Grove and Niles. / Life (Skokie)*, sec. 3, January 17, 1963, p. 78 / News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, p. 99 / "Skokie and the Telephone", Illinois Bell Telephone, Archives, Skokie Historical Society).

September - October A fire starts in the barn in the back of Jacob Melzer's saloon. It burns for thirty-six hours and destroys much of downtown Niles Center. The water used to douse the fire comes from the lagoon on Peter Blameuser's property located at the NE corner of Niles and Oakton Street. This event initiated the demand for a waterworks system. (Beaudette, op.cit., pp. 2, 14 / Evanston Press, September 10, 1910, p. 1 / League of Women Voters of Skokie-Lincolnwood, op.cit., p. 13) / Life (Skokie), sec. 3, January 17, 1963, p. 58/ News (Skokie), February 3, 1955, p. 100 / News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, p. 5 / Niles Center Press, September 8, 1933, p. 1 / Rosche, op.cit., pp. 8-9 / Villager*, June 26, 1958, p. 15 / Whittingham, op.cit., pp. 63 - 65).

1911 Tessville, present-day Lincolnwood, is incorporated as a village. (Beaudette, op.cit., p. 155 / News (Skokie), July 22, 1976, p. 19).

Farmer Fred Guelzow, member of the Cook County Truck Gardeners and Farmers Association, is murdered and his body is found on Lincoln Avenue. (Beaudette, op.cit., p. 70 ).

Niles Center Hotel Building Photograph, 1900s The Niles Center Hotel, started by Henry Harms in 1865, is destroyed by fire. (Life (Skokie)*, sec. 3, January 17, 1963, pp. 13, 78 / Rosemary Schmitt**, Skokie Historical Society: March 10, 1987).

The Northern Illinois Gas Company constructs a gas manufacturing and storage facility at McCormick and Oakton. (Life (Skokie)*, sec. 3, January 17, 1963, p. 36 / News (Skokie), November 15, 1962, p. 16).

St. Paul Lutheran Evangelical Church Photograph, circa 1900 St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church is built on Niles Center Road. (News (Skokie), February 3, 1955, p. 42).

1912 The Westmoreland Golf Club is established and contributes $1,100 for the grading of Harrison Street. (Beaudette, op.cit., p. 8 / Robertson, op.cit., p. 12).

1913 (July) Voters in all Niles Township School Districts vote to add a 9th grade to the curriculum. As District 69 has a vacant room, the Niles Center Public School is chosen to house the 9th grade for the Township schools. Each School District (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72 & 73) pays $120.00 per year to support the cost. Miss Josephine Brown is the first 9th-grade teacher at a salary of $90.00 per month. (Coninx, op.cit., p. 3).

December 1 The first mile of permanent paved road (concrete) in Cook County was dedicated on Church Street in Niles Center. (Life (Skokie)*, sec. 3, January 17, 1963, p. 73 / News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, p. 3 / Omnibus, Emerson, op.cit., p. 26).

George Landeck, Commissioner of the Westmoreland Drainage District, calls a public meeting to pass a $30,000 bond issue to correct bad roads. (Beaudette, op.cit., p. 8).

Memorial Park Cemetery is established. (Robertson, op.cit., p. 12).

St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church New Bell Tower Photograph, circa 1900 The roundup of horse thieves in Cook County begins. Up to this time, Cook County reputedly had more horses stolen than in all of Texas, Wyoming and the Dakotas combined. (Beaudette, op.cit., p.74) / Sunday Life (Skokie),* sec. 1-A, January 17, 1971, p. 7).

A violent storm tears down the corner of turret towers of the main bell tower of St. Peter's German Evangelical Lutheran Church. (Life (Skokie)*, sec. 3, January 17, 1963, p. 76 / News (Skokie), February 3, 1955, p. 40).

Illinois General Assembly grants women the right to vote for presidential electors. (Whitney, op.cit., p. 12).

1914 (August 15) The Panama Canal is opened to ship traffic. (Morris, op.cit., p. 298).

The Farmer's Market closes. (News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, pp. 3, 17*).

Burg Bridge was built on Oakton Street over the canal. (Beaudette, op.cit., p.8 / Rosche, op.cit., p. 8).

A scarlet fever epidemic closes the schools for two weeks. (Life (Skokie), sec. 3, January 17, 1963, p. 8).

1915 Construction of a plant to produce dynamite and TNT, the "world's largest powder factory," begins near Lincoln and Oakton. Outraged citizens forced it to move. (Life (Skokie), sec. 3, January 17, 1963, p. 22 / News (Skokie), February 3, 1955, p. 21 / News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, p. 11).

ca. 1915 Niles Center Theater is built. (Beaudette, op.cit., pp. 8, 28 / League of Women Voters of Skokie-Lincolnwood, op.cit., p. 15 / Skokie Historical Society Collection of unpublished letters, 1979?: June 3, 1980 / Whittingham, op.cit., p. 60).

Ivan Paroubek (photograph of Paroubek Harness Shop) establishes a bakery at 8101 Niles Center Road. (News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, p. 58).

Paroubek's Bakery Building Photograph, circa 1920

Census of school children in Niles Township, by district, is

District 1: 150
District 2: 137
District 3: 199
District 4: 150
District 5: 65

(Beaudette, op. cit., p. 87).

1916 The Village Board grants a franchise to the Chicago, Fox Lake and Northern Interurban Railroad to build east-west on Oakton Street. (Beaudette, op.cit., p. 5 / News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, p. 5 / Villager, July 3, 1958, p. 13).

The Niles Center State Bank moves into its new red brick building at 8001 Lincoln Avenue. (Archives, Skokie Historical Society).

Some community organizations existing in Niles Center:

Liederkranz Kornblume (German Singing Society)
Niles Center Woman's Organization
Harmony Card Club
Junior Maidens

(Beaudette, op.cit., p. 31).

Some businesses located in Niles Center:

Entertainment:

Albert Alf Buffet

Herman Egebrecht Buffet

Niles Center Theater

Flower growers:

Herbert Baumann

E. H. Blameuser (Invoice)

John C. Meier

Ludwig Schmitt

Stielow Brothers

Agricultural goods and services:

Henry W. Bruns (seeds)

M. M. Gabel (Invoice)

Gerhardt Brothers (Invoice)

Honemann and Baumhardt (blacksmith)

Edwin T. Klehm (seeds/general merchandise)

George Lohrmann (carpenter/contractor)

Stephen Losch and Son (tomato and lettuce boxes)

Niles Center Mercantile Co. (seeds/general merchandise)

George W. Mittelstaedt (farm/greenhouse boxes)

Joe Nellessen's Express (delivery)

Niles Center Coal and Building Material Company

August Ruhnke (carpenter/contractor)

Wenzel and Kante (mason/contractors)

General goods and services:

James E. Brunger (painter/decorator)

E. E. Cleland and Son (ice cream and sweet shop)

John P. Even (shoe repair/men's clothing)

Jacob Franz (tailor)

Rudolph W. Fruehe (poultry/eggs)

Frank J. Gabriel (carpenter/jobber)

Henry Heinz (auto dealership)

George H. Klehm (insurance)

Niles Center Electric Shoe Repair Shop

Niles Center State Bank

Niles Realty Company (insurance/real estate)

Paroubek's Bakery

John W. Rohde (painting/decorating)

Lorenz Schaub (liquor)

Charles August Schmitt (photographer)

August Siegel (cigar manufacturer)

Robert E. Siegel (barber)

Tess Brothers (grocery/market)

William Wickmann Dairy

(Beaudette, op.cit., p. 158).

1917 (April 6) The United States House of Representatives concurs in a Resolution declaring war on Germany, previously passed by the Senate on April 4. USA enters World War I. (Morris, op.cit., p. 309).

1917 Evanston Golf Club purchases land at 4401 Dempster Street. (Evanston Golf Club History)

1918 A typewriter was first used to record the minutes of the Village board meeting. (News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, p. 17).

1918 (November 11) World War I ends. (Niles Center celebration)

January This was the proposed date for the commencement of the Northwestern Interurban Street Car Railway, which never came to fruition. (Beaudette, op.cit., p. 5; Villager, July 3, 1958, p. 13).

1919 (January 29) The 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution, prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages is declared ratified. It will go into effect on January 16, 1920. (Morris, op.cit., p. 278).

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