WUmettes 75th Anniversary 1872-1947WILMETTE LIFEA.which supplied all the villagers, un- T. Sherman Was Church,700 People Residedless the men of the families couldbe induced to carry packages ofCivicin Village Back infood stuffs from the city. and Fraternal Leader"Not until several years ago did1887 Writer Recallswe have a drug store. I well remem-Andrew Taylor Sherman, thirdHerber my first soda, a great innova-e is another description ofpresident of Wilmette and an earlytion, but it had no ice cream in it.early Wilmette as given by Mrs.justice of the peace in New TrierLorin"The post office was in Mr. Kin- A. (Esther Dunshee) Bower,township, was born in Sufiield,neys store, just a little room builtConn.1216 Ashland avenue, in her remin-, on September 1, 1821. Thein at the side well back, with aiscences.son of Charles and Jennet (Taylor)few boxes. Going for the mail wasSherman"When my father brought his fam-, he was the great grand-one of the daily occupations.ily to Wilmette in September, 1887,son of Roger Sherman, one of thethere were about 700 people in theRecalls Tragic Accidentsigners of the Declaration of Inde-village. There were three sections ofpendence"Where the Central hotel is now.the village somewhat built up. Whatoperating was a yard surroundedWhile a boy, Andrew T. Shermanmight be called the near west side,by a white picket fence, with awent to school for a time in Newwsmall cottage in the center, thenYork city, but completed his edu-Waess tetrhat part adjoining the Northn railway right of way, andoccupied by the station agent, hiscationI especially along Wilmette avenue, at the Baptist college atwife and little boy, who later cameSuffieldto Gross Point (Ridge road).. He was graduated at theto such a tragic end.age of 20 years."This was largely a community"On Christmas Eve they hadof German people and descendants,attended the entertainment at theIn 1841, he moved to Wisconsinexcept along Park avenue, betweenMethodist church. It was cold, snowyand engaged in farming in Geneseethat and the tracks, and a smalland windy. A train from the northtownship, Waukesha county, un+ilsettlement just starting in the north-scheduled to pass through Wilmette1850. He then went to California,west portion of the village.makina half hour earlier without stopping,g the trip by the way of thestruck and wiped out the entire fam-IsthmusBusiness on West Side.ily.Acciden"The business of the village wast on West Coast"Soon after we came to WilmetteWhildone on West Railroad avenue.e in San Francisco, Mr.Just opposite the North Western sta-the building at the northwest cornerShermanof West Railroad avenue (Green received an injury fromtion, which was then on the westBay road) and Wilmette avenue wasthe explosion of the boiler of aA. T. Shermanside of the railroad, in the buildingsteamererected, and Max Mueller (no rela-, which caused the amputa-v.hich has been moved one blocktion to Baptist Mueller so far as Ition of one of his legs.city until six months after the closenorth and is used as a freight house,ofknow) started his grocery store and hostilities.was Mr. Kinneys grocery store andSubsequently, he founded the bank-Baptist Muellers meat market,market, so that there was real com-ing house of A. T. Sherman andHe later served seven years inpetition for the trade of the village."company. However, foreseeing thethe office of the United States com-coming financial crisis of 1857, homissioner at Chicago and workedtrustee for three years and as vil-CABIN BECOMES HOTELpaid up all his debts and suspendedfor 27 years in the money-orderlage president from 1874 to 1875. InJoel C. Stebbins came to this re-banking.department of the Chicago post1865 he was the postmaster of thegion about 1840, and finding theoffice.Illinois House of Representatives.Antoine Ouilmette cabin vacant, heIn CivU WarHA member of the Independentoccupied it and operated the "GrosseHome Still Stands entered the army immediatelyOrder of Odd Fellows since 1851,Point hotel" there, as shown on anfollowing the bombardment of FjrtComing to Wilmette on April 1,SumterMr. Sherman had filled all theI early survey map of the Indian res-, and after serving through1871, Mr. Sherman made his homeMcClellanI chairs of Chicago Encampmentervation.s campaign he was em-at 1136 Greenleaf avenue. (TheployedNumber 10. He also had held theLater, Mr. Stebbins moved to in the State mustering andhouse is still standing.)disbursingposition of Deputy Grand Master ofhigher land, at the southwest corner departments at Spring-A member of the first villageIllinois. The Wilmette* order is| of Linden avenue and Sheridan road,field, 111. He continued in that capa-board. Mr. Sherman served asnamed in his honor.later known as Stebbins ridge, whereA society of the Congregationalhe built a cabin in which he ran adenomination was organized in histavern and sold groceries.h25 YEARSWoiulsmee ttsehortly after he moved toIn 1849, Mr. Stebbins went to Cali-, where he and his wifefornia with a party of about 30 men,were always active members. Heincluding Alexander McDaniel, andCONTINUOUSwas the first clerk and a DeaconJohn and William Foster. After ar-of the society here.riving there, Mr. Stebbins becameSERVICEMr. Sherman died in Chicago inseparated from the rest of the men1901.and was never heard from again.INWILMETTESTARTING ... in Wilmette in the early1920s, Leo (Mac) Menghinelli isstill in the Light Lunch business andserving the townspeople who havebecome his best friends in his quarterof a century in Wilmette.-ServingThe PopularBORDENSICE CREAMMACSUTILIZES FOREFATHERS HISTORIC DESK Seated at the deskwhich his great-great-great-grandfather, Roger Sherman, used to signthe Declaration of Independence is Roger A. Sherman. 1430 Lakeavenue. The portable desk was carried by the early American states-man, on his trips throughout the country. Besides his prominent rolein the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, Mr. Shermanalso helped to draw up the Articles of Confederation and ratifyLakthe Federal Constitution. Roger A. Sherman is a member, withe and Ridge AvenuesWilmetterank of sergeant, of the Wilmette Police department.