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120WUmettes 75th Anniversary 1872-1947September 18, 1941Marshstruction during this survey men, they tended the care and, Mire BiggestMwacsprobably that of Alexander -lighting of about 100 oil lamps.CommunitAthenian OathyDaniel at the southwest cornerEvery family had one or more Worriesof Central and Wilmette ave-"We will never bring disgracelanterns to carry at night to lightnues12.to this our city, by any act ofthe way to social gatherings andin Earlier Times* * *dishonesty or cowardice, normeetings of importance. The ditchesItever desert our suffering com- is considered that the first twowere often full of water and a fallM(rContinued from page 1)houses built after the village wasrades in the ranks; we will fightfrom the walk might easily have. McDaniel was appointedfor the ideals and sacred thingsagenplatted were erected by Absalomserious results. On arriving at onest and treasurer and resi-dendestination after dark, it was atGedney. The one for himself isof the city, both alone and with manager of the property.simple matter to determine how*now the Flentye house at the south-many; we will revere and obey * #many had preceeded by counting theFromeast corner of Lake avenue andthe citys laws and do our best the proceeds of wood andEighth street. The one built for histo incite a like respect in thoselanterns on the porch23.cut timber and the sale of lots andbi other, Matthias, stood at theabove us who are prone to annulfrom any sums advanced by Mr.The matter of food supply also re-Dingeenortheast corner of Central avenueor set them at naught; we will, improvements were to bequired an adjustment by newcom-madeand Eighth street, and was laterstrive unceasingly to quicken, such as streets and high-ers. Fresh fruits and vegetableswaysmoved. The house occupied by thethe publics sense of civic duty;, ditches for surface drainage,were not carried in stock at Mr.I. R. Adkins family at 1112 Centralbridgesthus in all these ways we will, and sidewalks. The com-Kinneys store. There was no de-mittewas supposedly built by Absalomtransmit this city not only note later included Mr. Blodgett,mand. Every one had his own vege-MGedney at about this time.less, but greater, and moreWre.s teMrfcieDldaniel, S. M. Dingee, Mr.table garden and fruit trees., and Simon V. Kline.The Butz house, 802 Lake avenue,beautiful than it was transmittedMathiaFresh meat was sold by Baptists A. Gedney was appointedwas built for Amelia Glidden. Theto us."Mueller24, who slaughtered andto supervise the laying of the streets,main portion of the residence atbutchered the animals in the backditching, and the building ofthe southwest corner of Lake ave-bridgesit was the home of the Elmwoodyard of his butcher shop..nue and Eighth street, built about1871, was the home of Amos Shantz.Library association.19In season there was a plentifulMr* * ** * supply of wild fruit in the woods:. Blodgett suggested thenamAbout 1890 the first village hallcrab apple, plum, raspberry, wilde "Wilmette" from theJ. Melville BrownM, whophonetiwas erected, a frame buildinggrape, and choke cherry. And in thec spelling of the namecame to Wilmette in 1868 at theoon the irregular-shaped piece offall there was a harvest of butter-f the first white settler, An-age of five years, tells of hisproperty occupied by the pres-nut, hickory, and hazelnut.toine Ouilmette.first impression of the villageent structure. By 1910 the vil-*at that time. Mr. Brown is atA variety of wild life inhabited * *Mrthislage had outgrown the old writing honored as the old-the woods: raccoon, rabbits, squir-. Westerfield made the surveybuilding and it was sold toandest citizen of the original village. the platting*.Arels, an occasional wolf or fox.. C. Wolff who had it movedThe* * *Charles Pomeroy Westerfield spoke original Village of Wilmettewitto 625 Park avenue, where ith many of its additional sub-A small cabin, partially of logs,nowof frequently seeing deer in the serves as a private resi-divisions, was virtually hewn fromstood in a small clearing at thedence^1850s.. The new village hall,the virgin forest.southeast corner of Eleventh streetbuilt in 1910, was outgrown byThere was also the little white* * *and Central avenue. This structure1920. The question of remodel-striped fellow, fond of hen-houses,Almost every dwelling stoodwas afterward bought by theing was under discussion whenwho made himself known by hisin a little clearing of its own.Bockius family and remodeled. Thethe tornado of 1920 removed thewarning fragrance25.*original cabin was elevated to be- * *roof and made way for the ad-Thecome a portion of the present survey of the streets wasdition1 Wilmette did not have a harbor until of the second story2i.1908 and it has never been of commer-two-story structure.followed by the felling of treescial importance.to clear the way. The timber wasIt is legendary that this locationBoard walks on one side of the2 So little of importance was Wilmetteeithethat the railway provided no stationr sold outright or cut to cord-was at one time the site of an Istreet were laid where residentialwood length for a ready markets.Indian wigwam village. There islimprovement warranted and their3 She was the wife of Simon V. Kline.The streets were ditched on eachnothing to substantiate this exceptstructure was regulated by the* In 1869.side and the soil from the excava-the fact that a quantity of Indianamount of traffic they had to bear.5 Simon V. Kline sold a considerabletions was used to grade or crownarrowheads and other relics werePlankingamount of white oak to the railway for laid on stringers wasties.the road.found in the yard after the Bockius |sometimes eight to 10 inches above6 The old Green Bay trail is not to beSurface drainage was of utmostfamily took title. Nearby was onethe ground depending upon the high-confused with the present Green Bayimportance. From the slope atsmall white frame house, and thewater mark during the rainyroad. For the old trail, see the coverRidge road eastward, Wilmette ishouse at the northeast corner ofperiodsof this volume. The present Green Bay. Less frequented localitiesroad was so named simply for itsunderlaid by stratum of blue clayEleventh street and Central ave-had to be content with plankingeuphonious sound and becaveraging 24 feet or more in thick-tion, afterward owned by Frank L.nanuestke ait w&slaid lengthwise and held in placethe only name on which Wi, Kenil\ness and at a depth of three feetJoy".byworth, Wilmette, and Eyanston couldbeneath the surface in some local-* * *W cilrmosest-tties.agree. Green Bay road in Glencoe ise in the early days wasproperly so named.ities while at others it crops out.The first public building wasnoted for its variety of water. EveryAi Difficulties over property rights pre-t the lake bank, the clay lies atthe school house at Central ave-home had its well for drinkingvented Wilmette avenue from being cutan even greater depth. Duringnue and Tenth street^. ThisIthrough. Truncated, it eventually had to water and a cistern for rain water.periodsstart from Tenth street and Elmwood of frequent or long con-one-room structure was used forIn place of the cistern, rain-water(North) avenue.tinued rains the surface soil be-both school and church pur-barrels were placed beside the s Michigan avenue, Wilmette, is partcomes saturated and, as the waterposes, and as a social center ashouse to catch the flow of soft of the old Green Bay trail.cannot penetrate the blue clay,well as for public and politicalwate Originally called North avenue.r from the roof22.10 The village was platted only as farit remains on the surface.gatherings.* # *east as Division (Eighth) street. WhenWilmett* * ** * *From one pump came waterit was incorporated, however, it ran alle avenue is no doubt theThe first train service for Wil-onethe way to the lake. couldnt cook with, andoldest11 For old street names, see table else- street in the village. As anmette consisted of one train a dayfrom the other came water notancienwhere in this issue.t trail it diverted from theeach wayis. The baggage car car-suitable for washing-. There was12 Afterwards known as Dr. Childsold Green Bay trails somewhereried mail, express, baggage, and,lake water, plentiful but not al-house; a story of Mr. McDaniels activi-east of the present intersection? ofChestnuat times, freight. This service waswayties as postmaster appears elsewhere ins placid, and at times sur-t avenue and Sheridan road,this issue.the result of Mr. Blodgetts in-face water that flooded the13 still a resident of Wilmette. For hisits course swinging southwesterly,fluenced.abasements, where wash tubs,own recollections of those days, sees at present, then westward towhere* * *coal scuttles, and scrub pailselsewhere in this issue., beyond Ridge road, it bendsBy 1870 quite a change hadwerei* Later occupied by the eccentric conveniently secured toto the southward and again to theSiegrosser brothers, who filled it full ofwesttaken place. William H. Kin-take the place of stepping. As Glenview road it probablyold crates and boxes, and who let thecontinuedneys store on West Railroadstones.thick shrubbery grow up to hide most to the Des Plaines riverof the house. The building is now beingandavenue (now Green Bay road) beyond.was erected by then. Mr. Kin-*Wilmett* * *remodeled.e avenue west of the trackis See picture elsewhere in this volume. * *Lakney was at one time stationwas at times an impassable mire.is See also a time-table of the 1880se avenue had probably de-agent, express agent, store-in this volume.veloped into something of great-keeper, and, after Mr. Mc-WJil. mMetetelville Brown as a boy was!< The first depot, built by subscription,s first lamp lighter. Abouter breadth than a footpath fromDanielsburned and was replaced by a more resignation, postmaster.1875 there were 14 kerosene lampsJohnsubstantial one. This later was converted Westerfields west farm-He also served as villageset on the top of wooden posts. Theseto a freight house and moved to its pres-yard gate at Fourth street andtreasurer.Sheridanlamps lighted the streets of the vil-ent site just north of Central avenue. road. The short spur*is The building was moved to its pres- * *lage in the neighborhood of Centralfrom there northeast was theent location, 514 East Railroad avenue.If building permits were issuedand Wilmette avenues and the im-roadFor a time it was Gathercoals carpen- or lane leading throughat that early date, there is no recordproved locality close by. They hadter shop and is now the plumbing estab-the farm yard to the Greento be filled and tended every morn- lishment of William B. Lucke Inc.Bayof them to tell when the one-story trail which passed alongrambling structure was erectedning re-^^ libraing and lighted each eve^ history elsewhere in thisthe lake bank.where Lyman-Renneckars druggardless of weather.20 A photograph of the old village hall* * *storeappears elsewhere in this issue. now stands at the northwestThe center line of Elmwood ave-corner of Central and WilmetteTh21 At this writing the village hall hase demand for an additionalnueagain become too small. was the north boundary ofavenues. This all-purpose buildingstreet light called for lengthy22 Water wasnt piped in until the 90s.the reservation and the north limitsbecame the assembly hall. It servedodiscussion and deep considera-23 still later the streets were lightedf the original village. The westby gas. Wilmette got its present elec-for dances, entertainments, churchtion by the village board.limit of the village was Fifteenthtric street lighting system in 1925.services, and was also known asstreet * *2* Township collector (1879-1889), jus-. The south limit was the lineoLibrary hallis.fThe lighting system was later im- tice of the peace (1889-1891), and village Oakwood avenue and the eastThis building was replaced by alineproved by lamps that required filling ^Hulrrrf^cWpmunks and rabbits still was Eighth street", originallytwo-story structure known severallyonly once each week, and by aboutcalled run Wii<j in the village. So occasionally, Division streetn.as Arcanum hall, Assembly hall,1892 when the village had two police- do possums and skunks.* * *and as Library hall. As the latterThe first house under con-