Some time in the late 1800s or early 1900s, this young boy who was born in Schaumburg Township, would grow up and indulge himself by purchasing a camera. His name was Fred Pfingsten and his intent was to take photos of his family and farm. The catalyst for the purchase could, very well, have been his wedding to Emma Rohlwing that took place on September 3, 1903.
He most likely developed his photos on dry glass plate negatives. Oregon State University says “dry plate glass negatives were in common use between the 1880s and the late 1920s.” [Oregonstate.edu]
Imagine, though, the forethought that Mr. Pfingsten must have given to the purchase, considering that he “likely needed considerable chemical and technical knowledge, specialized darkroom materials and equipment, and a dedicated work space to develop [his] plates and print photographs.” [Texas State University]
Where in a farmhouse would Mr. Pfingsten have developed his photos? Chances are it was the basement, where he would have also been without electricity and heat. Even in remote Schaumburg Township where there was little ambient light, the basement was probably his first choice. Regardless of where he worked, it couldn’t have been an easy task to bring himself up to speed on the developing process.
While the library owns some of the Pfingsten photos outright, there are others that we were allowed to scan, compliments of the Pfingsten family. In addition, others were developed from some of the original glass plate negatives in 2012-2013 by students in the Conant High School Photography Club that was overseen by Linda Patino-Goergen.
These glass plate negatives were donated to Doug Flett of St. Peter Lutheran Church by Rev. Michael Pfingsten, a descendant of Fred Pfingsten. It was Mr. Flett’s diligence that caused him to seek out Conant High School. After the Photography Club finished their work with the negatives, they were then given to the library as the permanent repository.
Multiple photos were taken on the Pfingsten’s wedding day, which was a Thursday. In those days, most large weddings in the area took place on Thursdays. One of the reasons may have been that families did not want to interfere with church services that were held on the weekend.
While we can’t be one hundred percent sure that Mr. Pfingsten and his camera took these clearer photos, the fact that the above photo has a typed description at the bottom is a good indication that he did. It is likely Mr. Pfingsten staged the photos that he was a part of and then someone else, with his instructions, took the picture. This photo was taken outside of St. Peter Lutheran Church. Reverend Gustaf Mueller stands to the right of Mr. Pfingsten. He served as pastor of St. Peter’s from 1883 to 1905.
This photo, taken on the Pfingsten farm (the barn, with its double cupolas, is distinctive) could have been taken either before the wedding or as the festivities began. It is most likely the former, based on three reasons. If Mr. Pfingsten was setting up the camera he would have had more time to do so before the wedding than after. Also, it would have been easier to gather the men and boys together in the wagon on the way to the church, rather than after they arrived back at the farm for the merrymaking. And, thirdly, the aprons on the men look crisp and snowy white. It is difficult to imagine that that pristine condition would have continued through the day and night of celebrating.
This photo is one of those developed from the glass plate negatives that were donated to the library by the Pfingsten family. It is a virtual guarantee that Mr. Pfingsten took the photo himself, given the somewhat blurred image.
Through details gathered by the Conant students, family members stated that this was likely taken the day after the wedding. To a certain extent, we might dispute this fact, given the more stylish nature of the ladies’ dresses. It is difficult to imagine they would be cleaning up in such dressy dresses.
If it’s not the day after, it is possible it is the morning of the wedding. In either case, it must have been early in the morning given the tidy nature of the women’s clothing. We also have to assume that most of the people in the photo are part of the immediate Pfingsten family who were on the premises for the wedding or members of the Rohlwing family who came over to help.
This is another photo taken outside of the Welcome tent at the wedding. It, too, has a typed description below the photo. With the blurred gentleman on the left, Fred Pfingsten likely took the photo.
It is unique in that we can see that this is one of the dining tents on the premises. Both men and women are sitting elbow to elbow around the table that is wide enough to accommodate two chairs at either end. Others are waiting to take their place, including young ladies who wore their best white dresses. These girls still wore their dresses at or slightly below their knees as it was not considered unseemly to show their legs. The men and boys all wore suits, with many of them also sporting hats.
The corner of another tent is in the upper right corner. Next week, we will see that tent as well as more photos of this famous wedding in Schaumburg Township.
And, thus begins a look at the photos planned, staged and developed by a man who clearly was interested in photography as a hobby. We are fortunate, as it is a look at every day occurrences in a Schaumburg Township world that is far removed from ours.
Jane Rozek
Local History Librarian
Schaumburg Township District Library
jrozek@stdl.org
History of Schaumburg Township 
Where is the pfengston farm in Schaumburg now?
Hello Brad,
The 240 acre Pfingsten farm ran between Plum Grove and Meacham Road and bordered what would eventually be Wise Road on the south. I hope that helps.
Jane Rozek
Local History Librarian
Schaumburg Township District Library
jrozek@stdl.org