Without phone books in the early years of the 1900s, it can be tough to find a list of residents of Schaumburg Township. It is, of course, always possible to find them in the decennial census or on plat maps or even in a list of property owners who are assessed taxes on their property.
Fortunately, in the library’s files, there are two such lists of property owners and their tax assessments from the year 1901 and an unidentified year that, due to a bit of research, could be narrowed down to a five-year period of 1918-1921.
This week we will provide the list of names from 1901. Both lists, interestingly enough, are categorized by School District. At that time, Schaumburg Township had five school districts. In 1901, they were simply labeled 1-5. By the later assessment, they were labeled 51-55.
The curious thing with this list is that some of the property owners that fall under each school district did not necessarily live in their district. For instance, Fred Steinmeyer who is listed under District 2, lived on Barrington Road, in the far northwest corner of the township. He was much closer to District 1 and the school on West Higgins Road.
Or, William Pfingsten is listed under District 5. His farm was between Plum Grove and Meacham, south of Salt Creek. He was much closer to the District 3 school on the east side of Meacham.
The 1901 names from the list follow, along with the “full cash value” of the property:
School District 1. (The district was located in the northwest corner of the township. The school was on the south side of Higgins Road between Roselle and Barrington Roads. There were 21 property holders in the district.)
- Baumgarten, Fred….. 573
- Baumgarten, Carl….. 441
- Freise, H.C. ….. 3233
- Fasse, G. ….. 2713
- Freise, Wm. ….. 9170
- Freise, H.W. ….. 11,135
- Goede, Carl….. 585
- Huenerberg, Wm. F. ….. 945
- Huenerberg, Mrs. Mary….. 6000
- Jacobs, Mrs. H. ….. 2547
- Krueger, Wm. ….. 415
- Kublank, Wm. ….. 1115
- Menching, H. ….. 552
- Muller, H. ….. 1000
- Mess, H. ….. 1315
- Quindel, C ….. 479
- Redeker, F.W. ….. 1645
- Schrage, H. ….. 729
- Schrage, F. ….. 535
- Schrage, W. ….. 615
- Wilkening, Wm. ….. 645
School District 2. (The district was located in the northeast corner of the township. The school was located on the west side of Plum Grove Road, south of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. There were 34 property holders in the district.)
- Biermann, Aug. ….. 715
- Boehmer & Lagershulz ….. 2565
- Bentrodt, George ….. 2580
- Dammerman, Ed. ….. 975
- Dammerman, H. ….. 500
- Geiscke, Fred ….. 2040
- Greve, J.D. ….. 3978
- Greve, August ….. 1080
- Geiseke, Henry ….. 1600
- Hattendorf, C. ….. 840
- Hausing, Herman ….. 745
- Heide, Fred ….. 2063
- Heine, August ….. 1778
- Jahns Bros. ….. 3590
- Kuhl, Fred …..463
- Knake, Carl ….. 741
- Kasening, H. ….. 1980
- Lichthardt, Henry ….. 1010
- Meyer, J.D. …..8500
- Meyer, J.D. ….. 5855
- Nebel, Fred ….. 970
- Othmer, Chas. ….. 495
- Steinmeyer, Her. …..1380
- Sunderlage, W. ….. 1125
- Sunderlage, Catherine ….. 3000
- Toppel, W. ….. 400
- Volkening, F. ….. 6170
- Withaeger, Chas. ….. 920
- Wilharm, W. ….. 713
- Wille, Wm. ….. 595
- Wille, C. Jr. ….. 526
School District 3. (The District was located in the southeast corner of the township. The school was located on the east side of Meacham Road, north of Salt Creek and south of old East Schaumburg Road. There were 32 property holders in the district.)
- Ackman, Mrs. Sophia ….. 100
- Beisner, Louis ….. 1155
- Benhart, Wm. ….. 640
- Feuerhake, F. ….. 1508
- Fraas, Chris ….. 1195
- Gehrls, John ….. 345
- Hitzemann, H. ….. 685
- Hartmann, F. ….. 800
- Huske, Julius ….. 723
- Hecht, F.C. …..3960
- Haseman, Aug. ….. 1725
- Kneueke, F. ….. 100
- Kruse, W. ….. 990
- Kruse, Henry ….. 2757
- Katz, Fred ….. 1350
- Liepitz, Wm. ….. 495
- Lichthardt, Fred ….. 8838
- Lichthardt, W. estate, Lichthardt, Fred admr. …..8500
- Liseberg, Carl …..690
- Meyer, Mrs. Mary …..100
- Meyer, John ….. 1840
- Mensching, John ….. 855
- Meyer, Fred …..465
- Ney, Henry ….. 310
- Nerge, August ….. 975
- Niemeyer, H. ….. 590
- Pfortmuller, Aug. …..750
- Springinsguth, F. …..7650
- Thiemann, F. ….. 476
- Wiese, Henry ….. 683
- Wille, Her. …..600
- Western Union Tel. Co. ….. 490
School District 4. (The district was located in the center of the township. The school was located on the north side of Schaumburg Road, just west of Roselle Road. There were 54 property holders in the district.)
- Boeger, Her. ….. 800
- Busche, Mrs. Henry ….. 3315
- Boehmer & Deirking …..1300
- Becker, Henry ….. 6107
- Becker, Herman ….. 500
- Chicago Telephone Co. ….. 125
- Dohl, Henry ….. 600
- Dierking, Henry ….. 690
- Embke, Fred ….. 840
- Einecke, Henry ….. 325
- Engelking, John …..775
- Fenz, John ….. 11,585
- Fasse, Chris ….. 740
- Gieseke, John ….. 6030
- Grere, J.G. ….. 845
- Hattendorf, Fred ….. 595
- Hartmann, Henry ….. 3516
- Haberkamp, Henry ….. 165
- Haberkamp, Aug. ….. 550
- Homeyer, John ….. 1030
- Joens, H. ….. 945
- Japp, John ….. 417
- Japp, Andreas ….. 2000
- Japp, W. ….. 2145
- Krog, Theo ….. 717
- Kastning, Chris ….. 1946
- Lichthardt, Her. …..5440
- Licthardt, W. estate, Lichthardt, Her. exr. ….. 1200
- Meirs, Aug. ….. 730
- Manke, Louis ….. 100
- Meyer, W. ….. 4000
- Menke, H. ….. 655
- Nerge, H.C. ….. 1235
- Nerge, H.F. ….. 6076
- Nerge, Her. ….. 1335
- Nerge, F.W. ….. 500
- Peck, H. ….. 100
- Pelletier, G. ….. 100
- Panzer, Fer. ….. 1556
- Quindel, H.E. ….. 305
- Salge, H. ….. 590
- Schween, Aug. ….. 1715
- Sporleder, W. ….. 3050
- Sporleder, F. ….. 805
- Schonbeck, Louis ….. 4090
- Trost, Carl. ….. 710
- Thies, H. ….. 5585
- Vogt, Gottlieb ….. 100
- Wille, Henry ….. 700
- Wilkening, C. ….. 3055
- Wilkening, H. ….. 1565
- Winkelhake, H.C. ….. 550
- Winkelhake, Henry ….. 1495
School District 5. (The district was located in the southern part of the township. The school was located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Rodenburg Road and Wiese (Wise) Road. There were 27 property holders in the district.)
- Botterman, Her. ….. 526
- Boeger, Her. ….. 860
- Bolme, Fred ….. 1630
- Bartels, C. ….. 3015
- Bartels, C. agent for Bartels, Fred ….. 2600
- Esau, Wm. ….. 340
- Fasse, John ….. 15,130
- Fasse, Henry ….. 9643
- Gathman, H. ….. 545
- Gathman, Louis ….. 475
- Harke, Henry ….. 2750
- Hattendorf, W. ….. 965
- Harke, Frederick, est. Harke, Henry, exr. ….. 7000
- Kastning, John ….. 1380
- Kruse, H. ….. 688
- Lichthardt, John ….. 4360
- Lange, Edward ….. 725
- Moller, H. ….. 575
- Pfingsten, Wm. ….. 1960
- Redeker, H. ….. 100
- Redeker, H.C. ….. 1420
- Tutter, Frank ….. 530
- Theis, Her. ….. 580
- Theis, Henry ….. 1398
- Wede, Louis ….. 543
- Wilkening, Louis ….. 11,845
There are some interesting conclusions to be drawn from this assessment list.
First, the largest district, by far, was District 4 in the center of the township. This is not surprising as this was where the population was most dense. It is also unsurprising that the District 4 or District 54 school was one of the last two one-room schools to close before the districts were consolidated into one District 54. (The District 1 or 51 school was the other that remained until consolidation.)
It is also interesting to note the top ten property holders by Full Cash Value:
- Fasse, John ….. 15,130
- Wilkening, Louis ….. 11,845
- Fenz, John ….. 11,585
- Freise, H.W. ….. 11,135
- Fasse, Henry ….. 9643
- Freise, Wm. ….. 9170
- Lichthardt, Fred ….. 8838
- Lichthardt, W. est, Lichthardt, Fred admr. ….. 8500
- Meyer, J.D. ….. 8500 & 5855 *
- Springinsguth, F. ….. 7650
John and Henry Fasse, two of the largest landowners were father and son and they owned two large, contiguous parcels on the east side of Meacham Road, south of Old Schaumburg Road. The parcels straddled Salt Creek and the Schweikher House and the Fox Run Driving Range can be found there today.
John’s daughter, Pauline, married H.W. Freise. His father, William Freise, owned three contiguous parcels near today’s location of Woodfield Mall.
Louis Wilkening, the second largest landowner in the township, owned property where he opened this creamery on the north side of Schaumburg Road, across from today’s Spring Valley.
John Fenz owned this store on the southwest corner of the intersection of Roselle and Schaumburg Roads where the clock tower stands today.
The Fred and William Licthardt properties bordered today’s Weathersfield Way and ran between Schaumburg and Plum Grove Road.
J.D. Meyer owned a large parcel that straddled Higgins Road, west of its intersection with Golf Road. The District 1 school was on his property.
Lastly, F. Springinsguth, owned a large piece of property south of Schaumburg Road that did NOT border Springinsguth Road. His father, Henry, is the one who owned the parcel that DID border Springinsguth Road, thereby giving their name to the road.
It is also interesting to note that two of the taxpayers were companies: Western Union Telegraph Company in District 3 and Chicago Telephone Company in District 4. The latter is referenced in the Encyclopedia of Chicago, where it is stated, “By the beginning of the twentieth century, Chicago Telephone was associated with the Bell network of American Telephone & Telegraph Co. (AT&T), the largest phone company in the United States. The number of Chicago-area telephones served by this company grew from 34,000 in 1900 to roughly one million by 1930.”
In fact, in her book Genesis Of A Township, Marilyn Lind says that, in the year 1903, “The Chicago Telephone Company announced that it would build three branch lines east, west and north of the Center. The east branch was ready for customers in November as a Roselle exchange.” Clearly telephone service was rapidly moving into Schaumburg Township and, in 1901, the Chicago Telephone Company was ready to take advantage of the interest.
In regards to the mystery surrounding the Western Union property assessment, I contacted the Antique Wireless Association and later heard from J. Chris Hausler of the Morse Telegraph Club. He said that “it was not uncommon back then that the wires along a railroad were actually owned and operated by Western Union which would provide some of the wires on the line solely for railroad use and, in turn, the railroad provided the right of way for the wires. The railroad station agent would act as a Western Union telegraph operator providing “commercial” service to the community.”
The Western Union parcel on this tax assessment list was in School District 3 whose southern boundary ran near the Milwaukee Road tracks. Mr. Hausler further speculated that the parcel of land was purchased by Western Union as “a maintenance and supply depot for the company.” It is possible, then, that the land might have included a house, barn and/or outbuildings that would have made Western Union’s operations easier.
Next week, an undated list of property owners that was issued between the years of 1918 and 1921 will be our focus. It will be interesting to note the 20-year differences between the two lists.
Jane Rozek
Local History Librarian
Schaumburg Township District Library
jrozek@stdl.org
History of Schaumburg Township 