Sheffield Estates is a subdivision in Schaumburg whose north/south borders are Bode and Schaumburg Roads and east/west borders are Springinsguth and Barrington Roads.
As part of their 1975 subdivision plans, Levitt & Sons, the developer, included an interesting overview of the village of Schaumburg. Let’s take a look at their snapshot of the community that same year. (Clarifications are in brackets.)
Population: 36,944. [The population was climbing. In the 1970 census, it had been 18,730 which means it had essentially doubled in five years.]
Area: 17.9 square miles.
Government: Village [This clarifies that the founding fathers of Schaumburg chose the village form of governance at the time of incorporation. They could have chosen town or city but opted for village.]
Date of Incorporation: 1956
Median Age: 19.9 years [This is a sure indication of how young the village was. The median age indicates how young both the parents and their children were.]
Median Income: $14,971 [It is interesting to measure this against the cost of housing seen below.]
General Information: This conservative German farming community has been doubling its population every two years. There are still many farms in this suburb but most land is owned by developers and new construction is always apparent. There are 4,000 zoned acres of industrial land in town and over 40 plants have already located there. [This is an apt overview of the village at that point in time. It is also a sure indication of the village plan that was in place to develop three main areas of the village: industrial, commercial and residential.]
Housing: Homes older than 10 years are a rarity. Prices range from $38,000 to $100,000 with new homes starting at $42,000. Plans are for 20,000 apartment units, renting from $225 up (including some luxury units.)
Schools: There are 11 public elementary and 3 junior high schools and the new Schaumburg High School. Pupil-teacher ration is 21:1 and $865 is spent annually per pupil. One Lutheran elementary serves the area. Harper College is located at the Southeast section of Schaumburg in Palatine. [This description has a couple of incorrect elements. There were actually two Lutheran elementary schools in the area: St. Peter Lutheran on Schaumburg Road and St. John Lutheran on Rodenburg Road. Harper College is located, generally, northeast of Schaumburg in Palatine.]
Churches: Includes 4 Lutheran, 3 Baptist, 2 Methodist and 1 Catholic congregation. [The four Lutheran churches included: St. Peter Lutheran Church, St. John Lutheran Church, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and Christ the King Lutheran Church. The three Baptist churches included: Bethel Baptist Church, Calvary Baptist Church and ???? One of the two Methodist churches was Our Redeemer’s United Methodist Church in Schaumburg. It is possible they are also referring to Our Saviour’s United Methodist Church that was in Hoffman Estates. There were actually three Catholic churches in Schaumburg: St. Marcelline and Church of the Holy Spirit. St. Matthew was meeting in Collins School. There were also these other congregations meeting in Schaumburg in 1975, according to a listing in the October 25, 1975 issue of the Daily Herald: Jewish, Covenant, Baha’i, Christian Science and Assembly of God.]
Transportation: Milwaukee Road trains stop in nearby Roselle (57 minutes local to the Loop; 44 minute express.) Northwest Tollway runs through Schaumburg.
Town Shopping: “Original Schaumburg” offers limited shopping; five other centers are located in the village, the largest of which is Woodfield Mall, one of America’s most prominent indoor shopping complexes. [“Original Schaumburg” was the area at the intersection of Schaumburg and Roselle Roads that included the first version of Town Square that opened in 1970.]
Recreation: Active park district with 2 community pools, civic area complex, riding stable, Golden Acres Country Club in village plus many nearby golf courses. [The riding stable could have been Sundance Ranch on the northwest corner of the intersection of Roselle and Golf Roads.]
Administration:
- Village of Schaumburg Offices. 101 Schaumburg Court. 894-4500
- Raymond Kessell, Mayor of Schaumburg. 894-4500
- Schaumburg Park District, Secretary, 101 Schaumburg Court. 894-4500
- Schaumburg Post Office. Schaumburg Plaza. 894-4710
- Schaumburg Village Hall. 101 Schaumburg Court. Post Office Clerk: Marge Mefford. 894-4500
- Schaumburg Township Library: 32 Library Lane. 529-3373
- Schaumburg Volunteer Fire Department. 1435 W. Schaumburg Road. Joseph Zurick, Fire Chief. 894-6234
Schools (Districts):
- Community Consolidated School District 54, 804 W. Bode Road, 885-4200
- Palatine Township High School District 211, 1750 S. Roselle Road, Palatine, 359-3300
- Harper College, Algonquin and Roselle Roads, Palatine, 397-3000
High Schools:
- SCHAUMBURG:
- Schaumburg High School, 1100 W. Schaumburg Road, 885-5200
- HOFFMAN ESTATES:
- Conant High School, 700 E. Cougar Trail, 885-4366
- Hoffman Estates High School, 1100 Higgins Road, 882-8000
JR. HIGH SCHOOLS:
SCHAUMBURG
- Addams Jr. High School, 700 S. Springinsguth Road, 894-1410
- Frost Jr. High School, 320 W. Wise Road, 529-1965
- Keller Jr. High School, 820 Bode Road, 885-2020
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS:
SCHAUMBURG
- Aldrin School, 617 Boxwood Drive, 894-6232
- Campanelli School, 310 S. Springinsguth Road, 894-9060
- Churchill School, 1520 N. Jones Road, 885-2241
- Collins School, 407 S. Summit Drive, 894-0990
- Dirksen School, 116 W. Beech Drive, 529-7030
- Dooley School, 622 Norwood Lane, 529-7166
- Hale School, 1300 W. Wise Road, 529-8080
- Hoover School, 315 N. Springinsguth Road, 884-0330
- Schaumburg School, 520 E. Schaumburg, 885-4349
Public Utilities:
- Commonwealth Edison Company, 259-2300
- Illinois Bell Telephone Co.
- From 529 – 882 – 894 Prefixes, 529-9981
- From 358 – 359 – 397 Prefixes, 358-9981
- Northern Illinois Gas Co., 742-7200
- Water Dept., Village of Schaumburg, 894-4494
Churches:
- Calvary Baptist Church, 1000 S. Springinsguth Road, 837-3456
- Christ the King Lutheran, Schaumburg Road and Walnut Lane, 529-5858
- Clergy Council of Hoffman Estates-Schaumburg, Rev. Edward Paape, Chairman, 894-6002
- Community Covenant Church, Blackhawk Elementary School, Schaumburg Road and Illinois Boulevard
- Our Redeemer’s United Methodist Church, 1600 W. Schaumburg Road, 882-6116
- St. John Lutheran, Irving Park and Rodenburg Road, 529-9746
- St. Marceline Catholic Church, 609 Springinsguth Road, 529-4429
- Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, 208 E. Schaumburg Road, 529-5580
- Schaumburg Evangelical Covenant Church, Blackhawk Elementary School. 529-3806
Clubs and Organizations:
- Republican Organization of Schaumburg Township, 894-4279
- Schaumburg Jaycees, 358-7900
- Schaumburg Lions Club, 529-4788
- Schaumburg Moose Lodge, 894-8346
- Schaumburg Regular Democratic Organization, 894-6920
- VFW Post 8080, Schaumburg Road at Route 53, 529-2543
- Young Republicans of Schaumburg Township, 894-5791
- Hanover-Schaumburg Homemakers Extension, 529-7154
- Hoffman-Schaumburg Nurses Club, 894-3716
- Schaumburg Woman’s Club, 529-6908
- Hoffman-Schaumburg Newcomers Club, 529-4138
- Schaumburg Township Historical Society, 894-3250
I have the following questions about this snapshot of Schaumburg. Maybe you can help with the answers?
- What was the name of the third Baptist church in Schaumburg, other than Bethel and Cavalry?
- Was Sundance Ranch the riding stable that was being referred to in this list? Or, was there another ranch or stable located in Schaumburg in 1975?
- What do you know about the Schaumburg Post Office that was in Schaumburg Plaza on Schaumburg Road? It is assumed that it could be found in one of the strip mall’s units?
- How long were the offices of the Schaumburg Park District at Schaumburg Village Hall?
- Were the District 54 Administrative offices in Keller Jr. High School in 1975? The addresses of the two are very similar. [Answer: After a bit of research and confirmation by local resident Betty Helsper, we were able to determine that the District 54 offices were in a few trailers located near Keller Junior High. Their address was, in fact, 804 Bode Road, Hoffman Estates.]
- Judging by the Illinois Bell prefixes listed here, those being used in Schaumburg at the time were 529, 837 and 894. Hoffman Estates appears to have been using 882 and 885. Were there others in use at that time?
- Did the Schaumburg Moose Lodge actually have a lodge location? If so, where was it?
Any assistance in answering these questions would be most appreciated. Also, if you note anything interesting, please leave it in the comments or send me an email.
Jane Rozek
Local History Librarian
Schaumburg Township District Library
jrozek@stdl.org
History of Schaumburg Township 
…memories….thanks
Good morning Jane…when I was a kid on a summer afternoon, I rode my bike to Roselle and chatted up the Illinois Bell lineman at the old Lawrence 9 (529) switching station at the corner of Irving Park Road and Roselle Road…so I am writing to you abut the exchanges used in the area since 1959…
Nearly all the Illinois Bell buildings were “central offices.” They were the home to switching equipment (and back-up batteries) that served an area a couple of miles in radius around the building. In the olden days of telephone communication (tongue firmly in cheek), these “exchanges” were localized switchboards. So to make a phone call across town you’d tell your local operator to connect you to the desired switch station then the unit’s four digit identifier…by the 1940’s, some areas of the country began direct dialing LA(LAwrence) 9 (529) then the four digit number xxxx.
The big clacking electro-mechanical switches took up a lot of room, and with the introduction in the 1970s of electronic switches, the central offices needed less space. Entire floors could be sealed off, or in some cases nearby offices could be consolidated, making one whole building surplus.
Other space savings came with the elimination of most operators and directory assistance, full computerization of billing, and similar changes.
Nearly all Illinois Bell Telephone buildings were designed by Holabird & Root (H&R). Author Robert Bruegmann compiled a three-volume catalog of H&R commissions giving dates and other details.
Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates share the TWinbrook 4 (894) exchange, while Roselle and Bloomingdale shared the LAwrence 9 (529) exchange…
What I do remember is, Hoffman Estates was Illinois Bell’s site to showcase their “mobile” switching station. Built in trailers, mounted on flat bed trucks for easy transportation. They were used back in the late 50’s.
Built to assist in Bell Telephone during exigent circumstances…Switching centers could have all kinds of problems which did include fires. Just refer back to the deadly Hinsdale, IL IBT fire mid ’80’s.
Thanks again for keeping all of us in touch with our past!
Bruce Trivellini
Hello Bruce,
This is a wealth of information on the early days of telephone use in the suburbs! Thank you–and that Illinois Bell lineman–who provided all of these great details.
It’s kind of fascinating how many of those Illinois Bell/AT&T buildings are sprinkled around the suburbs. I am aware of the building on Jones Road. Is there, maybe, another one in Schaumburg Township?
We actually have a photo of the mobile dial exchange that was placed in Schaumburg as the homes were being built. It was there to accommodate up to 900 new subscribers. The source is “Telebriefs,” a publication by Illinois Bell Telephone Co. July 1956. Vol. XVIII, No. 6. You were absolutely correct!
Jane Rozek
Local History Librarian
Schaumburg Township District Library
jrozek@stdl.org
A long-time Hoffman Estates resident sent me the following details regarding a couple of the questions that I asked:
“In regards to your question about what telephone exchanges were in use back then, Ma Bell assigned us an “843” exchange in July 1976. Initially we were assigned a 60172 zip code which is Roselle. I don’t recall a US post office in the shopping center at Schaumburg Rd and Springinsguth. As you surmised it might have been a substation located in one of the stores. This location had a Jewel grocery store which eventually closed when the large Jewel at Barrington and Schaumburg Rds opened. My guess is the Jewel or the Walgreens may have served that purpose.”
Jane Rozek
Local History Librarian
Schaumburg Township District Library
jrozek@stdl.org