Nebel’s Corners. Buttermilk Corners. These are names of small communities that grew up at intersections in Schaumburg Township. Yet, there was another one at the intersection of Rohlwing and Biesterfield Road, directly on the Schaumburg and Elk Grove Township lines, that isn’t explored as often. It was called Deikeville.
Deikeville was named for Ernest H. Deike and his wife, Louise who, according to a July 25, 1947 issue of the Daily Herald, purchased a creamery from Fred Nebel in 1897 on the southeast corner of the intersection. This is just across the Schaumburg Township line in Elk Grove Township.
Ernest was born in Elk Grove Township to Friedrich and Elise (Gathmann) Deike on June 25, 1873 on the Deike farm north of the intersection. He was one of seven siblings. His wife, Louise, was born on April 5, 1878 to Henry and Marie (Lange) Winkelhake in Schaumburg Township. Ernest and Louise married on July 21, 1897 at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Schaumburg and began their business that year. Later, they welcomed their daughter, Louise, into their family.
According to a March 8, 1940 article in the Daily Herald, Mr. Deike began work as a farmer, just like his father. After purchasing the creamery in 1897, he later added a blacksmith shop and hired a blacksmith to shoe the horses of local farmers. In fact, in the 1900 and 1910 census, a blacksmith is listed as living with the small family.
The 1900 census lists Ernest’s occupation as manufacturer, which we have to presume involved the creamery business. The 1910 census lists his occupation as general merchandise and creamery. His World War 1 Draft Registration card of 1917 interestingly notes that he was a truck gardner [sic] so he must have still been involved in farming to some degree.
After 14 years of the creamery business, it became obvious that the demand for locally processed milk was declining so he focused on the country store that was attached to his creamery. As the story says, “And Deikeville came into being.”
The 1920 census reflects this change in occupation as Ernest is now listed as a merchant in general merchandise. Albert Lahne, the blacksmith who was living with the family in 1910, continues to be in residence. Clearly, the area farmers still needed the services a blacksmith could provide.
Over the years of operation, according to the article and other numerous mentions in the Cook County Herald, the Deikes sold, among a great many other things, oil lamps, coffee ground by hand on their hand-operated coffee mill, garden seeds and seed potatoes. They also kept an open cracker box as well as an open tobacco box where the farmers could fill the free clay pipes that were available near the old coal stove.
They eventually branched out into seasonal items like nuts, candy, toys, oranges and apples in the barrel, as well as Christmas trees. And there were also the Studebaker wagons, sleighs and buggies as mentioned in the December 24, 1909 issue of the Cook County Herald.
Additionally, as can be seen in this flyer provided by LaVonne (Thies) Presley, the store also served as a site for contractors such as Frank Martin of Milwaukee who tanned the hides of cows and horses for coats and blankets. On the farm, nothing went to waste.
In the March 1940 article Mr. Deike claimed “to be the first subscriber to the Cook County Herald in his section of Elk Grove, he installed the first telephone and was the first customer of the Public Service Co., even if he had to fight two years to get electric service in his district.” The store also served as a mail drop-off center.
The Deikes made the corner their home, in the house and the store they built. And, despite the fact that the creamery closed, it never lost its spot as a drop-off location for milk. Farmers simply brought their full milk cans to be poured into the waiting milk truck as is pictured here.
These photos are from the June 21, 1940 issue of the Daily Herald. The photo below is a view of some of the local farmers who brought their milk to the corner. Standing (and sitting) from left to right are: Otto Goeddeke, Henry Schuette, Henry Boergener, Erwin Wede, Clarence Biesterfeldt, Irwin Kastning, Ed. Wilke of Arlington Heights who was the milk truck driver, R. Rosenwinkel, Fred W. Pfingsten, Henry Gathman, Raymond Thies, Fred Tegtmeier, Henry Panzer. On the platform are: George Behrens, Mr. Fransen, Leonard Gathman and Herman Kruse.
This intersection, though, was not just the home of the Deike creamery and country store. The Zion Evangelical Church laid its cornerstone in 1906 on the southwest corner of the intersection. The church served the nearby farming community for nearly 20 years until it was moved to the village of Itasca where it found new life for a wider array of congregants.
In later years, during the 1940s, the Deikes continued to operate their store and a roadside stand, selling fruits and vegetables in season as well as poultry and eggs. [Roselle Register, June 29, 1951]
Mrs. Deike died on February 1, 1952 and Mr. Deike passed away, almost exactly, two years later on February 3, 1954. Both are buried in the St. Peter Lutheran Church Cemetery.
When the Deikes died, Deikeville died with them. As Mary McCarthy said in the 1981 publication, Elk Grove: The Peony Village, “The modern day supermart will never capture the friendly feeling of the Deike’s country store.”
Jane Rozek
Local History Librarian
Schaumburg Township District Library
jrozek@stdl.org
History of Schaumburg Township 