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2004 Centennial Awards
Aldon Company, Inc.,
Waukegan, 1904
Founded on November 1, 1904, and
incorporated in Chicago the following month, the Aldon
(ALL-DONE) Company of Waukegan will soon enter its
second century of business. Established as a national
supply company selling cast-steel car replacers, Aldon
has become a leader in manufacturing and distributing of
railroad maintenance and safety products. Today Aldon
Company is known throughout North America for its
railroad wheel chocks, wheel blocks, and trailer jacks.
Accepting for Aldon Company Incorporated is
Joseph R. Ornig (OR-nig), President.
Art Resources in Teaching,
Chicago, 1894
Art Resources in
Teaching (formerly the Chicago Public School Art
Society) has operated continuously since it was founded
by Ellen Gates Starr on April 16, 1894. Incorporated as
an Illinois not-for-profit in 1900, this Centennial
organization continues to fulfill its mission of
teaching Chicago students through the visual arts,
sponsoring scholarships, art residencies, and docent
programs. For more than a century it has answered its
charge of “building children’s capacity for creative
thinking.” Accepting the award for Art Resources in
Teaching is Executive Director Jeanne F. Becker.
Aurora Public Library,
Aurora, 1881 (Carnegie 1904)
The Aurora Public
Library was established on June 13, 1881. Originally
located in the Grand Army of the Republic’s hall, the
library received a new life and home on August 22, 1904,
when it moved into Aurora’s brand new Carnegie Library.
In 1969, the library was completely refurbished and
remodeled, including the addition of a new façade and
two three-story wings. But much of the original Carnegie
structure remains in use, including the original metal
book stacks and decorative bronze plates. Accepting the
award for the Aurora Public Library is Assistant
Director Kevin Davis.
Beverly Farm Foundation,
Godfrey, 1897
In 1897, Dr. William
Smith acted on his then-unorthodox belief that disabled
people had the capacity and God-given right to achieve
their potential as individuals. With a $7,200 loan from
an Alton Bank, he bought 120 acres in rural Godfrey and
established Beverly Farm. In ten years his common-sense
prescription of loving care, good diet and better
medicine earned Beverly Farm a gold medal at the St.
Louis World Fair. Today, Beverly Farm’s doors are open
wider than ever for the mentally and developmentally
disabled, ably carrying on the mission and vision of Dr.
Smith. Accepting for Beverly Farm Foundation is Edwin
Miller.
Brown, Hay, and Stephens, Springfield, 1828
Brown,
Hay & Stephens, LLP, is ten years younger than the state
of Illinois. The firm was founded in Springfield in 1828
by John Todd Stuart, who hired Abraham Lincoln to work
for him from 1837 to 1841 and helped him get his license
to practice law. Since the very beginning the firm has
been engaged continuously in the representation of
corporate and business entities, public institutions and
individuals in a diverse range of legal disciplines. In
1921 the practice’s name was changed to Brown, Hay &
Stephens. In 1993, Robert Stuart Jr. accepted a special
award from the Illinois State Historical Society
acknowledging Brown, Hay & Stephens as the oldest
continuously operating business in Illinois. Here to
accept an award tonight on the eve of the firm’s 175th
anniversary is Robert Stuart Jr.
Champaign Country Club, Champaign, 1904
In October 1904, the
Champaign Golf Club met with community leaders to
establish a new country club. Within weeks more than 100
charter members came forward and the Champaign County
Country Club was established. Today the Champaign
Country Club serves more than 600 families within a
50-mile radius of Champaign and boasts a
state-of-the-art, 36,500 square-foot clubhouse, 18-hole
golf course, lighted tennis courts, and much more. It
has truly provided a “century of tradition” for its
community. Accepting the award for the Champaign Country
Club is Robert McColley.
Chicago Automobile Trade Association, Oakbrook
Terrace, 1904
Eckert’s, Inc., Belleville, 1879
First National Bank,
Mulberry Grove, 1904
The First National
Bank of Mulberry Grove was founded on June 16, 1904,
with a capital stock of $25,000 and twelve stockholders.
During the bleak years of the Great Depression, the bank
never closed its doors. In 1989, the Mulberry Bank was
sold to MGB Bancshares but maintained its name and
community identity. In 1992, branches of the Mulberry
Bank opened in Greenville and Mattoon. In 2003, the
First National Bank of Mulberry Grove listed total
assets of more than $84 million. The century has been
good for Mulberry. Accepting the award for the First
National Bank of Mulberry Grove is Samuel L. Kious. (KY-ous)
First State Bank of Western Illinois, LaHarpe, 1904
Frisch & Frisch Chartered,
Chicago, 1892
On
June 16 , 1892, Mr. Morris Frisch officially put
out his lawyer’s shingle. Thirty years later the Cook
County attorney was joined in the practice by his son,
Sydney Frisch Sr. The firm specialized in Mechanics Lien
Law and in 1926 moved to Suite 1500, 134 N. LaSalle
Street in the heart of Chicago’s business district. When
Sidney Frisch Jr. joined the firm in 1966, the father
and son team became Frisch & Frisch Attorneys at Law,
and later, Frisch & Frisch Chartered. Today the firm’s
practice is Corporate and Real Estate Law, and its many
clients include Weber-Stevens Products and Kroeschell,
Inc. Accepting for Frisch and Frisch Chartered is Sidney
Frisch Jr.
Galena Public Library District, Galena, 1895
Great Lakes Bank, Homewood, 1896
The First National
Bank of Blue Island was organized as a private financial
institution in 1896. It became a state bank in 1905 and
a national repository in 1925. In 1946, the Bank of
Homewood opened, the first of many affiliate Blue Island
lending institutions in the Chicago Southland area. The
bank has grown exponentially ever since, expanding
customer services, developing regional markets, and
broadening its investments. In 2001, the First National
Bank of Blue Island and Bank of Homewood officially
changed their name to Great Lakes Bank—but the 100-year
tradition of providing exceptional banking makes Great
Lakes the Bank of Choice for Chicago Southland.
Accepting the award for Great Lakes Bank is President
Roland T. Shropshire (SHROP-Shyer)
Hemlock Federal Bank, Hemlock, 1904
Highview Retirement Home Association, Rockton, 1904
Hilyard Family Farm, Bunker Hill, 1904
Hitzeman Funeral Home, Ltd., Brookfield, 1904
Hitzeman (HITS-man)
Funeral Home of Brookfield was established in Chicago in
March 1904. Formerly a tailor, founder Frederick
Hitzeman used his home as a chapel until 1922, when he
built a two-story brick funeral parlor. Soon his son,
Charles Hitzeman, became a partner in the business.
Along the way the family acquired property in
Brookfield, where they built a new funeral home in 1963.
The Hitzemans continued to operate both funeral homes
until 1976. Today Hitzeman Funeral Home is a limited
corporation, owned by Charles T. Hitzeman and managed by
his son and daughter-in-lawTodd and Susan Hitzeman.
Accepting the award for this century-old, family-owned
business are Todd and Susan Hitzeman. (HITS-man)
H. J.Mohr & Sons Company, Oak Park, 1893
Family owned and
operated since 1893, the H.J. Mohr and Sons Company of
Oak Park began as a coal and building materials supplier
for the Chicago suburbs. The founder, Henry J. Mohr, was
the first mayor of Forest Park and the last mayor of
Harlem. After Henry’s death in 1957, his son Carl took
over operation of the business, focusing on the
ready-mix concrete market.
Jacksonville Public Library, Jacksonville, 1889
(Carnegie 1903)
Public library
services began in Jacksonville in 1889 with the passage
of the first city tax levy to support a library. Over
the next 14 years the library was housed in various
locations until February 23, 1903, when the brand new
Carnegie library opened to the public. Philanthropist
Carnegie donated $40,000 for the construction of the
library, which was constructed of Cleveland sandstone.
Over the years the library has seen numerous
renovations, but the chiseled Corinthian columns, Doric
pillars, and solid classic architecture of the original
structure still grace the Jacksonville cultural
landscape. Accepting for the Jacksonville Public Library
is Adult Services Library Chris Ashmore. |
On
September 30, the Illinois State Historical Society
inducted 27 new centennial business and not-for-profits
into the Centennial Awards program. On hand to
welcome the new "centennials" were Chicago Bulls
announcer Red Kerr and DuSable Museum Founder Margaret
Burroughts, who also received special awards for their
contributions to the life and culture of Illinois.
A special artistic achievement award went to The Old
Town School of Folk Music in Chicago.
A year in the planning, the event
began with a social hour in the mezzanine followed by
dinner in the elegant Empire Room. Centennial awardees
and their guests dined on filet mignon and grilled
chicken breast, along with spectacular side dishes and a
chocolate mousse dessert that only the Palmer House
kitchen could have prepared.
In addition to this year's
Centennial Awards (pictured at left), special awards
were presented to four noteworthy Illinois individuals,
businesses, and institutions.
 | The Society's Distinguished
Service Award was accepted by bank President Norman
Bobins; |
| Publisher John H. Johnson,
founder and CEO of Johnson Publishing Company (Ebony
and Jet), received the Lifetime Achievement Award;
|
| Television pioneer Harry Volkman,
recently retired Weatherman for Fox-Chicago, received
the Jack Brickhouse Excellence in Broadcast Media
Award; and |
| Secretary of State Jesse
White (and Illinois State Librarian) received the
Illinois Heritage Award on behalf of the state's
Carnegie libraries, of which more than 80 are still in
operation. |
On hand to present the Centennial
Awards were long-time Centennial supporters Jack Taylor
and Pat Brickhouse, with Centennial Award Committee
Chair Norman Berger serving as master of ceremonies.
Since 1984 more than 1,100 Illinois
corporations have become Centennial honorees, ranging
from the Chicago White Sox and the AMEREN-Corporation to
the Auburn Citizen newspaper and Yorkville National
Bank. Centennial Award recipients receive a
complimentary dinner at the historic Palmer House, a
one-year free membership in the Society, and take home a
handsome Centennial Award plaque inscribed by the
Governor and Society President. use of the Centennial
Awards logo is available to all Centennial Award
recipients who keep their membership active.
Corporate contributors to this
year's Award Program were: LaSalle Bank, the Edward Fox
Studio, Pullman Bank, and the Spengel-Boulanger Funeral
Home. Individual contributors were Alfred Klairmont,
Elaine Egdorf, Scott Lesser, and Norman Berger.
For more information about the
awards, the winners, and the Illinois State
Historical Society, call 217-525-2781, or visit the
Society's website at
www.historyillinois.org.
___________________________
John H. Johnson
talks about his career in the publishing industry after
receiving the Society's Lifetime Achievement Award.
ISHS President David
Scott addresses the audience prior to awarding the
Illinois Heritage Award.
Pat Brickhouse and
Harry Volkman, winner of the 2004 Jack Brickhouse
Excellence in Broadcast Media Award, at the Centennial
Awards Banquet. |
2004 Centennial Awards
Cont'd
Jewish
Community Centers of Chicago, 1903
John P. Johnson Heirs, Paxton, 1904
MTL Insurance Company,
Oak Brook, 1904
MTL Insurance
Company, formerly Mutual Trust Life Insurance Company,
is one of the 100 oldest life insurance companies in
America. Established in 1904 as the Scandia Life
Insurance Company, today the business has more than $1
billion in assets and more than $5 billion of insurance
in force. Headquartered in Oak Brook, MTL Insurance is
licensed in 46 states and the District of Columbia, with
more than 275 sales and service offices throughout the
nation. For a century MTL has provided superior service
and excellent products to meet its clients’ varied
financial goals. Here to commemorate MTL Insurance
Company’s outstanding history of professional service is
CEO Gary Eisenbarth. (EYE-sen-barth)
MacCormac College, Chicago, 1904
The MacCormac School
of Business opened its doors on July 7, 1904. The
founders, Dr. Morton C. McCormac and his wife Mary,
offered their first classes at the Woodlawn National
Bank Building in Hyde Park. Courses included business
mathematics, English, bookkeeping , typewriting,
shorthand, and penmanship. In 1912, the College added
court-reporting to curriculum; today MacCormac is the
oldest court-reporting college in the nation. Today
MacCormac College’s Chicago campus is in the historic
Heyworth Building, where it continues to offer
educational excellence and prepare students for the
demanding needs of America’s marketplace. Accepting for
MacCormac College is Dr. Leo Loughhead, President.
METROBANK, East Moline 1904
Mineola Hotel & Restaurant, Inc.,
Fox Lake, 1884
For the past 61
years, Peter Jakstas has owned and operated the jewel of
Fox Lake—the Mineola Hotel and Restaurant. He bought the
business in 1943 from the Howard family, which had
managed Howard’s Mineola Hotel since 1900. The hotel,
which was built as a private clubhouse in 1884 and
placed on the National Register of Historic Places in
1979, has been in continuous operation for 120 years,
catering to the recreational needs of thousands of
visitors each year to Mineola Bay. Accepting the award
is owner Peter Jakstas.
Missal Farmers Grain Company, Streator, 1904
Morgan County Historical Society, Jacksonville, 1904
The first meeting of
the Morgan County Historical Society took place on
November 18, 1904, in the Jacksonville Public Library.
The Society’s was incorporated as a not-for-profit
organization charged with preserving and sharing the
history of Jacksonville and Morgan County, as well as
the history of nearby Scott and Cass counties. The
heritage includes significant sites on the Underground
Railroad, the Illinois schools for the blind and deaf,
Illinois and MacMurray colleges, and much, much more.
Today the Morgan County Historical Society is remodeling
Jacksonville’s historic post office as a museum, where
it will continue its mission into the next century.
Accepting for the Morgan County Historical Society is
President Bob Sibert. (SIE-bert)
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, Park
Ridge, 1904
Nelson Westerberg, Inc., Elk Grove Village, 1904
The Nelson
Westerberg Incorporated of Elk GroveVillage was founded
in Chicago in September 1904. Oscar Westerberg and his
partner, Fred Nelson started their coal and general
hauling business under the name Nelson and Westerberg,
company, and bought their first 3-horse hitch van
Illinois’ largest moving and storage company in their
second year of operation. Today their company is the
largest moving and storage firm in Illinois and one of
the largest corporate movers in the nation, with offices
in Atlanta, Dallas, and New Jersey. Now in its fourth
generation of ownership by the Westerberg family, the
company is moving proudly into its second century.
Accepting the award for Nelson Westerberg Inc. is Vice
President for marketing and quality control, Steven
Westerberg.
Oak Crest Residence Association, Elgin, 1904
Paasche Airbrush Company, Harwood Heights, 1904
Jens Andreas Paasche
immigrated to the United States from Norway in 1900 on a
dare. A gunsmith by trade, he worked for an airbrush
company and eventually opened his own business with his
brother—Paasche Air Brush Company. In January 1905, Jens
Paasche applied for his first U.S. Patent. It was the
first of many. The business grew and in 1923 a new
factory building opened on Diversey Parkway in Chicago.
Today the company operates in Harwood Heights and is run
by Jens Paasche’s grandson, John Petterson. And now
great-grandsons Brian and Steven Petterson are learning
the business. Accepting for Paasche Airbrush Company is
John Petterson.
Presbyterian Homes, Evanston, 1904
Presbyterian Homes, a
continuing care retirement community based in Evanston,
was founded on April 21, 1904. An Illinois
not-for-profit corporation with a national reputation
for excellence, Presbyterian Homes was established on
one principal: That older adults can flourish in
communities built on dignity and personal and spiritual
growth. Today Presbyterian Homes operates in the
communities of Arlington Heights, Lake Forest, Chicago,
and Evanston, embodying the values of the Christian
tradition for persons of all faiths and needs. Accepting
the award for Presbyterian Homes is Vice President for
Sales and Marketing, Robert Werdan (WER-dun)
Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, 1904
Opening night at Ravinia
Park on August 15, 1904, was something to remember.
Billed as “the most beautiful and complete amusement
place in the west,” Ravinia featured
“high class vaudeville” entertainment and band
concerts every afternoon and evening, followed by an
“electric fountain display.” But kitsch quickly became
culture as the Ravinia Festival grew in stature and
reputation around the nation. Today the Festival
attracts 600,000 people to the park every summer to hear
the greatest artists in the world perform the greatest
music on the planet. North America’s oldest music
festival lives and thrives in Highland Park, Illinois.
Here to accept the award for the Ravinia Festival is
president and CEO Welz Kauffman.
Saint Anthony Hospital, Chicago, 1896
n 1896, four
Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart arrived in
Chicago with the task of operating a small hospital
above a bakery on South Halsted Street. A year later
their enterprise had outgrown its space and the
cornerstone for a new hospital, Saint Anthony, was laid.
The hospital provided service to thousands of Polish,
German, and Bohemian immigrants. In 1919, Saint Anthony
opened its own nursing school. As the community grew, so
did Saint Anthony. Today it serves a multi-cultural
population, providing state- of-the-art care with
timeless compassion. Accepting the award for Saint
Anthony Hospital is Chief Operating Officer Gwenn
Rausch.
St. Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center, Chicago,
1904
In 1903, Father
Bernard Murray asked the Religious Hospitallers of St.
Joseph in Kingston, Canada, to help establish a hospital
in the Englewood Community. Seven sisters responded to
the call and 1904 the foundation of St. Bernard Hotel
Dieu (House of God) was established. In the early 1920s,
a nursing school became part of the hospital’s mission,
and though it closed in 1976, more than 1,500 nurses
were graduated to serve Chicagoland’s growing
population. Since the first brick was laid, St. Bernard
Hospital and Health Care Center has grown with the city.
More than 33,000 patients annually receive care
in St. Bernard’s emergency room. Today St. Bernard’s
employs 700 people and has a medical staff of 150.
Accepting the award tonight for St. Bernard’s Hospital
and Health Care Center is Sister Elizabeth Van Straten.
State Bank of Lincoln, Lincoln, 1903
State Bank of St. Jacob, St. Jacob, 1903
Sterling Public Library, Sterling, 1878 (Carnegie,
1905)
Teamsters Local Union No. 50, Belleville, 1903
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of
America, Local 904, Jacksonville, 1901
Woman’s Club of Carbondale, Carbondale, 1896
Founded in 1896 as
the “Cosmopolitan Literary Club,” the Woman’s Club of
Carbondale was organized to fill a cultural void in deep
southern Illinois. The original eighteen members met in
study groups to explore popular magazines, contemporary
fiction, and current events. They included teachers from
the Southern Illinois Normal University and woman from
business and professional families. Today the
organization’s focus is still on increasing cultural
awareness, but after 104 years the Woman’s Club of
Carbondale is itself a foundation of the community with
a vibrant history of service. Accepting the award for
the Woman’s Club of Carbondale is Dorothy A. Ittner. |
