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Keefer's Pharmacy
Kruse's Tavern
Meeske's Market
Milburn Brothers Paving
Moehling General Store
Mount Prospect Country Club
Mount Prospect Creamery
Mount Prospect Development Association
Mount Prospect Plaza
Mount Prospect State Bank
Name of Business: Keefer’s Pharmacy
Does MPHS have photographs: Yes
Address: 5 N. Prospect Ave
Is building standing: Yes
What is at site: Keefer’s Pharmacy
When was business founded: 1949
Is business still operating: Yes but has different owners
If no, when did it close:
Who owned business: Jack Keefer
Interesting stories, facts, history:
Jack Keefer was a World War II veteran, having served for four years on the crew
of a PT Boat. After the war he and his wife moved to Highland Park and he worked
in a pharmacy in Glencoe. After working for a few years, in 1949, he purchased a
pharmacy in Mount Prospect from a man named Steve Brant, who had purchased the
pharmacy from George Engblom. He soon became a fixture in the community. He was
involved with many local organizations including the Mount Prospect Historical
Society. In an interview in 1991, he remembered when he first started, being
thrilled when he filled 15 prescriptions in one day. However he was here for the
great boom in suburban development in the1950s and before he retired his record
for prescriptions in one day had passed 285.
Name of Business: Kruse’s Tavern
Does MPHS have photographs: Yes
Address: 100 E. Prospect Ave
Is building standing: Yes
What is at site: Mrs. P and Me Restaurant
When was business founded: 1923/1933
Is business still operating: No
If no, when did it close: Sold in 1977
Who owned business: William, Sophie and Henry Kruse
Interesting stories, facts, history:
Kruse’s tavern was an institution in Mount Prospect for over 50 years. The
building housed the first restaurant in town, Behern’s Saloon, which began in
the late nineteenth century. During Prohibition it became an ice cream parlor
and lunch counter. Behern was not as excited about running an ice cream store
and he sold it to William and Sophie Kruse in 1923. They ran a small sandwich
shop and also sold homemade ice cream and candies. With the repeal of
prohibition in 1933 William and Sophie’s son, Henry Kruse renovated it and
turned it into a tavern. The family ran it trough most of the development of
Mount Prospect until it was eventually sold in 1977 to Denis and Lynn Miller.
The Miller’s did some renovations but left most of the tavern intact and opened
it as Mrs. P and Me’s, which is still open today.
Name of Business: Meeske’s Market
Does MPHS have photographs: Yes
Address: 101 S. Main
Is building standing: Yes
What is at site: Central Continental Bakery
When was business founded: 1925
Is business still operating: No
If no, when did it close: 1984
Who owned business: Fred Meeske and family, sold in 1973.
Interesting stories, facts, history:
Meeske’s Market was a fixture in downtown Mount Prospect for 59 years. The store
was begun in 1925, when William Busse Jr. sold the grocery part of his business
to Fred Meeske. At that time, the market was located in the Busse Building on
Main Street. In 1950 the building on the corner of Busse and Main was built to
house what was then the main grocery store in Mount Prospect. The store was
famous for its exceptional butcher shop and the family’s celebration of the
community’s German roots. In 1973 the Meeske family sold the business, although
the store maintained the name. The shop was closed in 1984 after going through a
series of owners. The small locally-owned grocery store in downtown was not able
to compete against massive chain stores in shopping plazas at the outskirts of
town. After a renovation Central Continental Bakery moved into the space and has
been there ever since.
Name of Business: Milburn Brother’s Paving
Does MPHS have photographs: Yes
Address: Central Road
Is building standing:
What is at site:
When was business founded: Founded 1911, incorporated 1929
Is business still operating:
If no, when did it close:
Who owned business: Otto and Oscar Milburn
Interesting stories, facts, history:
The main point of interest in the Milburn Brother’s Paving Company is that they
paved the first stretch of road in Mount Prospect and what this symbolizes. In
the 1920s, as the idea of a luxury suburb was beginning to develop in the minds
of America, prominent developers in the Mount Prospect area, such as Axel
Lonnquist, began paving roads. This signified a very different relationship with
nature, landscape and transportation. It also signified a much more common
ownership of cars. This radically changed Mount Prospect, Chicago and America.
Keeping pace with the changes that were going on around, William Busse brought
in the Milburn Brothers to start paving parts of Mount Prospect. This shows
Mount Prospect’s adoption of Lonnquist’s concept and a different type of
municipal government. William Busse, twenty years earlier, had convinced John
Biermann to move to Mount Prospect and act as a the towns teamster, keeping the
roads level and graded. John Biermann became a part of the community and
eventually his son married William Busse’s daughter in William Busse’s parlor.
The Milburn Brothers, on the other hand were treated as professional associates
and were never considered anything else or expected to be anything else. They
are symbolic of the shift from a small town to a suburban community. They later
went on to pave part of O’Hare International.
Name of Business: Moehling General Store
Does MPHS have photographs: Yes
Address: 3 E. Northwest Highway
Is building standing: Yes, but now on Pine Street
What is at site: Condos
When was business founded: 1882
Is business still operating: No
If no, when did it close:
Who owned business: John Conrad Moehling
Interesting stories, facts, history:
John C. Moehling owned the first general store in
Mount Prospect. It was a small store located at the corner of Main
Street and Northwest Highway. The store was originally started by Cook County
Commissioner Christian Geils, who did not enjoy the store. In 1882 Moehling
bought it from him. He found that he enjoyed being a store keeper and he soon
became an major part of the community. He began selling farm tools, coal, seed,
feed, groceries, shoes, etc. and built a warehouse along a side track to help
bring in and ship out materials.
John C. Moehling was one of Mount Prospect’s biggest
promoters. Throughout his career he worked hard to improve
Mount Prospect and bring in new services and businesses. He
persuaded John Meyn to move to
Mount Prospect and start a
blacksmith shop. Moehling also convinced the Chicago Northwestern Railroad to
build a new Depot in
Mount Prospect and was appointed the first depot agent, a position
he held from 1887 until 1902. Moehling was also appointed the first Postmaster
of Mount Prospect on
December 31, 1885 and based
the local post office in his store. He served as Postmaster for twelve years or
until 1897. According to legend, Moehling was also the person who brought dairy
cows to Mount Prospect. Seeing that the area was appropriate for milk cows, he
went off in search of the best breed and eventually brought them back, kicking
off Mount Prospect’s role as a major dairy center.
Name of Business: Mount Prospect Country Club
Does MPHS have photographs: Yes
Address: 600 S. See Gwum
Is building standing: Yes
What is at site: Mount Prospect Park District
When was business founded: 1926
Is business still operating: Not in its original form
If no, when did it close: 1930
Who owned business: Axel Lonnquist
Interesting stories, facts, history:
The Mount Prospect Country Club was started by a developer
named Axel Lonnquist. He purchased the farms of Fred Schaefer and Henry Menshing
in 1925. His plan for the area was different from earlier sub-developments in
Mount Prospect. What he planned was "a luxury community." He wanted to utilize
both the natural beauty of the area and the modern ideas of suburbs for this
sub-development. In his advertisements, he heralded the semi-rural landscape
with the proximity to the scenic Weller Creek, safe from the hectic pace of the
city. He also advertised he numerous trains in and out of the city for the
working professionals. This was meant to be a push and a pull with the ideas of
getting away from the pace, and corruption of the city, and getting to the bliss
of the quite country home. This is sub-development drew together all of the
1920s ideas of suburbanization and put it in the reach of the middle classes in
Chicago. He specified the lots in the sub-development were to be larger and be
able to support both a comfortable home and good-sized yard. The crowning glory
of this development however, was to be the Northwest Hills Country Club. His
idea was that membership in this would be associated with owing a lot in his
development. He opened the Country Club in 1926, although it was then only a
nine-hole course. He later expanded it to an 18 hole course and in 1929 opened
the Club House.
As a progressive developer he thought beyond his own
sub-division. He spoke publicly, at both national and local events about the
responsibility of developers to think in terms of the larger community. He
wanted to work with the other developers in the community to coordinate efforts
at improving the village and the services offered to residents. This
sub-development and the ideas of the luxury suburbs with country clubs and
coordinated services redefined the way Mount Prospect saw its self and the way
it was seen by outsiders. This was probably the way in which Lonnquist was most
influential in the community. He made people think of the suburbs as better than
living in the city. Transportation resources and new municipal services would
offer all the resources and comforts of the city while also allowing a relaxed
area with access to nature and luxury leisure pastimes.
Although Axel Lonnquist was able to redefine
Mount Prospect, he was not able to make a lot of money on the
endeavor. Due to the timing of his investment, he did not sell most of his land
before the crash of 1929 and the depression that followed. The great depression
was not the best time to be selling luxury suburban lots. He sold his property
in Mount Prospect at
huge discounts in 1931 to cover debt. In the time that he owned the land, he had
been able to plat the streets, build the country club and a few demonstration
homes, but he built very few homes that are standing today. He continued to hold
onto some land in the community until 1946, when he left the land in trust to
his children.
The history of his developments following his departure is
also quite fascinating. After Lonnquist sold the land, it was purchased by a man
named Harold Wilson who changed the name of the club to the more familiar Mount
Prospect Country Club. He made it a semi-private club with annual dues and held
onto it until 1950, when he sold it to Henry Sophie. Sophie ran the club for a
few years and then in 1958 he sold the course to reputed gang member Richard
Hauff. Hauff was unusual character in the history of
Mount Prospect. He had been born in
Iran and was orphaned at a
young age. He was found wandering in the desert by a couple of U.S. Army
Engineers who were there during WWII. He was later adopted by one and brought
back to Arlington Heights. He showed great potential as a golfer in high school
but at some point ended up associated with members of organized crime. To this
day, no one really knows where he got the money to purchase the course in 1958
but it is suspected to have Mafia ties. He had the course redesigned and hosted
the women's Master's PGA tournament in 1959. This certainly put Mount Prospect
on the map, however it was not very profitable for Hauff. He declared bankruptcy
in 1960 and put the course up for sale. After an involved fight to pass a
referendum, the Mount Prospect Park District finally purchased it in 1961,
making it a public course and what we all know today. Much as Axel Lonnquist had
intended, his sub-division and golf course, helped redefine the community and
became a great asset to the community as a whole.
Name of Business: Mount Prospect Creamery
Does MPHS have photographs: Yes
Address: 302 E. Northwest Highway
Is building standing: No, demolished in 1986
What is at site:
When was business founded: 1910
Is business still operating: No
If no, when did it close:
Who owned business: Edward Busse
Interesting stories, facts, history:
Founded in 1910 by Edward Busse, the Mount Prospect Creamery quickly became a
major distributor of milk, cheese and butter. This was not the first creamery in
Mount Prospect. William Wille had run a much smaller creamery at the end of the
nineteenth century, but he closed it in 1902. In the years after Wille closed
his creamery, Mount Prospect became one of the largest producers of dairy
products in northern
Illinois.
The farmers with dairy cows had to ship their milk into the city on the Chicago
Northwestern trains each day and pay a charge on each can they shipped in. When
a creamery opened in Mount Prospect it was cheaper to sell it locally. The Mount
Prospect Creamery grew quickly and was soon shipping bottled milk, butter and
cheese all around the
Chicago
area. They employed thirteen drivers who delivered the bottled milk around the
northwestern communities and into Chicago, advertised as “Milk Bottled in the
Country.”
Name of Business: Mount Prospect Development Association
Does MPHS have photographs: Yes
Address: 330 E. Northwest Highway
Is building standing:
What is at site:
When was business founded:
Is business still operating:
If no, when did it close:
Who owned business:
Interesting stories, facts, history:
The Mount Prospect Development Association was founded in 1923 by George Busse,
his brothers and several friends to start developing the community. Since the
original sub-development by Ezra Eggleston in 1874, there had only been one
major development in Mount Prospect, which was the 1905 Busse-Wille
Re-Subdivision of the original Eggleston triangle. George Busse saw an
opportunity and formed the Development Association. The first major project that
they undertook was the subdivision of what was left of Owen Rooney’s farm, which
became known as Busse’s Eastern Addition. This doubled the size of Mount
Prospect. The association went on with a series of other development projects as
the community continued to develop. It was well positioned as Mount Prospect’s
population began to grow rapidly in the late 1920s. From the 1920s until 1950
the population of Mount Prospect grew by an average of 120 residents a year,
which is impressive when you consider that Mount Prospect’s population was 349
in 1920. In 1937 the Mount Prospect Development Association was renamed George
L. Busse Real Estate, Inc. for its founder.
Name of Business: Mount Prospect Plaza
Does MPHS have photographs: Yes
Address: Rand and Central
Is building standing: Yes
What is at site: Shopping Plaza
When was business founded: 1962
Is business still operating: Yes
If no, when did it close:
Who owned business:
Interesting stories, facts, history:
While strip malls are rarely of much historic interest, the Mount Prospect Plaza
has more to say than one might imagine. When the Plaza was built, there were
very few shopping plazas in America. When the Plaza was started, in 1958, it was
a pioneering concept. In the long run, strip malls have dramatically changed the
landscapes in America, particularly in suburban communities. Strip malls are
based on people driving to one location, which is at the outskirts of town and
is isolated from the rest of the community. This is a very different concept of
shopping than the small town days of the 1950s. Earlier in Mount Prospect’s
history, there were small community owned businesses in the downtown area, which
was a mixed use neighborhood with offices, store fronts, and houses within close
proximity. The heydays of downtown Mount Prospect came to an end in 1962 with
the opening of Randhurst and the Mount Prospect Plaza. These locations brought
in larger national chain stores and were based entirely on an automobile
culture. Ample parking was a necessity, but a pedestrian scale or an attractive
street front was not.
Name of Business: Mount Prospect State Bank
Does MPHS have photographs: Yes
Address: 1 E. Busse, 2 W. Busse, 100 S. Emerson, 111 E. Busse
Is building standing: 3 of 4 are
What is at site: BankOne Building
When was business founded: 1911
Is business still operating: It has merged with other banks
If no, when did it close:
Who owned business: Started by William Busse
Interesting stories, facts, history:
The Mount Prospect State Bank was one of the most influential
businesses in the development of Mount Prospect. The bank was formed in 1911,
originally as a national bank. It became a state bank in the 1920s because of a
need for more flexibility in realestate loans and other services. It was
originallly located in a small building on the corner of Emerson and Main, where
a small parking lot is today. In its first year of operation, this small
unincorporated town was distrurbed by a bothched robbery attempt, which ended
with a shoot out in the road.
William Busse, the most influential person in the development
of your community, founded the bank and used it as the financial backbone of his
developments. Many of the homes that you live in today may have been financed by
this business. The Mount Prospect State Bank started out in the tiny corner
building and continued to serve the community from this modest location through
WWI. Then, in 1928 at the height of the boom of the 1920s, the bank moved to a
larger building a block north at 2 W. Busse. This building was originally the
home of Busse Buick, another business started by William Busse. In this location
the bank weathered the Great Depression of the 1930s and was one of very few
financial institutions to go through the depression with uninterrupted service.
During this time many banks went out of business. In 1933, shortly after his
inauguration, President F. D. Roosevelt ordered all banks in America to close
and work out their books. The Mount Prospect State Bank closed its doors for the
first time. However, it was one of the first Banks in Illinois to reopen in a
time when only about ten percent of the areas banks ever reopened.
The bank then worked through the second World War. Following
W.W.II, Mount Prospect went into its largest building boom ever and the State
bank was here to finance it. Between 1950 and 1960 Mount Prospect' s population
grew almost 500%. In 1967 the Mount Prospect State Bank moved again. They built
the building that is now the Mount Prospect Village Hall. They continued to lend
money and act as the community's largest saving bank through the suburbanization
of the 1960s. In 1975 they moved again to the tallest building in Mount
Prospect, the bank building on Busse Ave between Emerson and Maple. There,
they eventually merged with other banks and first became the First Chicago Bank
and then later BankOne.