Scott Anstandig

May 9, 2003

Period 6

Pop Town

Arlington Heights, Illinois, much like many other small towns is a place which has fostered many business enterprises. The Union Hotel was one of the first centerpieces of Arlington Heights, then known as Dunton. It was the subject of many of the earliest photos of the town. The Union Hotel was the center for many town meetings and the post office was attached to the building. Batterman’s Hardware was located on Davis Street. Its owner, William Batterman was postmaster from 1893 to 1897. The store saw increased patronage after the Civil War. Bray and Kates Milk Cans was originally a hardware store until 1890 when Anthony Kates began making milk cans in the back of the store. The milk can business grew and eventually a factory was built near the railroad tracks for easy drop off and pick up of the cans. Redeker Store was located on the corner of Vail and Campbell. It was a general grocery store run by German immigrants. These are businesses which made Arlington Heights the largest small town in America. However, Arlington Heights is different in that it has seen unique entrepreneurs and businesses such as Frederick William Muller and Muller Carbonated Beverages run by another German immigrant. The legacy of F.W. Muller and the soda business is one worthy of awe. It represents an era which defined an industry and all those who worked in it. It would be an industry that would see massive change over time; the soda industry cannot return to the times of F.W. Muller. The history of Arlington Heights, the soda industry, and F.W. Muller ran parallel to each other. Then they began to grow together, converge, and then split off again into their separate ways. Naturally there were other events and happenings that shaped their paths along the way.

Among the settlers that moved west to the Illinois territory during the 1830’s was Asa Dunton. He made the first land claim in the area that would become Arlington Heights. His son William would become the founder of the town. The railroad would bring new settlers and new products that would add to the growth of the area. F.W. Muller, the pop-producing extraordinaire, arrived in1872 during the height of industrialization in America. He was originally from a merchant family from Tetrow, Germany. He began his career in bottling in America immediately, teaming up with his half-brother to form Sass and Brother Manufacturers of Soda Water. Around this same time, the soda water industry was taking off. Soda had gone from being used as a medical cure-all to a consumer’s treat. Soda fountains in drug stores were the main sales depot of the product until name brands began to emerge in the 1880’s; however the names would not become nationally recognized right away.

The early Illinois territory was inhabited by several Native American tribes including the Fox, Iroquois, Sauk, and Potawatomi. By the 1830’s, many settlers were pushing westward and entering the northern Illinois territory. The pioneers wanted to have the land that these tribes were living on. Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act in 1830. The United States government then bought the Potawatomi’s land and sold it to the settlers. This is when Wheeling Township, which would contain the Village of Arlington Heights, was established. Small settlements were established. Asa Dunton purchased three plots for himself and his two sons in 1837. William Dunton married Almeda Wood in 1845 and moved a house on the main Potawatomi trail; this trail would become Arlington Heights Road. The Illinois and Wisconsin Land Company wished to link the Chicago suburbs with Wisconsin using a railway. In 1853, William Dunton proposed a route through his land and sold the railroad company sixteen acres for 350 dollars. The railroad was invaluable in the development of Arlington Heights. The area in which Dunton lived was at the time called West Wheeling. Dunton renamed it Bradley after a friend of his but was forced to change it because there was already a Bradley, Illinois. He then named the town Dunton after himself. The name was again changed to Arlington Heights in 1874 to sound more sophisticated.

The railroad put Arlington Heights on the map. It all started when the William Ogden, the first mayor of Chicago, commissioned the first railroad out of Chicago. It ran from Chicago south to Fulton Illinois along the Mississippi River and was named the Galena and Chicago Union railroad. The line began running in October of 1848 with an engine called the Pioneer leading the way. This further interested Ogden in railroads and he commissioned a second railroad in 1851. This line would run out of Chicago to the northwest, linking northern Illinois with Wisconsin. The plan was to run the track to Rand, now Des Plaines, on through Crystal Lake, ending in Janesville, Wisconsin. The Illinois and Wisconsin Land Company began buying the right of way from local farmers; this is when Dunton made his deal so the tracks would run through his land. In 1854, the first railroad station was built near Dunton’s land and was named the Elk Grove station. Two trains ran to and from Chicago. In 1855, the Illinois and Wisconsin Railroad merged with Rock Valley and Fon du Lac Railroads, adopting the name Chicago, St. Paul, and Fon du Lac Railroad. The railroad had financial troubles and was bought out in 1859 by Chicago and North Western Railroad headed again by Ogden. In 1892, a second track was built, and in 1930, a third was constructed. After the railroad was completely established through Arlington Heights, the town worked on building stations, parks, and roads on both sides of the tracks. This created an operational system of travel and transport.

After the German Revolution of 1848, there was an increase in German immigration to the area. This brought skilled workers like F.W. Muller in 1872. Frederick William Muller was born in Teterow, Germany on July 1, 1848. His father was Jacob Wilhelm Leonhard Christian Muller and his mother was Sophia Wilelmina Christiana Sass Muller. Frederick had five siblings in his family. Frederick was the oldest child. The Muller family was a merchant family in Teterow. They were indicative of citizens of Teterow as the city has grown to 10,000 inhabitants in recent times and continues to be a center for business and technological development. Frederick’s father died when Frederick was 18 and his mother died a year later. Frederick immigrated to the United States in 1868 and moved to Chicago. Frederick and his half-brother, Louis Carl Henry Sass, took over the soda company from Hefner who was part of Sass and Hefner Manufacturers of Soda Water based in Chicago. Frederick and Louis moved to Dunton in 1872 and formed Sass and Brother Manufacturers of Soda Water. Frederick married Elizabeth Sievert in 1873. Elizabeth was also from Germany. In 1883, the Mullers built a house that doubled as the soda factory. The factory facilities and equipment were in the basement while the family lived upstairs. The house eventually had to be expanded to house their five children and factory workers. The building was at the intersections of North Vail and West Fremont. F.W.’s had many accomplishments including F.W. Muller Beverage Company, Supervisor of Wheeling Township for twenty-eight years from 1887 to 1915, Mayor from 1897 to1899, member of the School Board from 1892 to 1900, and a member of First Presbyterian Church of Arlington Heights.

Frederick and Elizabeth’s children were Minnie, William, Marie, Henry, and Adeline. Minnie married Nathaniel Moore Banta in 1901. Nathaniel Moore Banta was born in 1867 in Rensselaer, Indiana. He came to Arlington Heights in 1900. He was a well respected teacher of 16 years. He became principal of the area public schools and later was the president of the school board. Banta was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, President of the Park Board, and the author of twenty-seven books. His influence in ensuring Arlington Heights had good schools, parks, and libraries was very important in the education of the town. Marie and Adeline were never married. Marie was a teacher and Adeline was the one who sold the house to the Historical Society. William and Henry continued the family business.

Soda has a very long history. The first signs showed up well over 2000 years ago. It was not always referred to as soda however. Mineral waters were discovered flowing through rock formations very early in the history of man. Mineral water was first used for medicinal purposes. People would drink and bath in it. Mineral water was believed to have miraculous powers of healing. Natural mineral waters eventually developed into manufactured soda water. Joseph Priestly was an early developer of the process of dissolving “air” (carbon dioxide) into water. In 1767 he wrote and essay called “Directions for Impregnating Water with Fixed Air.” From this point on, scientists and doctors alike began to devise practical means for producing soda water. In 1807, Dr. Philip Syng added flavor to a batch of soda water to make it nicer to drink for a patient of his. This was possibly the first production of soda pop. Glass bottles were the first means of containing the beverages for sale. The ancient art of glass blowing was used to produce the early bottles. With this method, a factory could produce about 1500 bottles with six workers. Cork stoppers were used to close the bottles. However, the corks were often dislodged due to the pressure created by the carbonation inside the bottle. Industrialization and mechanization allowed for the development of machines to mass produce standard-shaped bottles. Then the patented crown-cork bottle cap, invented by William Painter in 1892, could be clamped on. Michael Owens invented an automatic bottle blower in 1903. In 1910, machines could produce 57,000 bottles a day.

F.W. Muller began his bottling career with his half-brother at 116 S. Dunton. Sass and brother started out selling Gingerale, Sarsaparilla, Lemon, and Strawberry sodas. In 1873, only a year after going into bottling, F.W. made his first business move and bought out the company from Sass. F.W. wanted to go into business for himself; he had dreams of expansion and new opportunities. He would build his famous house and factory building in 1882 at 500 N. Vale. “Pop” Muller as friends and family knew him as, often provided the refreshments at town picnics and charity events. He was well respected and well liked. F.W.’s granddaughter Elizabeth describes him as a “…genteel, hard working, family man. He wasn’t as rich as people thought he was, his aristocratic manner made him seem aloof, I think.” F.W. used his wagons and teams of horses to deliver the soda to surrounding towns.

Arlington Heights was incorporated as a village in 1887. By this time, there were already many businesses established including F.W. Muller’s Carbonated Beverages. The growing village was attracting many more businesses that would increase the size, success, and quality of Arlington Heights. After the incorporation, village officials were elected. They addressed such issues as sewage systems, water, and streets and sidewalks. A library was established in a resident’s home and contained 750 books. Phone lines were installed in 1897 and brought residents closer together.

In 1906, Muller built new facilities at 110 and 112 W. Fremont. The buildings provide space for a new factory, offices, storage for the wagons, and a place for his two sons. The market would expand to a thirty-five mile radius after automobiles became more widely used. F.W. bought a truck of his own in 1912; however, he did not know how to drive so his son William drove the truck for him. The soda menu had expanded to include Lemon Sour, Klondike Fizz, Buffalo Mead, and Cream soda. A local town resident remembers being proud of the facilities Arlington Heights had when she says, “We had a high school and several big businesses like Muller’s pop factory.” F.W. Muller retired in 1923 and put his sons William and Henry in charge.

Arlington Heights brightened in 1910 with the addition of electric lights. By 1917 Arlington Heights had ten miles of road. It seemed as if everyone had a brand new automobile. The Arlington Park Racetrack was built in 1927. Arlington Heights became internationally renowned for such races as the Arlington Million.

William and Henry Muller changed the name of their father’s business to Arlington Club Beverages. Under the management of the Muller sons, Arlington Club’s markets and profits expanded beyond the success of their father. The Arlington Club product was then sold throughout a thirty-five mile radius around the central bottling works. William and Henry ran the business until 1945 when they sold to Harvey Shumaker and William Schild. The soda industry had been marked as a non-essential industry during World War Two. This made it very difficult to find employees for the business. War workers were prohibited from working in any non-essential industry. However, William and Henry still desired to keep the Arlington Club name alive. They were careful to choose experienced members of the soda industry. Shumaker was a production manager of the Chicago 7-up plant and Schild was a 7-up distributor. Shumaker’s excellence in his work won him a trip to Bermuda. Both men wished to be involved in the private soda industry.

Arlington Heights survived the depression and the effects of World War Two. Long time resident Marjorie Berbecker Allen told the Chicago Tribune that Arlington Heights saw many dramatic changes after World War Two. Arlington Heights would be affected by the baby boom and would experience an increase in population. The railroad was replaced as the main way to bring people and business to Arlington Heights when O’Hare Field was opened in 1955 as a commercial airport. Air travel became just minutes away at what would become the world’s “busiest” airport. Arlington Club would experience many changes as well.

Though Shumaker and Schild most likely intended to stay in the business for a long time, the company would change hands many times in the following years. Schild sold his share of Arlington Club to Rod Wille. In 1956, the bottling plant was purchased by Robert Thompson. In 1960, Harvey and Marion Lutz bought the business. In 1964, they moved the business to Central Road in Mt. Prospect. In 1978, the business was sold to Robert Phelps. Finally in 1986, the business was sold to Richard Vandenbark.

In 1960, Arlington Heights did not have much land left and focused on growing internally. The Chicago Tribune said that as the village continued to grow, Arlington Heights was “caught in a … 20^th century dilemma: Citizens recognized the importance of expansion and development, but at the same time there existed a reluctance to abandon the village’s rural community image. As a result, the village is a pleasing combination of the old and new, as glass, steel and concrete structures co-exist with vintage buildings and residences.” Somehow Arlington Heights brought itself out of the dilemma – unlike many towns that have either become stuck in the past, or have lost their personality entirely. In the 1980’s plans were developed to revitalize the downtown area and the plans were finished in 2000. Arlington Heights has won several awards for this project. 1986, Arlington Heights celebrated the 150^th anniversary of the Dunton family’s arrival, and in 1987, the 100^th anniversary of the incorporation.

Richard Vandenbark is the perfect example of the fight between small businesses and industrial giants. When Vandenbark acquired the company, Arlington Club Beverages offered 33 flavors in 7 and 10 oz. bottles and was making $550,000 a year on the soda pop. However, at that time he stated, “We can only make it as fast a people bring back the bottles.” Vandenbark continued to use the old fashioned machinery and the method of reusing bottles and refilling them with more of the product. Vandenbark was very proud of his local product. He said it has four attributes that very few bottlers can claim to be true: “price, unique-sized bottles, freshness, and multiple flavors.” Vandenbark may have been the only soda producer left to still sell pop in seven and ten ounce sizes. Jeanne Lukasick of Beverage World magazine said, “There’s a kind of personality a product has that allows it to maintain loyalty in a region. Consumers like to know who to turn to when they’ve got complaints or suggestions. It’s this kind of personality – a personal touch – which allows companies like Arlington Club to have a place in the market.” Vandenbark said, “I’m serving a niche the big ones don’t want to mess with. I’m catering to the small purchaser who is price conscious and wants personal contact.” Vandenbark was originally the vice president of a major food corporation. He left his job to be in small, local business for himself. “There was a camaraderie here, and I enjoyed that. People would stop and talk with the employees, ask for them by name,” Vandenbark said. Vandenbark had the goal of reaching the $1,000,000 in sales a year mark and the hopes to create a product of equal or better quality than Coke or Pepsi. Needless to say, Vandenbark never made it to $1,000,000 and his $550,000 a year was nothing compared to Coca-Cola and Pepsi who each make eight billion dollars a year in a thirty billion dollar market. Dr. Pepper/Seven Up takes another large chunk out of the possible soda industry revenues. Together, the three corporations control more than two-thirds of the total profit for the industry. Independent soda companies are being crushed- Doomed to lose local uniqueness to national and even global conformity. The number of independent companies dropped from 1,500 in 1980 to about 1,200 when Vandenbark bought Arlington Club in 1986. In the 1980’s the number of Chicago metropolitan independent soda businesses plunged from six to two businesses. Vandenbark filed for bankruptcy in 1991. Vandenbark had troubles from the beginning. His first day as the owner of Arlington Club, the most experienced machine operator resigned. Vandenbark went through twenty seven employees trying to replace him. Vandenbark’s luck did not improve. The price of sweetener rose immensely that year. The next year his boiler broke, the beer cooler broke, and Mount Prospect closed his store front street for three weeks for repairs. He also lost the right to serve soda at the Republican Party picnic. Vandenbark recorded a loss of $45,000 two straight years. Vandenbark stressed to the limit, was taken to the hospital for a bleeding ulcer. It was time to call it quits. Arlington Club Beverages had seen its last days. With the demise of Arlington Club, “a slice of Americana” was also lost as stated by the Daily Herald in 1991. Vandenbark said, “We’re a dying industry – a dying breed. It’s coming down to where there may be only one of us left.” Though this may seem like the end, the legacy lives on.

In 1993, Harvey and Marion Lutz, previous owners of Arlington Club, bought the bottling location on Central Road. They do not sell the old Arlington Club Soda, but they do carry on the tradition of selling soda pop. Harvey, Marion, along with Marion’s two brothers, Elroy and William Reiter man the store. The have decided to carry Jolly Good canned soda from Random Lakes, Wisconsin. Though they say business was slow at first, it has been increasing all the time. In regards to Vandenbark’s declaration of bankruptcy, Marion Lutz said, “It was a sad thing to see.” She decided it would be best to carry on the legend, even if not in the identical form.

There is another soda story that parallels that of Arlington Club Beverages. Vernor’s Ginger Ale was created over 130 years ago, well before Arlington club. In fact, it is the oldest soda in the United States. James Vernor was 15 years old in 1858 when he started working in a drug store that sold soda. At the age of 19, he began to develop his own recipe for ginger ale after seeing an imported ginger ale from Ireland. When he went off to fight in the Civil War, he stored his brew in oak barrels. When he returned, he found that the ginger ale in the barrel had acquired a certain taste from being aged for four years. This would become a Vernor’s trademark. Vernor opened a drug store and sold his product. In 1896, he had enough money to open a soda factory in Detroit. Vernor had help from his son, James Vernor II. The ginger ale became very popular in the area. Vernor’s Ginger Ale was a golden ginger ale, which was sweeter that clear dry ginger ale. However during prohibition in the 1920’s, dry ginger ale became more popular because it was sold at speakeasies to be mixed with illegal alcohol. Vernor’s just barely survived and Vernor II took over when his father died in 1929. Vernor II gave the company to his father’s nephew, J. Vernor Davis in 1952. In 1966 a group of business men bought out the Vernor’s Ginger Ale. It was then sold to American Consumer Products in 1971 and to United Brands in 1979. A & W bought Vernor’s in 1987 however; A&W was bought By Dr. Pepper/Cadbury in 1993. In 1996, Dr. Pepper merged with 7Up. Vernor’s Ginger Ale was swallowed up by this conglomeration. It is now only sold in limited production; it is only available in certain areas. Vernor’s could no longer survive on its own. The industrial giants took over.

What Arlington Club and Vernor’s had in common was their niche. During the heights of these products successes, they were in positions best fitting for what they provided. They were both possessed small bottling works to sell their products in a unique area such as Arlington Heights or Detroit. Arlington Club sold many different flavors. Vernor’s sold a ginger ale that was a different flavor than most ginger ales. They both sold their product in glass bottles of specific sizes, best suited to the customer of the age. What Arlington Club and Vernor’s had the most was personality. Customers enjoyed visiting with the owners and buying a special drink. Large corporations such as the ones who bought out Vernor’s do not have personality. They rely on a nationwide market. Every can of soda they sell is exactly the same. There is no more Klondike Fizz or Sarsaparilla. The flavors now are Coke, Dr. Pepper, 7Up, and other such brands. Many Ginger ales today are the dry version. Glass bottles became obsolete, shattered by the aluminum can. Consumers did not want to pay the extra deposit and be bothered to return the bottles. The same things that made Arlington Club and Vernor’s unique and gave them a niche killed them. They would in time be destroyed by the giants. There is no room left for the private soda manufacturer.

INTERNET RESOURCES

“Dr. Pepper/Seven Up, Inc. a Corporate Profile”. Dr. Pepper/Seven Up, Inc. 8 June 2003 <http://www.dpsu.com/about_dpsu.html>

Arlington Heights Historical Museum. “Brief History of The Beverage Company (1872- 1991)”. Historic Site Background. 8 June 2003 <http://www.ahmuseum.org/History/BeverageCo.htm>

Arlington Heights Historical Museum. “Frederick W. Müeller (1848(9)-1925)”. Historic Site Background. 8 June 2003 <http://www.ahmuseum.org/History/FrederickMuller.htm>

Arlington Heights Historical Museum. “The Müller Children”. Historic Site Background. 8 June 2003 <http://www.ahmuseum.org/History/MullerChildren.htm>

Arlington Heights Historical Museum. “Nathaniel Moore Banta (1867-1932)”. Historic Site Background. 8 June 2003 <http://www.ahmuseum.org/History/NathanielMooreBanta.htm>

Arlington Heights Historical Museum. “Müller Family Tree”. Historic Site Background. 8 June 2003 <http://www.ahmuseum.org/History/MullerFamilyTree.htm>

“Arlington Heights, IL Local History Listings”. Maintained for NorthStarNet by Arlington Heights Memorial Library. 8 June 2003 <http://ahkhome.northstarnet.org/history.htm>

“Arlington Heights Tour” Arlington Heights School District 25. 8 June 2003 <http://www.ahsd25.k12.il.us/Curriculum%20Info/AH/List.html>

Driscoll, Harold A. “Links to C&NW Sites”. Chicago & North Western Railroad. 8 June 2003 <http://www.angelfire.com/il/CNW/links.html>

“Arlington Heights, IL”. ePodunk Inc. 8 June 2003 <http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=5872>

Caswell, Thomas and Joshua DeLorenzo. “Documenting Industrialization in America”.

The Gilded Age Webquest. 8 June 2003 <http://www.oswego.org/staff/tcaswell/wq/gildedage/student.htm>

“Welcome To Nostalgiaville” Nostalgiaville. 8 June 2003 <http://nostalgiaville.com/>

“Painted Label Soda Bottles” Nostalgiaville. 8 June 2003 <http://gono.com/pl-bottles/am-az.htm>

“NSDA Information Center”. The National Soft Drink Association. 8 June 2003

<http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.nsda.org/soft drinks/History/index.html>

Bellis, Mary. “Part 1: The History of Pop Timeline”. Introduction to Pop powered by About, Inc. 8 June 2003 <http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa091699.htm>

Russ, Erich. “CNW Links”. Chicago & North Western Railroad. 8 June 2003 <http://www.cnwhs.org/photos/links.html>

“Soda Manufacturing in 1937”. Digger Odell Publication. 8 June 2003

<http://www.bottlebooks.com/ACL%201937/Soda%20in%201937.htm>

“Sodas” Wayne’s Bottle World. 8 June 2003 <http://www.waynesbottleworld.com/sodas.htm>

“Welcome to the Village of Arlington Heights” Village of Arlington Heights developed by Mindware Creative, Inc. 8 June 2003 <http://www.vah.com/>

“Significant Events In 20^TH Century Arlington Heights History Timeline” 8 June 2003

<http://www.vah.com/info/timeline.html>

“The History of Vernors” Soda Museum, LLC. 8 June 2003 <http://www.sodamuseum.bigstep.com/generic.jhtml?pid=7>

BOOKS

Author's last name, first Name, middle initial. Book Title. Publisher location: Publisher, Copyright date. (**If the book lists more than one place of publication, use only the one that is geographically the closest to you).

Tchudi, Stephen. Soda Poppery: The History of Soft Drinks ion America: With Recipes for Making and Using Soft Drinks Plus easy Science Experiments. New York: Scribner, 1986.

Stimely, Margot. Historical Society of Arlington Heights. Pictorial History of Arlington Heights 1836-1936. Arlington Heights, Illinois: Historical Society of Arlington Heights, 1990.

Daniels, Daisy Paddock. Prairieville, U.S.A.: a story of the building and development of a pioneer village. Arlington Heights, Illinois: Historical Society of Arlington Heights, 1990.

Souter, Janet. Gerry Souter. Arlington Heights, Illinois: Downtown Renaissance. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2001.

Souter, Gerry. Chronicle of a prairie town : Arlington Heights, Illinois : its people and progress. Arlington Heights, Illinois: Arlington Heights Historical Society, 1997.

Pamphlet

Author or Publishing organization. Title of pamphlet. Place published: Publisher/organization, Date.

Village of Arlington Heights Department of Planning and Community Development. Discover Arlington! Shopping Dining and Entertainment Guide. Arlington Heights, Illinois: Village of Arlington Heights Department of Planning and Community Development & Participating Businesses, 2003.

Author's last name, first name middle initial. "Article Title." Title of Newspaper Date, Edition :(if available) Section: Pages.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

“Mullers sell beverage plant; in family 73 years” Arlington Heights Post 8 December 1944, Vol. 18: no. 14.

Slania, John. “Pop Shop won’t stop making top soda pop” The Daily Herald

Stimely, Margot. “Outhouses, windmills were a common sight” Pioneer Press 22 August 1996, Time Capsule.

Mills, Maryann. “What founding father has wrought” Chicago Tribune 28 August 1985: Sec. 8

Carr, Rebecca. “Pop shop with long past goes under” The Daily Herald 7 July 1991, pages 1-2.

Smith, Larry. “Family-run ‘Pop Shop’ bubbles back to town” The Daily Herald May 1993, pages 1-2

àWay BACK WHEN ARTICLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Video

“We're in the movies: a look at Arlington Heights, IL in 1941.” Pat Craig. TCI of Illinois, inc. 1994.

“Life on the Tall Grass Prairie.” Thomas Conway. Arlington Heights Historical Society. 1991.