Mount Prospect Historical Society

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HS Board

Arlington Club Beverage Company

Does MPHS have photographs: Yes

Address: Originally, 110-112 W. Fremont in Arlington Heights, moved in 1964 to 1326 W. Central Road

Is building standing: Yes

What is at site: The Art Studio at Melas Park (opened in 1997)

When was business founded: 1872

Is business still operating: No

If no, when did it close: 1991

Who owned business:  Frederick W. Muller, later sons Henry and William. Sold to Harvey Lutz and Louis Stiglich in March 1960. Sold to Dick Vandenbark in 1985

Interesting stories, facts, history:

Arlington Beverage Company produced sodas and flavored drinks in the Northwest suburbs for over a century. Bottles of cream soda or the black cherry soda will bring back memories to every one who grew up in the area before the 1980s. The Arlington Beverage Company also ran the “Pop Shop” a local landmark. Started in Arlington Heights, the factory was originally in the ground floor of Frederick Muller’s house and the bottled beverages were delivered by horse and wagon. Over time the company grew and made its founder both wealthy and well known. Two of the homes he built are now on the National Register of Historic Places and are the home of the Arlington Heights Historical Society. Over the years, competition from national brands with massive advertising budgets and economies of scale, made it a less and less attractive business and the Pop Shop closed in 1991.

Dr. Alfred Wolfarth

Does MPHS have photographs: Misc. Images

Address in Mount Prospect: 113 W. Prospect

Birth Date: Circa 1899

Death Date:

Marriage
Date:

Spouse: Caroline

Children: Robert (maybe others)

Interesting information on life, career, accomplishments

Dr. Wolfarth was the second doctor in Mount Prospect. His first office was in the Busse Building in Busse Ave, directly above Busse-Biermann Hardware. Working with Dr. Louise Koester, the only other doctor in Mount Prospect, a small hospital was set up for car accidents and emergencies. Dr. Wolfarth supplemented his local business by also being the physician on call for the Mount Prospect Fire Department and the Chicago Northwestern Railroad. During World War II, Dr. Wolfarth left Mount Prospect and served as a doctor at an evacuation hospital for troops of General George Patton. In 1957, he and his wife, son and family friend decided to sail across the Atlantic on a 43 foot boat. They sailed from Germany to New York and then up the Hudson and the Erie Canal to the great lakes and Chicago. This traced the path that many settlers in Mount Prospect would have taken. None of the four people on the boat had extensive experience sailing, so this was a pretty brave trip. It took them four months and 8,000 miles.

William Wille

Does MPHS have photographs: Yes

Address in Mount Prospect:

Birth Date: November 26, 1846, Germany

Death Date: September 21, 1927, Elk Grove, Cook, IL

Marriage
Date: October 28, 1881, Elk Grove, Cook, IL

Spouse: Engel “Ella” Wille (nee Seegers)

Children: Albert, Clara, Sophie, Christ, Adolph, Edwin, Elmer, Luella and Fred (birth order)

Interesting information on life, career, accomplishments

William Wille was one of the most influential people in the development of Mount Prospect. He had a number of different jobs over the years, but he was always involved in community matters. In 1880 he started Wille’s Cheese Factory at the intersection of Northwest Highway, Busse Ave and Wille Street. He would buy milk from local farmers, turn it into cheese and butter and then take it into Chicago for sale. After about twenty years of doing this he got tired of all the trips in and out of the city, particularly in bad weather, and closed the business in 1902. In 1895 he and William Busse were the primary forces behind getting School District 57 founded. After it was founded, W. Wille and W. Busse both donated land to create a small campus for the first school. William Wille was hired to build the first school, the Central School. This one room school house is still standing today, demonstrating his workmanship. In 1905 Wille and Busse teamed up again and re-subdivided the original Eggleston triangle, making the plots more attractive and bringing in new residents. In the early 1900 William Wille also built and started Wille’s Tavern, which he ran up until prohibition, when he gave it to his son who made it into Wille’s Buffet. William Wille also built Wille hall, which was basically the first community building in Mount Prospect. It was used by clubs for meetings and also for local dances and gatherings.