HS Board

Does MPHS have photographs: Yes

Address in Mount Prospect: 31 S. Main

Birth Date: January 7, 1863

Death Date: December 3, 1948

Marriage
Date: 1884

Spouse: Christina (Henningsmeyer) Meyn (b. August 11, 1863 d. 1925)

Children: Laura, Herman, Bertha, Elsie, William, John Jr., Christine, and Adele

Interesting information on life, career, accomplishments:

John Meyn was born in Schleswig-Holstein and immigrated to America in 1882 at the age of 19. He worked as an assistant blacksmith in Arlington Heights for a year before he was persuaded by John C. Moehling, Mount Prospect’s first postmaster and owner of the general store, to move to Mount Prospect and open his own shop. He was the first blacksmith in town and ran the business for many years. His shop in Mount Prospect was located on Northwest Highway, just past Main Street. Having a blacksmith shop was an early step towards development. When most transportation required horses, you needed to have someone who could shoe the horses and repair wagons in town if you expected the town to grow. This is why John Moehling went out of his way to persuade John Meyn to move to Mount Prospect.

Does MPHS have photographs: Yes

Address in Mount Prospect: 21 S. Maple

Birth Date: November 28, 1889

Death Date: 1965

Marriage
Date: December 30, 1911

Spouse: Ida Deeke

Children: 2 Daughters, Vanetta Winkelman Pearson (she had two husbands) and Elvira Grotheer

Interesting information on life, career, accomplishments:

Herman Meyn, was Mount Prospect’s second mayor. He was the son of Mount Prospect’s first Blacksmith, John Meyn. Herman Meyn was also trained as a blacksmith and began working as a blacksmith in 1914. He bought his own business in 1924 and still had an active foundry business when he became mayor. Changing with the times, he later expanded his business to include farm implements and eventually lawn movers.

Herman Meyn was one of the first people born in Mount Prospect. When he was born, the town was only what we think of as downtown. There were only three shops in town and with his six brothers and sisters, his family made up a large percentage of the town’s population.

He was involved with many aspects of the community. He was a charter member of the Mount Prospect Volunteer Fire Department and served on the force for many years. He was the fourth Fire Chief in Mount Prospect, holding that position for nine years, or from 1922 until he became Mayor. Even with the added responsibility of being the head of the Village Board, he remained active in the Fire Department throughout his term, putting in a total of 17 years on the force.

Soon after Herman Meyn became Mayor of Mount Prospect, the U.S. economy went into its longest and most severe recession, the Great Depression. Meyn stayed as the Mayor through the entire crisis. In that time Mount Prospect became known as one of the most responsibly run communities in Illinois. It was one of very few communities in the area that remained solvent throughout the 1930s. Meyn was even able to make some civic improvements during these difficult times. In 1935 he oversaw a water reservoir to better serve the community needs.

 

Does MPHS have photographs: No

Address in Mount Prospect: 11 S. State Road, Arlington Heights

Birth Date: Unknown

Death Date: Unknown

Marriage
Date: Unknown

Spouse: Unknown

Children: Frank, Henry C.W., George Albert (possibly others)

Interesting information on life, career, accomplishments:

Henry Meyer was involved in a number of different activities in the Mount Prospect area. In 1883 Christian Geils (the first owner of the Mount Prospect general store), J.A. Kennicott, and Henry Meyer purchased property with the purpose of producing a pond. They built a dam and flooded an area that became Arlington Heights Pond or Meyer’s Pond. The point of the pond was to produce ice in the winter, so that they could form an ice-delivery service, which was quite profitable in years before refrigeration. Meyer later bought out his partners and built a grand house on the property.

Henry Meyer had construction experience as he had built Saint John Evangelical Reformed Church (Saint John United Church of Christ), worked with John Boeger to build Saint Peter Lutheran Church, and was in business with his sons building houses. He also ran a beer distributor business that covered all the space from Des Plaines to Barrington.