The End of an Era

Certainly the move to Chicago for all the Vanderkloots had to be exciting and a very different way of life from a small rural village to a rapidly expanding, vibrant, cosmopolitan melting pot. The Iron Works was only three miles south of city center in a heavily populated area. Chicago was in the midst of a great building and population boom. The neighborhood they lived was very cosmopolitan. Next door neighbors were emigrants from England, Ireland, Bohemia, Germany, Sweden, nationalities almost too numerous to count. Most were struggling with the language, new customs and a new way of life. But it was a vibrant society where jobs were plentiful and people from all walks of life intermingled at work and in the neighborhood.

The End of an Era

By Dave Jordan
November 27, 2001
Certainly the move to Chicago for all the Vanderkloots had to be exciting and a very different way of life from a small rural village to a rapidly expanding, vibrant, cosmopolitan melting pot. The Iron Works was only three miles south of city center in a heavily populated area. Chicago was in the midst of a great building and population boom. The neighborhood they lived was very cosmopolitan. Next door neighbors were emigrants from England, Ireland, Bohemia, Germany, Sweden, nationalities almost too numerous to count. Most were struggling with the language, new customs and a new way of life. But it was a vibrant society where jobs were plentiful and people from all walks of life intermingled at work and in the neighborhood. Early on Adrianus, Martha, Peter and Marinus would have witnessed the completion of the first cable cars down State Street to 29th Street in 1882 which would have provided easy access to the city center for them. In 1887 the city adopted a plan to install electric lighting on streets, and in 1890 the city began the planning for the World Exposition. Certainly, all the Vanderkloots must have visited the famous Colombian Exposition in 1893, which was only a few miles from where they lived. And perhaps the Iron Works supplied iron for the creation of the structures along the Lake, including the still standing Soldier's Field, the Field Museum, and the Art Institute. Later, they would have witnessed the building of the Elevated Train or the "L" as it worked its way south and a several blocks east of their neighborhood in the late 1890s. And if the they were interested in politics, Chicago in those days was the place for Presidential Conventions where they nominated Harrison in 1888, held the first Democratic Convention in 1892, nominated Roosevelt in 1904 and Taft in 1908. And of course there was baseball, an emerging sport at the turn of the century. Comiskey Park, home of the White Sox, was at 34th Street just a mile south of the old Iron Works and about three-quarters of a mile east. It would have been just an hour walk to the ballpark to enjoy an afternoon game in the sun. The homes in the neighborhood were small cottages, bungalows, and flats. Many flats of the time held numerous and large families and only a few rooms per family. The homes were not well insulated and did not have central heat and generally had only one bathroom. My Grandma Grace recalls that around 1900 all the streets were dirt except Halsted Street, which was paved. She also recalls that in places there were wooden sidewalks. Without refrigeration, people shopped everyday, but because of the housing density, corner groceries were plentiful and easy to walk to. Fresh meat was in good supply since the Chicago Stockyards were only two miles to the south at 40th street, and with southwest breezes a certain odor in the wind. In fact, the whole area must have had a cacophony of sounds and smells from the nearby Iron Works, other small factories, horses, coal and wood burning stoves, vendors, fruit and vegetable carts, and the like. Most of the children attended public elementary school but many girls would not attend high school. My Grandma Grace Vanderkloot said she attended Brennan Grade School at 26th and Lime, so given the location, many of the Vanderkloot children must have also. After grade school, Grace and her sister, Aletta went to secretarial school. The Iron Works must have bred a closeness, security and prosperity for the families. As owners, Marinus' family prospered as the various sons took the company to new heights in the years after his death and some began moving up in Chicago Society. As workers, Matthijs' offspring were not wealthy but they were not poor either. Matthijs' entire family including most of his many sons lived within blocks of the plant letting them walk to work, see each other daily, and get together socially. Fortunately for all, the Iron Works lasted long enough to let most of that first generation have entire careers and retire at ripe old ages, such as my Adrianus in 1920. Many of that first generation saw their children get their first job there, such as my Grandma Grace's first secretarial job. But times were changing and the children had been brought up in a much different environment than rural Netherlands. They sought alternate occupations, such as Peter and Bertha's son Al who became a famous physician. And Adrianus and Martha's Aletta and Grace who enjoyed working as secretaries in the vibrant Chicago Loop, and their sons Matthew and Art who migrated to the new auto industry in Detroit. With the very cosmopolitan neighborhoods, a common language and intermingling of children at public schools and the effect of the melting pot, most if not all of the children married other than Dutch spouses and most including their parents had left the old neighborhoods by the early1920s. It was the end of an era, but a good one that had started with a single decision to find fortune in the New World and ended bringing prosperity and a new life to hundreds. Initial Web Publication Date: 07/27/2001 Intermediate Additions:

Early on Adrianus, Martha, Peter and Marinus would have witnessed the completion of the first cable cars down State Street to 29th Street in 1882 which would have provided easy access to the city center for them. In 1887 the city adopted a plan to install electric lighting on streets, and in 1890 the city began the planning for the World Exposition. Certainly, all the Vanderkloots must have visited the famous Colombian Exposition in 1893, which was only a few miles from where they lived. And perhaps the Iron Works supplied iron for the creation of the structures along the Lake, including the still standing Soldier's Field, the Field Museum, and the Art Institute. Later, they would have witnessed the building of the Elevated Train or the "L" as it worked its way south and a several blocks east of their neighborhood in the late 1890s. And if the they were interested in politics, Chicago in those days was the place for Presidential Conventions where they nominated Harrison in 1888, held the first Democratic Convention in 1892, nominated Roosevelt in 1904 and Taft in 1908. And of course there was baseball, an emerging sport at the turn of the century. Comiskey Park, home of the White Sox, was at 34th Street just a mile south of the old Iron Works and about three-quarters of a mile east. It would have been just an hour walk to the ballpark to enjoy an afternoon game in the sun.

The homes in the neighborhood were small cottages, bungalows, and flats. Many flats of the time held numerous and large families and only a few rooms per family. The homes were not well insulated and did not have central heat and generally had only one bathroom. My Grandma Grace recalls that around 1900 all the streets were dirt except Halsted Street, which was paved. She also recalls that in places there were wooden sidewalks. Without refrigeration, people shopped everyday, but because of the housing density, corner groceries were plentiful and easy to walk to. Fresh meat was in good supply since the Chicago Stockyards were only two miles to the south at 40th street, and with southwest breezes a certain odor in the wind. In fact, the whole area must have had a cacophony of sounds and smells from the nearby Iron Works, other small factories, horses, coal and wood burning stoves, vendors, fruit and vegetable carts, and the like.

Most of the children attended public elementary school but many girls would not attend high school. My Grandma Grace Vanderkloot said she attended Brennan Grade School at 26th and Lime, so given the location, many of the Vanderkloot children must have also. After grade school, Grace and her sister, Aletta went to secretarial school.

The Iron Works must have bred a closeness, security and prosperity for the families. As owners, Marinus' family prospered as the various sons took the company to new heights in the years after his death and some began moving up in Chicago Society.

As workers, Matthijs' offspring were not wealthy but they were not poor either. Matthijs' entire family including most of his many sons lived within blocks of the plant letting them walk to work, see each other daily, and get together socially. Fortunately for all, the Iron Works lasted long enough to let most of that first generation have entire careers and retire at ripe old ages, such as my Adrianus in 1920. Many of that first generation saw their children get their first job there, such as my Grandma Grace's first secretarial job.

But times were changing and the children had been brought up in a much different environment than rural Netherlands. They sought alternate occupations, such as Peter and Bertha's son Al who became a famous physician. And Adrianus and Martha's Aletta and Grace who enjoyed working as secretaries in the vibrant Chicago Loop, and their sons Matthew and Art who migrated to the new auto industry in Detroit.

With the very cosmopolitan neighborhoods, a common language and intermingling of children at public schools and the effect of the melting pot, most if not all of the children married other than Dutch spouses and most including their parents had left the old neighborhoods by the early1920s. It was the end of an era, but a good one that had started with a single decision to find fortune in the New World and ended bringing prosperity and a new life to hundreds.