Lost Towns of Illinois - Bradley, later renamed Dunton.

History of Dunton began in March 1836 when Asa Dunton, a Yankee stone cutter from Oswego, New York, with his wife, Lois Hawkes Dunton, and six children, the youngest of whom was only two years of age, came to this locality looking for desirable farming land on which to stake a claim. Previous homesteaders had settled in the wooded areas of Wheeling and Elk Grove, but Asa, recognizing the excellence of the soil and the advantage of well-drained higher ground, decided to file his claim on open prairie. He filed his claim for the 160 acres allowed and a like amount for each of his minor sons, William H., 17 years old, and James, 14 years old.

He established his pre-emption rights to these public lands by declaring his intention of settlement, proving his residence within six months, cultivating the tract within one year, and paying the established purchase price of $1.25 an acre. Final title of the homestead was not secured until he had proved his residence for five years. During that first winter Asa and his family were forced to stay in temporary shelter from the winter's icy blasts in Deer Grove. Final proof of compliance with the law enabled Asa to obtain full title to the three homesteads in 1841. The family moved to Lemont, Illinois, where the men found employment in the quarries where stone was being cut for buildings in the town of Chicago, then numbering 4,000 people.

By then the area had largely changed its ethnic composition, as many German farmers from Saxony had arrived during the 1840s. John Klehm might serve as an example; he was at first a potato farmer, supplying the Chicago market, and in 1856 began a nursery for cherry, apple, and pear trees, later moving into spruce, maple, and elm, and then flowers. By the late 1850s the area had become noted for its truck farms, sending dairy products as well as vegetables to Chicago on the railroad.

First Map (1854) of the Town of Bradley (Arlington Heights), Illinois.

In 1854 he laid out half of his farm into lots, creating the town of "Bradley," named in honor of Peter Bradley, a great friend of Asa's son, William Dunton. When the village was first platted, it was only four blocks wide by eight blocks long. The first boundaries matched Euclid Street on the north, Arlington Heights Road on the east, Sigwalt Street on the south, and Highland Avenue on the west.

The name was changed to Dunton when it was learned that there was already a Bradley in Illinois near Kankakee. (note the word Dunton was later written in by hand just above Bradley on the plat map).

In 1855, Asa became the Postmaster of Arlington Heights operating out of his house.

Asa Dunton left Lemont in 1847 to return his family to his original claim. The small frame home that Asa erected for his family home stood on open prairie, beside an old Indian trail (Arlington Heights Road), with no neighbors and no roads. It still stands today (2019) at 612 North Arlington Heights Road. Built of hand hewn beams it has withstood the ravages of wind and weather and is today the proud possession of its present owner. Old timers well remember when it was the home of Asa's granddaughter, Mrs. Farwell.

Some of the old pine and spruce trees, a number of which are still standing north of Euclid and east of Arlington Heights Road, were set out by the Dunton Family. The name "Pine Street" was chosen in later years because of that stand of pines, now more than 170 years old, truly a bequest of beauty.

James Dunton resided in his father's home until his marriage in 1849. He built his first home at 623 North Arlington Heights Road, which stood until 1916 when new construction raized the house. There the family lived until James erected the stately three-story home at 619 North Arlington Heights Road in 1869, just before the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The story is told that many local people stood on the flat part of the roof at the rear and watched the conflagration from that vantage point, twenty-two miles from the scene of the blazing city.

Recent picture of 619 North Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, IL.

Recent picture of 619 North Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, IL.

Recent picture of 619 North Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, IL.

The little town at the depot slowly grew, acquiring a blacksmith, a cheese factory, a hardware store, and a hotel. In 1874, the name was changed to Arlington Heights and was incorporated in 1887, when its population numbered about 1,000. Most were farmers, but they were joined by others who worked in Chicago, for Arlington Heights was an early commuter suburb.

The town developed religious institutions that reflected the origins of its citizens; the first churches were Presbyterian (1856) and Methodist (1858), with a German Lutheran church following in 1860; Catholics had no church here until 1905.

By the turn of the century Arlington Heights had about 1,400 inhabitants, and it continued to grow slowly with a good many farms and greenhouses after World War II. By then Arlington Heights was also known for its racetrack, founded in 1927 by the California millionaire H. D. "Curly" Brown on land formerly consisting of 12 farms. Camp McDonald and two country clubs were founded in the 1930s.

The great population explosion took place in the 1950s and 1960s, when the spread of automobile ownership, together with the expansion of the Chicago-area economy, drove the number of people in Arlington Heights—expanded by a series of annexations —up to 64,884 by 1970. By then virtually all the available land had been taken up, and the formerly isolated depot stop found itself part of a continuous built-up area stretching from Lake Michigan to the Fox River.

Compiled by Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Dick's [Richard Bell] Amusement Park, Bloomington, Illinois. (1955-1965)

Richard Bell, a young Black man, was a self-taught business man and entrepreneur. He bought a farm in Bloomington, Illinois where he raised hogs, popcorn, and soybeans for many years. Next he bought and operated an auto body repair shop. He employed a number of young men, black and white, to who he taught important job skills.

In 1955 Dick opened "Dick's Amusement Park" in Forest Park in Bloomington. The amusement park had a merry-go-round, Ferris wheel, a coal-fueled miniture train, pony rides in an enclosed track, a playground and a concession stand. He closed the park in 1965 and sold off all the rides.

Compiled by Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Ike Sanders hospitality and foodservice success, as a person of color, in Bloomington, Illinois.

Isaac "Ike" Joshua Beasley Sanders (1878-1929), a negro, opened a restaurant and rooming house located at 306 South Main Street in Bloomington, Illinois in 1903. It was known as “Ike Sander’s Restaurant Short Order House.” The restaurant not only provided good meals and courteous service but provided people with boarding and lodging by the day of the week with clean and well-ventilated rooms for reasonable prices.

The interior of Ike Sander's first restaurant in Bloomington, Illinois. Ike's first wife, Allie Headley is behind the bar; Ike's sister, Lillian is on the right and Ike is in the rear.

Lue Anna Brown Sanders Clark recalled that his restaurant served both blacks and whites and that Ike was well-liked by all people in Bloomington which was likely why his business was so successful. Ike and Allie continued to run the restaurant until 1911 when Allie passed away. Shortly after Allie’s death Ike sold the restaurant and moved back to Boston, Massachusetts.

Ike returned to Bloomington around 1915 and opened another restaurant. This lunchroom, the "Cafe and Pool Hall," was located at 410 South Main Street. In February of 1916, an advertisement appears in The Weekly Advertiser (a local black publication) that lists Ike’s pool hall and café at 107 South Main Street in Bloomington, in the central business district. 

Ike Sanders (left) and another man in front of Cafe and Pool Hall at 103 S. Main St., Bloomington, Illinois. Note the Ringling Brothers circus posters in the windows.

A few months later during the summer of 1916, Ike opened the last restaurant he would operate, "The Workingman’s Club" (also known as the Colored Men’s Club) of the City of Bloomington. The restaurant was first located at 408 South Main Street. In order to open his restaurant at that location, Ike (because he was a Negro) had to get permission from the citizens and businessmen in the 400 block of South Main Street. In the statement, the people who lived and worked on that block stated that they were willing to allow Ike’s Workingman’s Club to open.

The club was at this location for a short time until Ike moved the club to 1101 West Washington Street around 1917 where it remained until he was forced to close in late 1919.  His second wife, Lue Anna Brown, and Ike worked as equal partners at the Workingman’s Club.

Owners Ike and Lue Anna Brown Sanders and the interior of the Working Men's Club located at 1101 W. Washington Street, Bloomington, Illinois at 11:25 am. Circa 1917

The Workingman’s Club was open 7 days a week from 7:00 am to midnight. The Club “provided rooms, recreation, and food for the working man.” At first, the Club was a “private affair.” Men who wished to come in would sign their names in the book and give a $1.00 per year membership fee. However, Lue Anna recalled that after a while everybody came in. She said “you know how people are. They just rush in whether it’s private or not.” Not only did the Workingman’s Club have a restaurant, but it also had a pool hall, barbershop, and rooms for working men to stay overnight. While Ike was the President of the Workingman’s Club (managing the pool hall, the barbershop, the drinks, and all of the finances) he gave Lue Anna control over the restaurant.

Lue Anna recalled that meals were served whenever anyone came in, including breakfast. She said there were three small tables in the restaurant and she helped cook and serve customers. Lue Anna remembered that they did not serve “fancy foods” such as greens, chitlins, barbeque ribs, or potato pie. Pig feet and pig ears were favorite menu items, but they “served most anything customers wanted including beef stew, hamburgers, neckbones,” and fish every Friday. They also served Bohemian, Crown, and Budweiser beers.

INDEX TO MY ILLINOIS AND CHICAGO FOOD & RESTAURANT ARTICLES.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.