Butterworth Education Center

Royal Experiences for the Deere Family: Part II

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 20:19:33 GMT

1959

In part one, we looked at the experiences that Katherine Deere Butterworth and Charles and Pattie Wiman had with the British Royal family in the 1920s, 30s, and Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. Pattie Wiman (Mrs. Charles Deere Wiman) also had the honor of receiving invitations to two special events here in the United State held for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip.

On July 6, 1959, Mrs. Wiman was invited to a luncheon at the Ambassador West Hotel.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip had recently toured every province in Canada. The main reason for their trip was for the opening ceremony of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Side Note:
On June 26, 1959, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower and her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the Seaway. After addressing the crowd, Queen Elizabeth and President Eisenhower boarded the Royal Yacht Britannia to make a ceremonial trip through the St. Lambert and Cote Ste. Catherine Locks.

The St. Lawrence Seaway was a joint commission between the United States and Canada and created an important navigational channel permitting ocean going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The Seaway is made up of a system of canals, locks and dredged waterways extending nearly 2,500 miles.

The royal couple’s trip to Chicago was a busy two days. Besides the July 6th luncheon, they participated in a parade and a formal dinner.

The location of the luncheon was the Ambassador West Hotel and hosted by the Governor of the State of Illinois and Mrs. William G. Stratton.

The Ambassador West and East buildings still stand. The West building is now condos. The Guild Hall was built for $1 million in 1958 and the photograph below was taken in 1959. One feature mentioned was their spectacular chandeliers.

https://chuckmanchicagonostalgia.wordpress.com/2011/04/24/photo-chicago-ambassador-east-hotel-guildhall-banquet-room-1959/

1969

The next occasion Mrs. Wiman was invited to was a formal dinner in honor of Prince Phillip Duke of Edinburgh. The dinner was held on March 16th at the Conrad Hilton Hotel. The host was the Chicago Committee of Variety Clubs International.

Side Note:
Variety Clubs was founded in October of 1927, in Pittsburgh, PA, as a social club. Eleven young men, all connected to show business, created Variety Clubs. The name came from there being many different facets of the entertainment industry.

In 1928, the group found a baby left on the steps of a theatre, with a note attached from the mother. “Please take care of my baby. Her name is Catherine. I can no longer take care of her. I have 8 others. My husband is out of work on Thanksgiving Day. I have always heard of the goodness of show businesspeople and pray to god that you will look after her. Signed, A heartbroken mother”

The club decided to underwrite Catherine’s support and education. Publicity about Catherine and their work led to the Variety Children’s Charity being formed to help disadvantaged children, sick or living with a disability, around the world.

The dinner's menu was included with the invitation, depicting an elegant event in honor of Prince Phillip. Looking over the menu I wondered about a recipe for Salad Sarah Giddons . I could not find anything. But I was able to determine that Mignardises were bite-sized desserts served at the end of the meal. Which is the same thing as Petit Fours .

I was able to find a recipe for Beau Nash

Beau Nash Delight
Ingredients:
Semisweet chocolate 6 ounce
Egg yolks 1 Cup
Sugar ½ Cup
Salt 1 Pinch
Hazelnuts ½ Cup
Kirsch 1 Tablespoon
Vanilla extract 1 Teaspoon
Heavy cream 1 Tablespoon, whipped

Directions:
Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler.
Cool slightly and use it to line 6-10 paper baking cups, swirling the chocolate with a teaspoon to coat them evenly.
Chill the cups until the chocolate is hard, then peel off the paper.
Beat egg yolks, sugar, and salt in top of a double boiler over hot water.
Stir mixture constantly with wire whip until it is warm and very light.
Cool over crushed ice, beating constantly.
Fold in the whipped cream, nuts, kirsch, and extract.
Spoon mixture into the chocolate baskets.
Place in freezer for several hours or until firm.

Sounds delicious. I was a bit surprised when I read the calories were 2,504, but then realized that they are calling the serving size the complete recipe. Although I would be tempted to eat all of the cups.

Royal Experiences for the Deere Family

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 20:30:48 GMT

Americans’ fascination with the British royal family is not a recent phenomenon. With the death of Queen Elizabeth in 2022, we have been flooded with royal news. One historian places this interest back to 1776.

Arianne Chernock, an associate professor in the history department at Boston University, said Americans’ interest in the royal family has been apparent since our nation was formed. “It has been alive pretty much since 1776,” she said. “Pretty much as soon as we severed ties, we were back to being fascinated – captivated really – by the royal family.” Chernock continued that this makes sense with the relationship maintained by the United States and Great Britain. This bond deepened politically, even more after WWII.

Today, we often see American celebrities hobnobbing with the royals. In earlier times it wasn’t just the celebrities, but wealthy Americans. In looking through our archives, it is apparent that the Deere family was fascinated by the British royals. John Deere’s parents emigrated from England to America circa 1800. They supported themselves as tailors in Vermont. Could they imagine that one day their descendants would meet Queens and Kings from their homeland.

We hope you enjoy the many archival pieces we found.

1928
The first evidence of the Deere’s fascination is from 1928. Charles Wiman and his wife Pattie, (grandson of Charles Deere and great grandson of John Deere) traveled to London for Pattie’s presentation at Court. In reading about Court presentations, one account states these ceremonies happened a few times a year. In 1928, the presentation would have been to King George V and Queen Mary, the grandparents of Queen Elizabeth II.

Luckily, Pattie wrote down her memories of this occasion. According to her notes, she attended the presentation at Buckingham Palace with a Miss Hurley, from Chicago. The pair’s car arrived at the entrance line at 6:15p and entered the Palace gates about 8:45p. Once they left their car, Pattie and Miss Hurley were seated in a room with rows of chairs. At about 9:15p, their row was led to the throne room.

Once Pattie entered the throne room, she presented her card at the door. Her name was read and her gown’s train was arranged, before proceeding to make her bow to the King. She then stepped further along to make her bow to the Queen. No words were spoken, and the evening ended with a visit to the supper room about 11:00p. After midnight, Pattie gave her name for her car to be called. She ended her memories with “Never again do I expect to see anything so beautiful.”

Notice that the invitation states that ladies are required to wear Court Dress with feathers and trains.

1935
In 1935, the Silver Jubilee of King George V was celebrated. We know that some of the Deere family traveled to the London for the event. Very little documentation survives from this trip, except for the Royal Silver Jubilee photograph booklet.

1953
The June 2, 1953, coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, was the first to be televised. This was probably the last trip Katherine Deere Butterworth made abroad. She passed away in December of 1953.

Mrs. Butterworth traveled on the S.S. United States ship with her personal secretary Ruth Moll, and friend Mrs. Joshua Hale.

S.S. United State was commissioned the year before Mrs. Butterworth’s trip.

The ship left New York on May 22, 1953. Interestingly, the list of first class passengers includes the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. We don’t know who snapped this photograph, maybe Ruth Moll?

While the travelers were in London, they attended a comedy at the New Theatre on May 29, 1953. The notes written on the playbill, tell us that included in their group was Charles and Pattie Wiman, a Dr. Neff, and Mr. & Mrs. Val Fischer.

The main reason for this trip was the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Mrs. Butterworth’s group watched the Coronation Procession from a viewing stand at Hamilton Place.

What a spectacular sight this must have been. The lovely “Approved Souvenir Programme” provides every detail of the procession and coronation. Of special interest is the official route map. The approximate location of the Hamilton Place viewing stand is circled.

Included in the WBF Archives are two souvenir postcards. The single view of Queen Elizabeth is one of the most striking portraits we have seen of her.

Our next “History Bites at the Deere Homes” blog will feature Mrs. Charles Deere Wiman’s experiences with the royal family in 1959 and 1966.

Alexander F. Harmer

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 15:47:48 GMT

If you have not watched any of our YouTube videos at our channel Deere Family Homes, we encourage you to check out the April 2022 video. The video features the story of one painting hanging in the Deere-Wiman House. The painting’s artist is Alexander Harmer.

We are lucky to have four paintings in our collection that were created by Harmer. It made sense for us to learn more about Harmer and see if we could determine why we have so many paintings from one artist. I love all four pieces and wanted to know more about the artist and determine if there was a connection to the family. Three of the paintings hang in the Deere-Wiman House and one at Butterworth Center. So, it was not just one family member that took an interest in his work.

We know that William and Anna Wiman moved to Santa Barbara in the 1890s. Then about 1906-07, William and his sons moved back to Moline following Anna’s death. The Santa Barbara house was still owned by the family, and by 1914, Katherine and William Butterworth began to use the house. In addition to the house in Santa Barbara, the Butterworths also owned a residence in the San Marcos Pass area. Mrs. Butterworth continued to spend part of the winter in Santa Barbara until her death in 1953. We also know that Charles Deere Wiman and his family had a home in the area, as early as the 1920s.

Did any of the family know Alexander Harmer? We wish we knew. It is possible since Harmer’s life in Santa Barbara does overlap with the Butterworth and Wiman families. Or maybe the family did not know Harmer but was drawn to his art and purchased pieces through art dealers.

Alexander Francis Harmer was born in 1856, in Newark, New Jersey. One source I read said that he sold his first work at the age of 11 for $2. Then at the age of 16, he lied about his age and joined the United States Army. He was stationed in California, which I think is the time period his artistic interests changed. He turned towards painting and illustrating the Apache Nation. The year would have been 1872, and the US Army would have had a large presence in the West with the enforcement of federal Indian policy (which consisted of allotment of land and assimilation.)

After just one year, Harmer asked for a discharge and left the military. He worked as a photographer’s assistant until he was able to enroll in art school. He studied art under Thomas Eakins and Thomas Anshutz at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. In 1881, he re-enlisted in the Army and headed to his assignment at Fort Apache, Arizona. Harmer probably saw the Army as a cheap way of traveling West to continue his interest in the American West and the Apache Indians. During this enlistment, he was able to serve in an Army division assigned to pursue Geronimo. His studies of Indian life created an invaluable record. Harmer then returned to the academy in Pennsylvania where he turned his sketches of the Apache Nation into illustrations for Harper’s Weekly.

In 1891, Harmer returned to California, and in 1893, he married Felicidad Abadie. The Abadie family was one of the pioneering California families. The couple settled in Santa Barbara, which led to Harmer being remembered as “Southern California’s first great painter of the 19th Century." At this time, his work revolved around a series of paintings of the Old California missions under Mexican rule. They resided on De La Guerra Plaza, which included the Adabie family home. From 1908 through the 1920s, Harmer established the first art colony on the West coast. Studios were added to the Spanish-Colonial adobe home of the Harmers, where many up and coming artists worked.

Alexander Harmer died on January 10, 1925, supposedly while admiring the sunset from his backyard. This was just six months before the Santa Barbara earthquake, which left the Harmers' adobes in ruins.

All four paintings are signed Alex. F. Harmer, but only two are dated. Below are photographs of the four paintings in the collection.

I would guess that Harmer painted this from his many sketches he completed during his Army days.

This painting depicts the lives of the Spanish Missions of Old California. Maybe his wife and some of their daughters posed? Harmer and Felicidad Abadie had seven children that survived to adulthood. A set of twins did not survive.

Apache Harvest is one of my favorites in our collection. A beautiful scene of Indian life.

A close-up shows Harmer’s signature and we can make out 1882 along the bottom. But not quite sure what is written between the signature and date.

Inside the Butterworth Garage

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 16:20:29 GMT

In a recent blog post, we looked at the exterior of the Butterworth Garage, circa 1909, now known as the Butterworth Education Center. Let’s go inside the building beginning with the addition constructed in 2009. The main entryway is where community groups enter the building for meetings. A special feature is the exposed brick wall allowing us to see the original exterior wall of the historic garage building.

A staircase leads up to the mezzanine level. Displayed here is a visual history of the Deere-Wiman swimming pool. You can learn more about the Deere-Wiman Swimming Pool at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh_fE8Yu73pde2VPtzJ8tUQ .

From the mezzanine, we enter back into the original building. First stop is where the original viewing seats existed for the squash court. Can you envision Mr. Butterworth and other executives at Deere & Company enjoying a rousing game of squash? This room features beautiful ceilings and the ceiling lights which could be lowered to change light bulbs. We only have one historic photograph taken inside one of the rooms in the Butterworth garage, so enjoy the modern photographs.

Next, we are heading to the second floor of the original 1909 garage. The second floor consisted of a small bedroom which the chauffeur used as needed, a storage room, Mr. Butterworth’s den, and a two room/one bath apartment for the second butler.

Chauffeur's Bedroom:
This bedroom was used if a chauffeur needed to be on property at night. Clifford Paul was the Butterworth chauffeur for years. Even though he and his family lived nearby, there were occasions when he needed to stay on the property at night.

Storage Room:

The original storage racks for window screens still stands in the room. How long did it take staff to install the screens to the garage and main house in the spring? What a task that was in the spring and late fall.

Mr. Butterworth’s Den:

This lovely room offered privacy for William Butterworth, away from the house and office. Imagine the shelves filled with his books and gun collection. The story is that if Mr. Butterworth was working from the garage den, he was not to be disturbed. This room has a lovely view of the Butterworth gardens and of the house.

The one historic photograph in our collection shows just a portion of this room. Below we see staff members Ruth Moll and Ella Swanson seated in front of the fireplace, circa 1920-25).

Second Butler’s Apartment:

One long-term second butler was Herbert Schauer, 1924-57. What were his duties as second butler? During this time period, the head butler was Albert Boost. Basically, Schauer’s job was to assist Mr. Boost. In addition, he was the personal butler to Mr. Butterworth, taking care of his clothing and personal affects. Besides keeping his own closet organized, he maintained Mr. Butterworth’s wardrobe room.

Let’s head back downstairs and see the squash court from the playing floor. Today the squash court is equipped for viewing films and power point programs. In the original garage, there was a small shower and changing area for the squash players.

Garage:

Today the main garage is our versatile meeting space, which handles many community group meetings. Adjacent is a full kitchen. Can you imagine the garage doors open to 12th Avenue and the space filled with the Butterworth’s vehicles?

We only have the picture below showing a Butterworth auto parked just outside the 12th Avenue entrance.

One feature from the garage still exists. The room that is now equipped as a kitchen was originally the garage workroom. The oil dispensers were made by the Tokheim Manufacturing Co., of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. With their patent date of January 2, 1900, these dispensers were probably installed in 1909, when the garage was built. There were two dispensers so that two different grades of oil could be pumped. To use a pump, you would set a can, probably with a spout, underneath the hand pump. You could then pump the amount of oil out that was needed for your automobile or other equipment.

Thanks for joining us as we toured the inside of the Butterworth Garage/Education Center. Soon we will be adding a self-guided 360 degree tour of the building to our website.

The History of the Butterworth Garage

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 19:09:38 GMT

On the Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman property there are two buildings which provided support to the homes. At Deere-Wiman House, what we call the Carriage House was not built as a carriage house but as a garage. The site of the building is where the original carriage house sat.

The Butterworth Education Center consists of the original Butterworth garage with an addition added in 2006-08. Built in 1909, the garage was very different in style from their home. Located at the corner of 12th Avenue and 7th Street, the building was in the southwest corner of the Butterworths' property, while the home is in the northeast corner.

The garage was designed by O.A. Eckerman in the Tudor style. This style became popular at the turn of the century. Notice the brick first-story walls with contrasting stucco on the second floor and the half-timbering.

Oscar Eckerman was a Moline native who attended Augustana College. He then received formal architectural training at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, between 1892-1893. It is not known where he practiced at first, but one source suggests that he may have worked for the firm of D.H. Burnham & Company. (Leonard K. Eaton, “Oscar Eckerman: Architect to Deere & Company, 1897-1942,” Canadian Art Review Vol. 3, No.2 (1976), 88-99).

O.A. Eckerman returned to Moline in January 1897 and began work for Deere & Company as an in-house architect and engineer. Over his 45-year career, he designed distribution buildings and warehouses in Atlanta, Bloomington (IL), Chicago, Dallas, Indianapolis, Kansas City (MO), Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Oklahoma, Portland, San Francisco, Spokane, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg.

More important to our story, Eckerman was instrumental in four projects for the Deere family. In 1909, his first design work for Katherine and William Butterworth was the Butterworth garage and an ash and tool house in the gardens. This was followed by a greenhouse in 1910. Then in 1916-17, he was the architect of the swimming pool at Overlook. (see previous blog post). And finally in 1925, he completed renovations to the Butterworth home.

Once the garage design was completed, Henry W. Horst Co., General Contractors from Rock Island, Illinois, completed the work. It is possible that Horst then completed work in the early 1910s, adding Eckerman’s design of a greenhouse and the electric car garage.

If we look at the original garage photograph, we can see two major differences between the 1909 garage and the building today (not including the 2008 addition on the east end of the building). The 1909 garage had one set of double doors opening onto 7th Street and one set of doors opening onto 12th Avenue. We do not know when the Butterworths closed off the 7th Street doors and added a second set of double doors on 12th Avenue. The snowy photograph above, from the 1920s, shows two sets of doors on the south side. Our theory is that as 7th Street became busier with traffic, the decision was made to close and brick over the entrance. You can see the change in brick where they filled in the door in the modern photograph below. The other major change from 1909 is the roofing material. At some point, the original clay tiles were replaced with shingles.

In December, check out History Bites at the Deere Homes for a look inside this building.

Deere-Wiman House 1917 Swimming Pool

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 13:50:21 GMT

Click here to view a new video on our YouTube Channel featuring the Swimming Pool built in 1917 on the Deere-Wiman House grounds. https://youtu.be/NgV6XUEkrLs

The Deere Family and The Hotel Colorado

Fri, 28 May 2021 13:37:07 GMT

What I love about the study of history are the interesting little stories you come across. This is the case with this month’s blog. At first glance, two photographs from the archives do not tell much of a story.

We see Mary Deere, her daughter Anna Wiman, and Anna’s son Charles. The setting tells us little. It is just a sweet picture of three generations of one family.

The story grew as it led us in a different direction through the inscription on the back of one photograph. I could tell that this photograph was taken the same time and location as the one above. The inscription includes, May 1896, Glenwood Springs. (See Below) I wasn’t surprised when I saw the name of a hot springs. A trip to a hot spring was very popular during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The healing waters were a popular destination for families, the wealthy, and the famous. Other photographs in the collection show the Deere family visiting Baden Baden in Germany, Hot Springs in Arkansas, and French Lick in Indiana.

Out of curiosity, I wondered what Glenwood Springs was like and through the glory of google, I came across a brief history of the town. What drew my eye was the photograph of the hot springs and the Hotel Colorado. (See below) The central courtyard with the arched entrances led to my next research step. Hotel Colorado still exists so I emailed them. I sent them our 1896 photograph to see if it was taken in their courtyard. A staff member promptly answered me that our photograph was taken in their courtyard.

Hotel Colorado at Glenwood Springs, Colorado. “In 1888, the world’s largest hot springs pool was born in the newly established town of Glenwood Springs. It became world-renowned as a healing wonder set in a mountain paradise.” The sandstone bathhouse and lodge were built for $100,000 in 1890. Go to https://www.hotelcolorado.com/our-hotel/history to read more about the hotel and its interesting history during World War II.

She also shared several other historic photographs which give us a clearer picture of what the Deere family experienced at Hotel Colorado.

I can imagine Mary and Anna walking through these spaces and taking Charles out to the courtyard to play with his toy train. I wish I knew why they decided to go to Glenwood Springs. Did one of the family go for the healing waters of the springs? I assume they traveled by rail to reach the springs. Today the railroad still runs along the Colorado River through Glenwood Canyon.

I hope you have enjoyed this month’s little story. I never know where my research will lead, but I do enjoy these pieces of history.

Special thank you to Hotel Colorado and staff member Taylor James for being so helpful. Someday I would love to head out to Colorado and experience the grandeur of Hotel Colorado and the mineral-rich hot springs.

Go to www.hotelcolorado.com to read more about the beautiful hotel.

Ruth Vendala Marie Moll, Part II

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 13:47:40 GMT

Last month’s blog looked at Ruth Moll’s childhood and the early years of her working for Katherine and William Butterworth. We are now turning to her life at Hillcrest, both with Katherine and William Butterworth and as the first Director of Butterworth Center. I have struggled with how to organize these two periods in Ruth’s life in a meaningful manner. Because I love historic photographs, I have decided that telling her story mostly through photos is the best option.

As I mentioned last month, soon after Ruth came to work for the Butterworth household, she made her first trip to Cuba. From her stuffed scrapbook, we know that this was the first trip of many. In 1920, she accompanied both William and Katherine to Europe on the Red Star Line on the S.S. Kroonland ship. The early pages of the scrapbook are filled with numerous playbills like the one below from the London Hippodrome. This was just the start of Ruth’s many visits to plays, musicals, operas, and concerts in Europe, New York and Chicago.

Back in Moline, Ruth continued her close friendship with the other staff at Hillcrest. They had so much fun together in the Hillcrest gardens, the Butterworth’s houseboat and in California at the Butterworth’s other residences.

Several photographs in our archives are marked as being used for passport photographs. It is interesting to see Ruth through the years.

You may have seen a photograph very similar to this one above. During the 1920s many people made the trip to Egypt to see the Pyramids. The Egyptians must have had a photo stop in this location. I have seen many photographs with different people posed in a very similar arrangement.

After Mrs. Butterworth’s passing in 1953, Hillcrest was converted into the Butterworth Center. In her will, Mrs. Butterworth had created the William Butterworth Memorial Trust. The Trust was to be used to fund a meeting center for local not-for-profit organizations. Ruth became the first Director of Butterworth Center and oversaw preparations for its’ opening for meetings in May of 1956.

Just before the house hosted it first meeting, Ruth held an open house. As you can see from the Moline Daily Dispatch, crowds of people lined up to see inside the Butterworth home for the first time.

This is how I remember Ruth. I came to work at the homes in 1986 and remember seeing Ruth at her desk in Butterworth Center every day. From 1953 until her retirement in 1990, Ruth lived on the third floor of Butterworth Center. The two original staff bedrooms became her sitting room and bedroom. It was in her sitting room that I sat down with her and a tape recorder to try and document her memories of a wonderful life.

My memories of the 10a coffee break with Ruth date to 1986-1990. Ruth would dress and head down to her office in the morning. By 10a she was ready for her breakfast. Everyone would gather around the kitchen table. This would include all staff inside and outside and any workmen that day were invited. A typical break consisted of coffee and biscuits. The very first time I saw Ruth eat a biscuit I was astounded. She would split the biscuit open, pull the plate with a stick of butter on it, towards her. She would then slice her knife down on the butter and place it on one half of the biscuit. She would then repeat this process. The whole time she would be talking. I was sure that she didn’t realize how thick a slice of butter she had added to each half. But then she would pick up a half and starting eating. I then realized this was a woman who really liked butter!

During the summer of 1990, Ruth fell and was in the hospital for a period. Her doctor explained that it was time for her to retire. At the age of 93 she left the home she had known since 1916 and moved to Friendship Manor. Then three years later she passed away on her 96th birthday. Her funeral brought out many people with fond memories of her long life as “the First Lady of Butterworth Center.” One special memory for me is that a longtime Butterworth staff member was allowed to drive the hearse. During Ruth's tenure as Director of Butterworth Center, George Catterton was responsible for driving Ruth. She had never learned to drive since her first 37 years at Hillcrest the chauffeurs did all the driving.

In closing, I am sharing one of my favorite photographs. These three women, along with Kay Vogel (Director of Deere-Wiman House), would meet for lunch to celebrate their birthdays. I was lucky enough to be invited along twice. This photograph was celebrating Kay’s birthday. These three women I was privileged to know and I miss listening to them chat. Many have asked me if I know what Mrs. Butterworth was like. I answer that since I knew Ruth, I feel that I also knew Mrs. Butterworth. She spent her life with her and I think absorbed many of Mrs. Butterworth's mannerisms and morals. She felt honored to continue Mrs. Butterworth’s legacy in the community for 75 years.

Ruth Vendla Marie Moll

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 13:48:19 GMT

March 24, 2021

Women’s History Month can be traced back to 1911 and the first International Women’s Day, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that US Presidents began designating the month of March as Women’s History Month. In studying the many women who played an important part in Deere Homes history, there are many I could choose to feature. You might be surprised that I am not choosing a Deere family member. Instead I have decided to do a 2-part series on Ruth Moll.

Many familiar with the early years of Butterworth Center remember Ruth as a central fixture. She was Director of Butterworth Center from 1956 until her retirement in 1990, at the age of 93. For this month, we are going to go back to the beginning and learn about Ruth’s childhood and how she became a staff member in the household of William and Katherine Butterworth.

Ruth Vendla Marie was born on January 22, 1897, to Frank Isaac Moll and Johanna Elizabeth Alice Lindquist. Sadly, her father died February 26, 1897, when Ruth was just 5 weeks old. The Rock Island Argus, on February 27, states that he accidently fell out a third floor opening in a Deere & Co. warehouse, breaking his neck and sustaining severe head injuries. Fellow workers found him after they had stopped work for the day.

Johanna was left to raise four daughters named Edna, Nora, Edith, and Ruth. She took in roomers at their home, 725 14th Street, Moline, to support the family. The family was lifelong members of First Lutheran Church, in Moline.

At 5’10”, Ruth was active on the interclass basketball team. She served as Captain to the Junior and Senior teams. In 1913 and 1914, Ruth’s class won the Interclass Tournament Championship. Besides being active in basketball, Ruth was also on the honor roll. I especially enjoy the words listed in the MHS 1914 yearbook about Ruth, “A daughter of the gods, divinely tall and most fair.”

Ruth had dreams of becoming a history teacher. After graduation she headed off to Macomb, IL, to study at Western Illinois University. At the end of her first year, Ruth came home to find work. Her mother was ill, and she needed to help her family and hopefully earn money to eventually go back to WIU and finish her degree. Her life though was about to change forever, sending her on a very different path.

Ruth told me many years ago about Lyla Meinken, who worked for the Butterworths. In 1916, Mrs. Butterworth asked Lyla to become her personal maid. She declined as she was leaving Hillcrest to get married. Mrs. Butterworth than asked another employee, Millie Eldean to take the position, but she was also to be married in 1916. Ruth’s sister Nora, who worked for the Wiman family, suggested Ruth for the job. Ruth hoped to return to Macomb in the fall but agreed to take the job for the summer. I can still remember Ruth telling me that she went to work at the Butterworth home and within a week, Mrs. Butterworth said, “Ruth, pack your bags. We are going to Cuba.” And Ruth said to me, “I never left.” Here was a young lady, age 19, who had probably never traveled farther than Macomb, IL, from her home in Moline. How exciting this must have been to her. This was just the start of a fascinating life of travel and experiences. I especially enjoy the photograph below taken of Ruth on a beach during travels with William and Katherine Butterworth. Don’t be alarmed by the photograph as it appears Ruth doesn’t have a right arm. Just an exposure problem.

Another favorite story that Ruth shared was from her first trip to Cuba. Ruth said that Mr. Butterworth was always concerned about the safety of his staff on trips. If he didn’t feel the hotel room assigned to staff was secure enough, he would have the hotel upgrade the room. On this trip Ruth experienced this firsthand. Mr. Butterworth did not feel the door to Ruth’s room provided enough security.

It was this same trip that Ruth was just learning the ropes for traveling with the couple. One task she was assigned was handling Mrs. Butterworth’s traveling jewelry case. When they went to check out of a hotel, Mr. Butterworth pulled her aside and handed her the jewelry case Ruth had forgotten. He made it clear this was her responsibility but not in a harsh manner. Ruth always remembered this and referenced this as describing what a kind and wonderful man William Butterworth was.

In the few years that I knew Ruth, she shared many wonderful stories about life at Hillcrest. She shared many stories about how much she treasured Katherine and William Butterworth. In some ways, Ruth became a daughter to them. Ruth told me that Mrs. Butterworth said if Ruth married, she wanted her to have the wedding at Hillcrest. Ruth never did marry but instead traveled the world with the Butterworths. From pictures and Ruth’s stories, there were men who came courting. I think Ruth was dedicated to the Butterworths and after Mr. Butterworth’s death in 1936, she became even closer to Mrs. Butterworth.

Life at Hillcrest shows a very close-knit staff. I think this is representative of Mr. & Mrs. Butterworth truly caring for their staff. Ruth remembered fondly many of the staff from her year’s in the home. Many pictures show their comradery.

Join me next month when we look at the many trips Ruth took with the Butterworths and the stories she shared. If you have a story of your memories of Ruth, please share them in the comment section.

Mollie and John Capris

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 14:58:24 GMT

February 22, 2021

Mollie and John Capris were valued staff members of the Charles Deere household in the 1860s to the early 1880s.

More is known about John, due to his tragic death in 1882. From his obituary, we know that John was born in Charleston, South Carolina, c1846. He was probably born a slave, but at the age of about sixteen he came Moline as a free man. Why Moline? I wish we knew the whole story. In the Moline Daily Dispatch article dated June 19, 1948, we see:

“Old John Deere brought a family here named Capus. He built a house for them near his home. They joined the First Methodist Church.” Moline Daily Dispatch , June 19, 1948

The spelling of the surname is different. Several sources have been found that spell the name in a variety of ways, Capus, Capens and Capris. John’s obituary and tombstone spell his name as Capris, so we are sticking with Capris. Whether or not John Deere brought the Capris family to Moline is also not known for sure. The City Directory of 1866 lists John Capris as residing at Ann nw cor Atkinson (translates to 6th Avenue at the northwest corner of 18th Street). This address is near where John Deere’s home was at the time. Also, John Deere was an abolitionist, so sponsoring a family does make sense. We also know that John Capris’ obituary shows that from c1864 until his death in 1882, he worked twelve of those eighteen years for Charles H. Deere as a coachman. Sadly, a photograph of John has not been found.

I know that you are wanting to know about John’s tragic death, but before we reach 1882, we need to go back and learn about Mollie.

In our archives is the photograph shown below and listed as Katherine and Nurse Mollie Brown. I estimate that the photograph was taken
circa 1867-68. Katherine, the youngest daughter of Charles and Mary Deere, was born in 1866.

In checking the 1868-69 City Directory for Mollie Brown, I found an Alexander Brown living at ws Spencer nr Park (translates to the West side of 13th Street near 7th Avenue). Maybe this was Mollie’s father. Mollie is not listed in any city directory except once as a widow. So, the only proof we have that she worked for Charles Deere is a photograph and her husband’s obituary. This is not unusual to see no listing for a woman in this time period. In later years you sometimes will see a wife’s name listed within the husband’s listing or as a widow. We do know from the 1882 newspaper articles that Mollie is listed as a domestic in one article and a cook in another article. The photograph shows us that initially she was a nurse or nursemaid to Katherine Deere and possibly her older sister Anna, in the 1860s.

Mollie and John were married December 9, 1869, and never had children. At the time of their marriage, John is listed in the 1868-69 City Directory as being a coachman for the Deere family and boarding at the Anne & Atkinson address. It appears that Mollie continued to work for the Deere family after her marriage, as did John. By 1878, Mollie and John resided at High, 2 e Deere (902 11th Avenue). This house no longer exists but was just a block from Charles Deere’s residence.

At some point, between 1878 and 1882, John left the employ of Charles Deere. In 1876, the City Directory stills list him as working for Charles Deere. He left to work at the Moline Paper Company. Maybe it was better pay or had potential for a better future. An early City Directory also shows that his father-in-law may have worked in a papermill and several other African American men worked at Moline Paper.

And now we sadly come to May 22, 1882

I realize this article is quite graphic and shows how dangerous many early factory jobs were. What the article also shows is how highly thought of John and Mollie were. Mary Deere and her father G.D. Dickinson rushed to the Capris home to be with Mollie. Also, on hand at the Capris home was S. Wheelock (President of the Moline Paper Company and Mayor of Moline), Stephen Velie (brother-in-law of Charles Deere), and Mr. & Mrs. Atkinson (prominent Moline couple). If this was Charles Atkinson, they lived just across the street from Charles and Mary Deere. In addition, Atkinson was the uncle of Mary Deere.

John’s funeral took place on May 24th. As you can see from the newspaper announcement, the mourners were numerous with all the paper mill employees attending.

After the loss of her husband, what happened to Mollie? I assume that she continued working for the Deere family. In the 1885 City Directory a Mrs. Mary Capis (wid.) resided at 902 11th Avenue. Another misspelling, but I am sure this was Mollie Capris. Records also show that Mollie purchased two burial plots in Riverside Cemetery at the time of John’s death. Presumably one for John and one for herself. Cemetery records show that Mollie purchased the plot for $16.70 and then added a stone. Records also show that Mollie is not buried with John. Instead a Daniel J. Jones is buried by John. Further digging on Daniel Jones turns up that he worked for the Moline Paper Company. His death in March of 1891 led to the newspaper article below.

Daniel J. Jones, a colored teamster died Monday at his home, 902 11th Avenue. The funeral was Wednesday at the A.M.E. Church. For a number of years, he lived in Chicago but he and his wife returned to Moline a few months ago. He was married on 19 January 1888 in Chicago to Mrs. Mollie Capens, widow of the man who was killed in an accident at the Moline paper mill. Moline Review Dispatch, March 1891

Once again, poor Mollie’s name is misspelled, but this must be Mollie Capris. Sometime between 1882 – 1890 she was in Chicago and married Daniel Jones in 1888. She had kept the home she and John Capris had owned during this time period and returned in 1890. Sadly, Mollie had lost two husbands within nine years. And this is where the story of Mollie ends. No trace of her is found after this. Maybe she remarried, but without her married name we cannot find out what happened to her. I like to think she married again and found happiness.

William Le Baron Jenney

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 19:44:11 GMT

The discovery of this four-sentence newspaper blurb changed our understanding of Overlook (Deere-Wiman House), the home of Charles H. Deere.

For many years, the Victorian era home of John Deere’s son has stood on Moline’s picturesque bluff overlooking downtown Moline, the Mississippi River and the original site of the John Deere Plow Works. The home’s place in Moline and Deere family history was well established. I began my career at the Butterworth Center and Deere-Wiman House in 1986. At that time, no one could tell me who the architect of the Deere-Wiman House was. We knew that the house was built in 1872, and the family moved in late that year or just after the new year. As I began to delve into the history of the house, the many changes made to the exterior and the interior of the house became clear.

Looking at the west side of the house in 1870s and today (see above), we can see similarities, with some changes including the addition of the stucco. When we view a before and after taken of the house’s north face, we can see that major changes were made (see below).

Even with a wealth of historic photographs, we still did not know the original architect. When was this fact lost to history? Then in the late 1980s, I was digging through the resources at the Rock Island County Historical Society (RICHS) and the Moline Public Library. It was especially helpful that the Society’s research library was just across the street from Deere-Wiman. One valuable resource was the multi volume set, Genealogical abstracts from Rock Island County, Illinois newspapers compiled by Janet K. Pease. A great source of information before computers! And even more important, the volumes are indexed. I think every historical non-fiction book should have an index.

Pease went through the microfilm of Rock Island County newspapers and listed the newspaper, year and issue date of any article mentioning a name of a person. Can you imagine doing this before computers with just a typewriter? In each volume, the index could be searched for any Deere, Wiman or Butterworth names. After jotting down the newspaper, year and issue date, the next step was to the microfilm reader to pull up the issue and find the article. Imagine my excitement when I read the blurb shown above.

We were thrilled to finally find that lost fact of history. We now knew the architect of Charles and Mary Deere’s home. Even better, we knew that Charles had hired an architect who would become one of America’s important architects. Born in Massachusetts, Jenney trained in France at the Ecole Centrale Paris, studying engineering and architecture. In 1861, he returned to the United States and enlisted in the Union Army as an engineer during the Civil War, designing fortifications.

Following the war, he opened his own architectural/engineering firm in Chicago. Just before designing Charles Deere's home, Jenney was heavily involved in the design of Riverside, Illinois. His designs included the Water Tower and several residential buildings. He was known for his use of new technology in his designs.

Today he is best known as the “Father of the Modern Skyscraper,” with his design of the Home Insurance Building in Chicago. Built in 1884-5, the building was torn down in 1931. We also know that he designed landscaping for some of his jobs, including Graceland Cemetery in Chicago.

Does Jenney have any other links to the Quad Cities? Further research by RICHS has found that Jenney hired to design Riverside Cemetery, in Moline. Designed in 1874, Riverside has distinctive terracing. Terracing can also be seen on the east side of the Deere property (See photograph below). Which leads us to believe that Jenney landscaped the Deere property. Jenney’s educational training as an engineer and his work during the Civil War designing battlements, led to his expertise in creating terracing on challenging hillsides.

How did William Le Baron Jenney become Charles Deere’s choice as architect of his new home? We wish we knew.

— Did a Chicago contact of Charles Deere’s suggest Jenney? As a prominent Midwest businessman, Charles Deere would have had many people he could ask for a suggestion.

— Did Mary Deere or her father know of Jenney and suggest him? Mary was from Chicago at the time of her marriage to Charles, in 1862. Her father, Gideon Dickinson, was still living in Chicago in the 1870s.

— Did Charles’ brother-in-law, Merton Yale Cady, suggest Jenney? Cady was an architect and had connections in Chicago. And why didn’t Charles Deere use Cady as an architect? Cady may have felt he didn’t have the expertise to handle the steep terrain of the seven-acre property Charles had chosen for his new home.

— Did Charles hear about Jenney’s work in Riverside, Illinois? Or Jenney’s interest in using the latest technology in his designs?

It could be any of these possibilities or more likely a combination. I like to think that the last suggestion played some part in Charles’ decision. Looking at Jenney's designs in Riverside, Illinois, do show some similarities to Overlook. In addition, Charles was a man who had a deep interest in new technology and innovations. Not only as a businessman, but Charles also had a genuine interest in learning about new technology.

Regardless, of how Jenney became the architect of Overlook, we are lucky to have this grand home in Moline. Even with its’ many changes, the home still stands as a Jenney designed home and landscape reminiscent of the grand Victorian period.

Christmas season in the Deere Family Homes

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 15:36:09 GMT

Looking through the Archives, we wish that there were more memories detailing the Christmas season in the Deere Family Homes. To celebrate the season, here is what has been found.

During a tour, many years ago, a gentleman told me that when he was young, he delivered Christmas trees to Overlook. This memory dates probably back to the 1940s or 50s. He remembered that they staked the trees along each side of the driveway. We don’t think they were decorated, but it still would have been a lovely site. Imagine this photograph with the driveway lined with trees.

Inside Overlook (Deere-Wiman House) there are two photographs that can be linked to Christmas. The older photograph shows the Christmas tree standing in the Music Room, in front of the pipe organ. The photograph dates to the late 1890s. Maybe the toy sailboats, under the tree, were gifts to Charles and Dwight Wiman. Both were born in the 1890s. Also notice the large glass ornaments. These were called kugels and were a popular import from Germany.

We also enjoy this photograph taken circa 1935-40. Mary Jane Wiman (oldest daughter of Charles Deere Wiman) seated in the front. Taken during a party at Overlook, I wonder if the trees behind them were waiting to be decorated. Also, we assume that every window had a lovely wreath hanging in it, like the one seen on the right.

I like to believe that this photograph, circa 1913-18, was taken during the Christmas season. A group of Overlook staff is grouped outside. Doesn’t it look like the gentleman in the center front is decked out with a beard and wig to be Santa Claus. And the uniformed gentleman in the right back, is holding something over a maid’s head. Could it be mistletoe?

Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman House wishes you a joyous holiday season. Enjoy a selection of Christmas cards sent by Katherine and William Butterworth.

Butterworth Staff

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 15:01:29 GMT

November 23, 2020

Over the years, there have been many stories, photographs and historical documents added to our archives. One subject area I enjoy collecting is information on the staff that worked for the Deere, Wiman and Butterworth family.

I have searched for names of staff through a variety of sources. The wills of various family members produced many names. In addition, old newspaper articles, photographs and a variety of other documents have produced names of staff to add to the records. Another rewarding source has been meeting descendants of staff members. Family members have shared a wealth of information and photographs about their ancestors.

In this blog post, I want to share a bit of history on a member of the William and Katherine Butterworth household staff. Albert Boost was the Butterworth Butler for about 38 years. In old movies, you see the butler answering the home’s door. In actuality, the job of Butler was the central staff member in running a home and its’ staff.

Butlers were essentially the business manager of the home. In the Butterworth case, this meant that Albert oversaw Hillcrest, their primary residence in Moline and additionally the Chicago apartment, the home in Maryland, a Washington, D.C. apartment and two California homes. The Butler's job included all hiring and firing of staff.

What type of training did Albert have to prepare him for the job of Butler?

Albert was born in Leipzig, Germany in 1884, to William and Clara Boost. His father worked as a shoemaker, earning meager wages. At the age of 14 or 15, Albert entered an apprenticeship program for hotel service. He received no pay, just intensive training to enable himself to better his future. Twice a week, he attended school for three hours each day. Albert learned proper manners, the art of wine connoisseurship and how to deal with people. The rest of the week he learned hotel work from the ground up: washing china and glassware and polishing silverware. He also learned about food, how to set a table and proper serving techniques. All of this was done in a hotel setting through on the job training. When Albert was about 17 years old, he completed his apprenticeship and had no trouble landing a job.

His first job was in Scotland, because he wanted to learn English, travel and meet people from other countries. So the teenager left Germany to work at the Royal Hotel in Roslin, Scotland.

Albert’s next job was at a large hotel in London and then he returned to Scotland to become a valet to a wealthy man. A valet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. He would maintain all belongings of the master of the house. During these moves, his English was improving, and he was adding new skills to his resume. By 1902, he was back in London as a valet to a British army officer. These moves seemed to have happened in about a years’ time. This wasn’t unusual for workers in hotels to move frequently, as they worked short term seasonal jobs. At the age of 18, a highlight for Albert was receiving a ticket from his army officer employer, to attend the procession of the coronation of King Edward VII. Pretty exciting for a young man who was the son of a shoemaker.

Albert had hoped that his training in hotel service would provide him with the ability to travel and learn new languages. Between 1902 and 1906, he fulfilled his dream. He worked in hotels in Geneva, Switzerland; Algiers, Africa; Basil, Switzerland; and Monte Carlo.

In 1906, Albert did his duty by fulfilling his conscription in the German army for 2 years. Once his service was completed his next job would change his life and enable him to achieve another dream, of moving to America. While working at a hotel in Baden Nauheim, he met a wealthy banker from Pittsburgh who offered Albert a position as his Butler. After 2 years in his employ, the banker died, and Albert was faced with his next move.

In 1911, Albert became the Butler for William Butterworth. I wish I knew how he connected with Mr. Butterworth and made the move to Moline. Years ago, Ruth Moll, Mrs. Butterworth’s secretary, told me that Mr. & Mrs. Butterworth had hired Albert away from his position in Pittsburgh.

Albert would work for the Butterworth family for the next 43 years. His training prepared him for the work he found at Hillcrest, the primary residence of William and Katherine Deere Butterworth. As manager of the home, he was perfectly qualified to coordinate everything going on in the Butterworth homes and could easily handle any entertaining events. Albert described in a May 29, 1953, Off the Beaten Path article by Fred Klann, in the Moline Dispatch ,” Mr. Butterworth was an understanding man. He used to say to me, ‘Albert, if you decide to do something or some one asks you to do something, make up your mind to do it right, to do it the very best you can and know how. Otherwise, don’t try to do it at all’” And when asked about Mrs. Butterworth, Albert said “Everybody in the town knows how good she is, her many charities, her kindnesses, the wonderful things she has done for the community. She is the best to work for, really takes care of her help.”

Left to Right: Corine Carlson, Lydia Swanson, Ruth Moll, Emma Johnson, Herbert Schauer, Albert Boost, Fred Oakleaf

Left to right: Albert Boost, Emma Johnson, unknown woman, Dominic Jordano

From the many photographs in the Butterworth Archives, I think you can see how well-liked Albert Boost was by the rest of the staff. There appears to be a comradery among the staff. Albert oversaw a staff of about 20 at Hillcrest and then people at the other homes owned by the Butterworth couple. We know that when Mr. and Mrs. Butterworth would travel to one of their other homes or on trips, that Albert coordinated the moves. If the couple went to the Santa Barbara home for the winter, Albert and other staff members would head to California by train to prepare for the arrival of Mr. & Mrs. Butterworth on a later train.

Left to Right: Albert Boost, Madeline Jordano, unknown woman, Ruth Moll

Albert would also travel with Mr. & Mrs. Butterworth when they went overseas. His mastery of multiple languages came in handy for the couple. His early life of moving from job to job gave him the ability to ensure that travel to anywhere went smoothly.

Albert and his wife Edith lived just one block from Hillcrest. There they raised two children. Albert Jr. became a captain in the US Air Force. His daughter Elinor’s husband was in the Navy, stationed in Washington, D.C. I was thrilled that I was able to connect with Elinor for a few years. She shared many wonderful stories and photographs. I could see that Albert’s children became a part of the Butterworth staff family. She had many fond memories of Hillcrest staff.

Left to Right, Front Row: Emma Johnson, Albert Boost Jr., Lydia Swanson, Elinor Boost. Left to Right, Back Row: Herbert Schauer, unknown woman, Ruth Moll, unknown woman, Fred Oakleaf, Albert Boost

As I mentioned earlier, in May of 1953, Albert Boost finally agreed to let Fred Klann interview him for the Moline Dispatch . On June 2, 1953, Queen Elizabeth’s coronation occurred. Katherine Deere Butterworth and Pattie Southhall Wiman (wife of Charles Deere Wiman) attended the coronation. I don’t know if Albert made this trip with them, but I am sure he remembered the procession he saw for King Edward the VII in 1901. Almost 52 years had passed, and Albert had led a fascinating and fulfilling life.

When Katherine Deere Butterworth passed in 1953, Albert and his wife settled in Santa Barbara, CA. Their many trips to the Butterworth home made this a familiar place to retire.

First Congregational Church and the Deere Family

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 17:59:06 GMT

I am often asked, “What church did the Deere Family belong to?” My answer is the First Congregational Church of Moline. The church was chartered in January 1844, three years prior to John Deere’s move from Grand Detour to Moline. Eighteen charter members are listed in the church records, including Mr. and Mrs. Charles Atkinson. More on why they are important later.

The Methodists and the Congregationalists were the early churches in Moline, which makes sense. Moline was founded by settlers from northeast United States with Puritan backgrounds. Then later as Swedish immigrants arrived a Lutheran church was organized. In 1847, John Deere moved his family to Moline. His growing business necessitated the move as his plow shop needed the more reliable waterpower of the Mississippi River and the supply lines of the river and coming railroads. It was those same northeastern founders of Moline that enticed John to select Moline as his new home. John, who was born in Vermont, probably felt comfortable with his new community.

Soon after, John Deere was added to the Congregational Church roll. Very little is known on how active John and Demarius Deere were in their church. Snippets include John being on the building committee in the late 1860s. His daughters and their spouses were also members. His son-in-law, Stephen H. Velie, participated in fundraising by hosting an oyster supper at his home.

The original fundraising goal was $15,000, but the final cost totaled $33,000. Through more fundraising the final debt came in at $7,200. J.S. Keator and John Deere started a final drive by pledging $1,000 each. Supposedly John was known for giving initially a smaller gift to a collection and would later send by mail a larger sum.

Now back to why I mentioned Mr. & Mrs. Charles Atkinson. As an original founder of Moline, Charles Atkinson was most likely one of the leaders sent to entice John Deere’s move to Moline. Included in the Deere family was their young son Charles Deere. By 1860, the 23-year-old Charles married Mary Little Dickinson of Chicago. Mary's uncle was Charles Atkinson. Mary Deere quickly became involved with the church and was an officer in the Ladies Aid Society.

In the late 1800s, a new generation of Deere family became active in the church. Namely Charles Deere, Merton Yale Cady and later Katherine & William Butterworth. MY Cady married Alice Deere, John Deere’s youngest daughter. Cady was known best as “so genial and skillful was he as chef for picnics and suppers,” which aided in church fundraising.

William and Katherine Butterworth’s names pop-up in the church history as actively involved in various endeavors. In 1898, the church began talking about a major remodeling of which the couple was appointed to the building committee.

I imagine that when the church decided to build a church at a new location in 1917, William and Katherine were involved. That location is still used today at 2201 7th Ave, Moline.

And finally, the story of the Deere family’s relationship ends with Katherine Deere Butterworth (Charles Deere's daughter). In 1938, the church needed more seating for their larger congregation. Katherine stepped forward and offered to remodel and enlarge the sanctuary as a memorial to her parents, Charles and Mary Deere. The remodeling would provide additional seats and a new chancel. The completed cost of the project was $122,000, paid by Mrs. Butterworth.

“Memorable virtues of Charles H. Deere and Mary Little Deere are emphasized in left and right panels of the window by biblical characters whose lives typify the outstanding traits of the couple. The panel at left, dedicated to the virtues of Mrs. Deere, displays these figures: Ruth, for love; Martha, for service; and Esther, for loyalty to her community and people. In the panel at right, in tribute to the characteristics of Mr. Deere: are the figures of David, for music and arts; Paul, for the pioneering spirit; and Daniel, for courage." The First Congregational Church of Moline: A One Hundred and Twenty-Five Year History 1844/1969

An excellent source for much of this material came from The First Congregational Church of Moline: A One Hundred and Twenty-Five Year History 1844/1969 available at the Rock Island County Historical Society Library. The book is an extensive history of the church.

Side Note: One funny story found in the book describes an event during the wedding of Katherine and William Butterworth in 1892. Not sure if this would be the lighter touch I would want at a wedding.

“When Katherine Deere and William Butterworth were married, Alice (Wheelock) and some other girls put up a ladder outside one of the church windows to watch. They were tending a baby, also named Katherine, in a carriage at the foot of the ladder. In the midst of the quiet wedding ceremony the voice of the baby-sitter came through the open window: “Lie down, Katherine, dear.” This surprise provided the lighter touch which every wedding needs.”

Miss Anne Brown

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 20:16:30 GMT

In a previous blog post, I mentioned that Anna & Katherine Deere attended Miss Anne Brown’s School for Young Ladies in New York City.

Who was Anne Brown and why did Charles and Mary Deere select her school to send their daughters? Anne was born in Toronto, Canada, about 1854. Her parents were Mr. & Mrs. Champion Brown, American citizens who were residing in Canada. She graduated from Vassar College and two years later, in 1876, she began her career as a teacher on the Rock Island Arsenal. Her position included teaching all subjects to the children of the army officers.

Brown taught at the Arsenal two years before she moved to New York in 1878. She joined the faculty of Miss Chapman’s School located on East Forty-Second Street, NY. I presume that during the two years she spent on the Arsenal, Anne Brown became acquainted with Charles & Mary Deere. Their friendship (as depicted in the photographs) led to Charles and Mary Deere providing financial aid to Anne for opening her own school in 1880. Anne Brown and a fellow teacher at Miss Chapman’s, Mille Isaline Ruel, opened their school at 22 West Fifty-Sixth Street, NY. Two years later they moved their school to 711 Fifth Avenue, NY. Shortly after the move, Mille Ruel left to found her own school.

Anne Brown’s school was successful and grew to occupy four adjacent houses on Fifth Avenue. Students were from top families and included the two Deere daughters, Anna and Katherine. Anna graduated in 1882 and Katherine in 1884. Below is a photograph of Katherine’s graduating class. Both Anna and Katherine were classmates with daughters of Erastus Wiman. Remember that the Wiman girls’ brother, William, married Anna in 1890.

Distinguished teachers at Brown’s school included:

Ella Week – helped found Barnard College
Kate and Belle Bovee – later principals of the Bovee School for Little Boys
Clara B. Spence – founder of the Spence School for Girls

Bertha Bailey – later principal of the Abbot Academy in Andover, Massachusetts

Graduates of the school also went on to promote education. Former students established a free kindergarten in 1902, which became the Anne Brown Kindergarten and Nursery School.

In 1902 Anne Brown closed her school. Then two years later she established a day and boarding school called Highcliffe Hall, at Park Hill, Younkers, NY. Anne then chose to retire two years later in 1906 . No information has been found to tell us what she did between 1906 and her death on February 2, 1940. She was 86 years old at the time of her death.

Most of the information above, comes from Anne Brown’s NY Times obituary, February 4, 1940. The obituary begins with “Miss Anne Brown, one of the last surviving principals of fashionable schools for girls in the New York of the Eighties and Nineties…” This may sound inconsequential, but I view Anne Brown’s work as having a more profound impact. She was not just a principal for wealthy young girls. Many years ago, I corresponded with someone who was researching the development of the private schools for girls in New York City. She felt that Anne Brown’s School was instrumental in promoting higher education for women.

During this year of celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, I can’t help but think about Anne Brown. I am betting that in 1920, she went to the polls to vote for the first time. And I am pleased that Charles and Mary Deere played a part in her success.

William Dwight Wiman – 1890-1914

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 18:39:07 GMT

In the first two posts we looked back at William’s childhood, college years and then early professional career. Our final installment begins in the late 1880s. During this time period, William was not only involved in the Chicago Yerkes fountain, but was an electrical engineer for the General Electrical company from 1886-1890.

It was also during this period that he became acquainted with Anna Deere. Anna had been a student of Miss Anne Brown’s School for Young Ladies, in New York City. Anna and her sister Katherine became friends with fellow classmates Martha and Minnie Wiman. Both girls were younger sisters of William.

In 1890, William (age 29) and Anna (age 25) were married in Moline, Illinois. The wedding took place at the First Congregational Church, where the Deere family were long-time members. The Wednesday, October 8th wedding began at 8pm. This seems like a late start for a wedding, but it must have been a short ceremony. A photocopy of the reception invite shows that Anna’s parents, Charles and Mary Deere, began receiving guests at 8:30pm at their home, Overlook.

The most extensive description of the wedding and reception was found in the Chicago Daily Tribune , October 9, 1890. Several pre-wedding festivities are listed. “The most noteworthy was a dance, at which the ushers and young men of Moline and Rock Island entertained the bridal party Monday night.” The parents of the bride were especially busy as Mrs. Deere hosted a luncheon the day of the wedding, and also the reception that night. I would guess that every staff member was kept busy all week.

Two other sections, from the Tribune article were of special interest.

“At its (the wedding) conclusion the party returned to “Overlook,” where the reception was held. Mr. Deere’s mansion is beautifully situated on a grassy height. From the balcony one can see the ribbon of river that stretches past the island, now glowing with the varied autumn foliage. In the daytime it is lovely, and tonight it was resplendent. The flower beds on the lawn, the big trees and the house flashed out with electric lights. Flowers almost carpeted the halls, and the parlors glowed with the fine beauty of womanhood. Entering the main hall one was confronted with banks of roses and small woods of tropical plants. The parlor in which the bride received was transformed with floral decoration, done with exquisite taste, and the dancing pavilion, which had been erected under canvas on the lawn, had received a handsome share of the attention of the decorators. The bride’s reception was followed by a repast furnished by Caterer French of Chicago, and then the young people had their dance, which ended the evening’s feast.”

What a spectacular image this paragraph creates. If only they had taken pictures of the event! When I first read this paragraph, the sentence I was most excited by was “the house flashed out with electric lights.” This was the earliest date we have that mentioned the house having electricity.

The other section I enjoyed gave a partial list of the nearly 200 gifts received.

“From Mr. Deere, a check big enough to take one’s breath away (it was not for $100,000, as has been printed, but the sum was a big fortune); from Mrs. Deere, a silver set; from Mrs. Wiman, a residence on Staten Island; from Mr. Wiman, a silver service.”

Two gifts stand out in this section. Wouldn’t you love to know the amount of a check big enough to take one’s breath away? The other gift was Mrs. Wiman’s gift of a residence, which we luckily have a photograph (See Below). This house was near William’s parents’ residence.

Following the wedding, the couple settled into their new home on Staten Island. William worked as Superintendent of the Richmond Light Heat and Power Company of Staten Island. In 1892, their first child was born, Charles Deere Wiman.

The young family’s next move was when Charles was about a year-and-a-half old. The Moline Review Dispatch of June 8, 1894 states that "Mrs. Will Wiman arrived in Moline and will make her home here. Will is expected later in the month and will either take a position with the Deere & Mansur company or start an industry of his own."

Why leave Staten Island, their home and William’s position. The reason may be in part because Charles Wiman was the direct heir of Charles Deere. Charles Deere was the only son of John Deere’s which lived to adulthood. He then had two daughters. When Charles died in 1907, his son-in-law, William Butterworth became President of Deere. I don’t think there was ever any doubt that when Charles Wiman reached maturity, he would become President of Deere.

What did William Wiman do after moving to Moline. For several years he managed the Union Malleable Iron Works and at one point served as a director of Deere & Co. He was also appointed by Illinois Governor Tanner to a staff position with the title of Colonel. When the Moline Naval Reserves were organized, he accepted the command of the sailors.

Then about 1904, health problems for Anna Deere Wiman led the family to move to California. William gave up all his business interests and California was chosen in hopes that the climate would improve her health. William, Anna and their two sons, Charles and Dwight, settled in Santa Barbara. Sadly, Anna passed in 1906 at the age of 44. William and the boys returned to Moline, settling in at Overlook with the boys’ grandmother Mary Deere.

William’s interest in boating resurfaced and in April of 1908, he was elected to lead the newly organized boat club in Moline. The Board of Managers included his brother-in-law and former Lehigh University friend, William Butterworth.

Sadly, Charles and Dwight Wiman lost their father in 1914. A private service was held at Overlook before burial in the Deere family plot at Riverside Cemetery.

I hope you have enjoyed this three-part series and have discovered why I think William Wiman led an interesting life. From his childhood on Staten Island, to Lehigh University, as an assistant to Thomas Edison, then England to learn about water fountains and finally his many activities in Moline.

What did you find most interesting about William Wiman’s life?

I have a list of future topics, but if you have any suggestions, please comment.

William Wiman Part II

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 19:56:18 GMT

In a previous blog (May 6, 2020), I mentioned William Dwight Wiman’s time in Europe, in 1886. During this trip, William spent time learning from Sir Francis Bolton. Bolton entered the Army at the age of 26, retiring in 1881 with the rank of Colonel. His service was notable as the inventor of the system of telegraphic and visual signaling. For these services and other inventions, the Queen conferred upon him the honor of knighthood. Following his retirement, he served as London water examiner under the Board of Trade, until his death in 1887.

During his time as water examiner, Bolton invented what was called the prismatic fountain. His invention became very popular as an attraction at exhibitions in England. He could manipulate the electric signals on a water fountain to create colored light shows in the mid-1880s.
Near the end of Sir Francis Bolton’s life is when William Wiman developed a friendship with Bolton and learned about his invention. As I mentioned previously, William Wiman returned to the United States and installed an electric fountain on Staten Island, but I had no proof of this.

Recently I came across a reference that states that Erastus Wiman (William’s father) was inspired by the success of Bolton’s fountain at the London Health Exposition in the 1884. Luther Stieringer wrote in “A Brief History of Luminous Fountain Development,” (c1900) that “Erastus Wiman arranged with Sir Francis Bolton to design an electric fountain for the St. George’s Amusement Company, of Staten Island, NY. The fountain so erected was installed and publicly operated in 1885, and it bears the distinction of having been the first luminous fountain seen in the United States”.

This statement makes me rethink the timeline of when and why William Wiman traveled to Europe and met Sir Francis Bolton. Just goes to show you that your research is never complete. What you have read in the past and always assumed was correct, can be changed with just one more source. That is until you come across something that contradicts what you have read.

So previously, I stated that William Wiman traveled to Europe in 1886 and met and learned from inventors including Sir Thomas Bolton. Now I am thinking that Erastus Wiman purchased a fountain for Staten Island. The invention intrigued his son William who then traveled to England to learn more.

Stieringer continues with a description of the Staten Island fountain, “The original design of this fountain showed a square masonry basin holding water to a depth of 4 ft. In this basin there were arranged 16 light shafts, while in the chamber beneath the color screens and other necessary apparatus were installed”. He also states that “Mr. Wiman became quite interested in fountain work and bought a patent from Sir Francis Bolton of a floating fountain capable of being sent to different harbors, or to river towns, there to be displayed as an attraction. However, no fountain embodying the ideas of the patent has ever been built”.

William Wiman and Stieringer most likely were well acquainted. Stieringer writes that he was retained as a consulting engineer in making some adjustments to the Staten Island fountain. Also, at one time Stieringer had worked for Thomas Edison as an assistant. I wouldn’t be surprised if Wiman and Stieringer crossed paths while working for Edison.

According to Stieringer, the Staten Island fountain did not operate that long, but was sold to Mr. Yerkes in 1886 to be erected in Chicago’s Lincoln Park.

And that brings us to Chicago. A few years ago, I added to the William Butterworth Foundation Archives a page from a Harper’s Weekly dated October 3, 1991. The closing paragraph reads “The fountain was made in England, and is said to have cost Mr. Charles T. Yerkes, who presented it to the commissioners of Lincoln Park, $30,000. The work of the erection of the fountain and the arrangement of the sublights were made under the supervision of Mr. Dwight Wiman son of Erastus Wiman, of New York”.

The Harper’s Weekly story described the twice weekly evening shows attracting 20,000 to 30, 000 spectators. “People have been known to travel miles to see the electric fountain in Lincoln Park, Chicago. It is worth traveling miles to see if one be of the sort that can be entertained by the play of infinite combinations of colors in flowing water rising into the air to a height of say 100 feet or more.”

The late 1880s and early 1890s was a busy period for William Wiman. Check back for the next installment of History Bites Around the Deere Homes to learn about the event that changed William Wiman’s life.

Side note: from “The Electrical World and Electrical Engineer”, Vol. 33, Jan. 5 – March 2, 1899. “The Yerkes electric fountain in Lincoln Park, Chicago has been despoiled of nearly all its brasswork. Sometime during the past week thieves have been operating on the fountain and have carried away over $1,200 worth of brass. In taking away the brass fittings of the fountain they did a great deal of damage than is represented by the value of the brass itself.”

William Dwight Wiman

Wed, 06 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT

I do a lot of research on the Butterworth and Deere-Wiman homes. Also, on my radar is John Deere, his children and their children. On top of that, I have created files on the people who married into the family or worked for the family.

One such person that has always fascinated me is William Wiman. In 1890, he married Anna Deere, the oldest daughter of Charles and Mary Deere. That alone makes him worth studying, but I also find him interesting for some of the adventures he undertook during his life. Before we can get to some of the interesting elements, we need to go back to the beginning.

William was born May 14, 1860, in Toronto, Canada, to Erastus Wiman and Elinor Galbraith Wiman. We are lucky to have several photographs of William as a young child. We also have a lovely white linen sailor suit worn by him in the mid-1860s.

His father, Erastus, was initially involved in the newspaper business. Then he began working for R.G. Dunn and Co. He ended up moving his family to Staten Island, NY, to become the general manager of the R.G. Dunn’s, New York office. Erastus Wiman also has an interesting history, but I will save that for a future blog.

William’s formative years were in New York and he graduated from Lehigh University in 1885, in electrical engineering. Electricity was in its early heyday and this appealed to William. New inventions using electricity were constantly appearing. After graduation, he worked under several inventors using his degree in electrical engineering. Which leads me to one of the first pieces of William Wiman’s history that I find fascinating.

From an October 8, 1890 Rock Island Argus, we see: For two years, he put in 10 hours a day, in a pair of overalls, as a common working man in the Edison establishment. Quote “Mr. Edison, who has a deep interest in him declares that his knowledge of electricity is much more profound and far-reaching than that of any other young man who has gone out from that shop”.

In 1886, William also learned much from other inventors when he spent four months in Europe. One inventor was Sir Francis Bolton, who created a design for displays of colored water fountains with electric lights. One note I found, said that upon William’s return to the United States, he installed the first electric fountain in America, on Staten Island. I have not been able to verify this and have read conflicting information. This still makes for a great story.

During this same period, William began working as the Treasurer and Manager of the Staten Island Electric Power Company.

Stay tuned for my next blog that will take us to Chicago to learn another fascinating story from William Wiman’s history.