Visitors Explore The Past With Ela Historical Society

Did you know that the Pottawatomie Indians were the first settlers of Surryse, or the area better known as Lake Zurich?

Are you aware there are several homes and buildings in Lake Zurich that date back to the mid-1860s?

The held a historical tour of Lake Zurich on Aug. 20, which featured four homes and several locations throughout the area that had historical significance. Stops included the building that now houses , as well as the and the old Oak Street School.

“People from all over came to the tour,” said Coral Lee Scranton, historical society director. “Many that used to live here or still live here came to learn a little about their town.”

Although it rained in the morning, the turnout was double what the expected — 120 people attended.

“We were overwhelmed, but in a good way,” said Dick Price, historical society member. “The weather didn’t seem to stop anyone from coming out.”

Originally, there were going to be two tours departing in the morning and afternoon, taking the small busloads of patrons through town to talk about specific locations and then to each of the four houses on the tour. Due to the influx of people, the bus did tours on an as-needed basis.

“We altered our plans and the bus was constantly going all day long, taking people on tours,” said Scranton.

The building that houses Delicious Redds Hot Dogs has changed hands several times since the late 1800s and at one time or another was a general store, post office, confectionery, drug store and soda shop, and also was a prime location for a politician to give a speech or salesman to pitch a product.

The Oak Street School, which is now the School House Apartments, was the first brick school to built in Lake Zurich and surrounding areas in 1913.

The highlight of the tour was getting to go inside four historical homes in Lake Zurich. The first one, at 105 Forest Ave., is known as the Frank/Deschauer/Johnson house. Built in 1865 by Otto Frank, the home originally was a single-level house and, in changing hands, was renovated into a two-story. The current owners Jay and Frankie Johnson bought the house in 2009.

“We just love the house and we’re so happy to be able to let everyone come through and learn about its historical significance,” said Jay Johnson. His wife, Frankie, owns .

Located at 204 North Old Rand Road, the Leoard/Knigge/Kuba house was built in 1904. The land changed owners several times before a house was built. Today’s owners, Scott and Jan Kuba, bought the house from Scott’s parents in 1987, who first owned it in 1959.

Scott gave a tour upstairs and explained that the bedrooms are so large because the home used to serve as a boarding house. He added that there used to be a pump that pumped water from the lake to the still in front of the house, which was used to make spirits during Prohibition.

The Richter/Kuechmann House, 280 North Old Rand Road, was built by owner Peg Richter Jenson’s grandfather in 1929. The Richters owned one of the top five printing companies in the world.

The house has all original fixtures, including lighting, door handles, floor grates and some flooring.

The last house toured is known as the Robertson House, at Robertson and Main Street.

Docents August and Bonnie Conte gave the tour group a history of the architectural details of the house, like the original picture ledges in the room, the crown molding, and the lathe and plaster once used to construct the walls in the house.

They also told the story of original owner John Robertson, who fathered 10 children with his wife, Charlotte. John died at 55 after being shot by Peter Davidson, who blocked Rainbow Road, which Robertson owned.

The tour concluded at the building, with refreshments being served and members on hand to answer any questions.

“The tour was well-organized and very interesting," said Jan Oswald, Lake Zurich resident. “I loved the Richter/Kuechmann House because it was totally unaltered — everything was original and very well-maintained.”

“I really liked the Frank/Deschauer/Johnson House because it was totally my style,” said Judy Jacobsen, of Hawthorn Woods.

According to Scranton, the plans to hold another tour soon, with the hopes that more people sign up to become members and help out with the .

“We have such a rich history here and we’d love to continue to learn more about it and help people find out more about their heritage,” said Scranton.