Welcome to Chicago and welcome to this beautiful house in Rogers Park, Chicago! I was lucky enough to have a tour of this house and it was by far one of the most gorgeous homes I've ever seen! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the story of 1614 W Sherwin Ave!
Built: 1907
City, State: Chicago, IL
Neighborhood: Rogers Park
Size: 5 bedrooms; 2.5 bathrooms; ≈ 2800 sq. ft.
First, let's take a quick look into the history of Rogers Park:
In 1838, an Irish immigrant, Philip Rogers, bought 1600 acres from the US Government - Howard St. south to Devon Ave, from west of Ridge Blvd to the lakeshore.
He operated a toll gate at his home - Ridge Blvd & Lunt Ave. During the period 1844 to 1850 arriving settlers started farms along a ridge in the western portion of Rogers Park, avoiding the often flooded lowlands to the east.
After Rogers' death in 1856, his son-in-law, Patrick Touhy, sold off 100 acres the land to other farmers. The main crops in the area were hay and pickles.
With an additional purchase of 125 acres in 1873 these speculators together with Touhy formed the Rogers Park Building and Land Company. Also in 1873, the Chicago & Northwestern Railway completed a service line through the area and constructed a station at Greenleaf Ave. The population was 200 and a Post Office was opened in July 1873.
Touhy and other residents formed the Village of Rogers Park in 1878.
In 1893, the population of Rogers Park was approx. 3500 and the village was annexed to city of Chicago.
Below: Collection of articles from 1893 in the Chicago Tribune about Rogers Park annexed to the City of Chicago.
Sherwin Ave was named after Ezra Behman Sherwin. Ezra was born in 1841 in Ohio and moved to Illinois in 1870. He was a city clerk and a trustee for the village of Norwood before that was also annexed to the city of Chicago in 1893.
Howard Street - Rogers Park.
Norshore Theater is seen in the the photo. It was built in 1926 and could seat over 3000. The lobby of the theater featured huge crystal chandeliers and the ceiling was decorated in Pompeiian motifs. It was demolished in 1960.
Rogers Park Library circa 1920's @ 1731 Greenleaf Ave. It was closed in 1958 when the library was moved to 6907 N Clark St.
Family #1: The Briggs Family
Curtis Raymond Briggs
Years at 1614 W. Sherwin: 1 (1909-1910)
Born: March 14, 1823; Sardinia, NY
Died: May 10, 1910; Chicago, IL
Father: Albert Briggs (1792; Rhode Island-1878 Winnebago, Illinois)
Mother: Zurviah Jewell (1798; Massachusetts - 1870; Winnebago, Illinois)
Curtis moved from New York to Elida Township, Winnebago County, Illinois in 1838. His father, Albert, was a school teacher and a farmer.
Curtis Briggs married Rachael Wood in March 1849 in Ogle, IL. They had two children - Jennie & Irvin Briggs.
His first wife,Rachel, passed away in 1875 from breast cancer and two years later in July 1876, Curtis married his second wife - Narcissa Folsom.
Curtis' second wife, Narcissa, passed away in 1899. He remained on his farm in Winnegago Township until 1909.
Curtis Briggs then lived with his son, Irvin, and their family at 1614 W. Sherwin during the first year everyone lived in the house.
Curtis passed away in May 1910 at the age of 87.
Irvin Briggs
Years @ 1614 W Sherwin: 30 (1909-1939)
Born: February 23, 1862; Winnebago, IL
Died: June 26, 1939; Chicago, IL
Father: Curtis Briggs (b. 1823; New York - d. 1910; Illinois)
Mother: Rachael Wood (b. 1825; New York - d. 1874; Illinois)
Irvin's maternal ancestors came to America in 1623 via The Little James and The Anne. The Little James and The Anne were the third and fourth ships that traveled in tandem from England after The Mayflower (which came in 1620). The Wood family remained in Plymouth, MA until the 1870's when Irvin's grandfather and mother moved to Ogle, IL - later Chicago.
In July 1897, Irvin Briggs married Caroline Wichman. Caroline was a bookkeeper at Irvin's company.
Caroline Wichman
Years @ 1614 W Sherwin: 50 (1909-1959)
Born: February 13, 1874; Chicago, IL
Died: November 2, 1959; Chicago, IL
Father: Charles Weichman (1847; Germany-1906; Chicago)
Mother: Bertha Koeppen (1854; Germany-1907; Chicago)
Caroline's father immigrated with his parents to the US from Germany in 1851 when he was around 5 years old.
Caroline's mother also immigrated with her family to the US from Germany but in 1854 when she around 1 year old.
In 1895, Irvin Briggs partnered with Peter Wendel and started one of the first commission merchant houses in Chicago. A commission house is wholesale market of produce, poultry, butter, cheese, and eggs.
The Wendel & Briggs Commission House was first located downtown on South Water St (today Wacker Dr). Due to congestion and expansion of the Loop business district, the commission merchants were moved west to Fulton St & Randolph St.
Today, the Fulton - Randolph Market District is a historically preserved neighborhood due the significance of the buildings' architecture and the impact the market industry had on the city.
Irvin and Caroline Briggs had three Children: Howard, Roberta, and Helen.
Howard Raymond Briggs
Years @ 1614 W Sherwin: 14 (1909-1923)
Born: March 30, 1898; Chicago, IL
Died: January 30, 1969; Brevard County, FL
Spouse: Ruth Grace Skelly
Children: Howard Jr, Joan, & Carol Briggs
Howard graduated in 1917 from Evanston Academy. The academy was a prep and sister school to Northwestern University since the 1850's. Due to the expansion of public schools and WWI, the school closed in 1917 and Howard was part of the last graduating class. Today, Evanston Academy's building is Fisk Hall of Northwestern University.
Howard Briggs enlisted into the US Marines on February 22, 1918 and was official discharged in February 1922. Howard was a Private in the Company "C"- 5th Regiment Marine Corps.
He fought in the Battle of Argonne (France) in 1918. During that battle, Howard was wounded. He was sent to Camp Mills and treated for his injuries in Hoboken, NJ. (document below)
Howard was awarded the Purple Heart for his bravery and injuries in the Battle of Argonne.
On February 28, 1923, Howard Briggs married Ruth Grace Skelly in Florida. Ruth was the granddaughter of the founder/first resident of Rockledge, FL.
Howard was a clerk at his dad's business - Wendel & Briggs. He continued working for his father for many years and later opened his own commission merchant business.
Howard and Ruth Briggs had their first child on June 10, 1924 - Howard Charles Briggs Jr. Tragically, one year later on June 24, 1925, Howard Jr passed away.
Howard and Ruth Briggs had two more children: Joann Ruth Briggs (b.1927) and Carol Marie Briggs (b. 1932)
In 1930, Howard and his family lived in a rented home at 1726 Estes Ave in Chicago. Then in 1940, they lived in a rented house at 4914 Mulford St in Niles, IL.
In 1959, Howard and Ruth Briggs moved to Rockledge, FL after they inherited Ruth's father's house. The 3000 sq ft/ 7 bedroom house is on the shore of the Indian River.
Howard Briggs passed away in Florida in 1969. In 1993, 24 years later, Ruth Briggs passed away, also in Florida.
Jennie Roberta Briggs
Years @ 1614 W Sherwin: 25 (1909-1934)
Born: December 9, 1899; Chicago, IL
Died: October 1986; Skokie, IL
Spouse: Grant L Sutton (b. 1898- d. 1963) m. November 17, 1934
Roberta Briggs was the second child of Irvin and Caroline. She lived at 1614 Sherwin from 1909 until she married in 1934.
In 1926, she started work at the Chicago Public Library as a reference assistant. She retired decades later as a Chief Reference Librarian at the central Chicago Public Library.
Roberta married Grant Sutton in 1934. Grant was born in 1898 in Chicago, IL and worked at the Soundies Distributing Corporation of America. The Soundies Corp. was headquartered in Chicago and distributed musical films for movie-jukeboxes.
Roberta and Grant never had children and lived in Rogers Park and Skokie for their entire lives. Grant passed away in 1963 and Roberta passed away in 1986.
Helen Elizabeth Briggs
Years @ 1614 W Sherwin: 29 (1911-1940)
Born: January 1, 1911; Chicago, IL
Died: April 15, 1963; Sycamore, IL
Spouse: Edward S. Hoit (b.1907-d.1962) m. January 29, 1937
Children: Patricia (b.1944) and Michael (b.1947)
Helen is the youngest child of Irvin and Caroline Briggs. She was born two years after the family moved into 1614 W. Sherwin.
Helen married Edward Hoit in 1937 and had two children - Patricia and Michael. Helen and Edward lived at 1614 W. Sherwin with Irvin and Caroline for the first few years of their marriage.The Hoit family moved to Sycamore, IL in 1947 to raise their two children.
Edward passed away in 1962 and Helen followed shortly after in 1963.
The Briggs Family @ 1614 W Sherwin: 1910 Census
In 1910, the household consisted of: Irvin and Caroline with their two children - Howard and Roberta, Irvin's father, Curtis, and a servant - Amanda Sundin.
Amanda Sundin was born in 1888 in Sweden and immigrated to the US in 1902. Unfortunately this census record is all the information I could find about her.
The Briggs Family @ 1614 W Sherwin: 1920 Census
In 1920, the household consisted of Irvin and Caroline, their children - Howard, Roberta, and Helen, and also a boarder - Louise Deutrinch.
Louise Klintworth was born in 1892 in Wisconsin and worked as a clerk in a department store in Chicago. I'm not sure if the Briggs family knew Louise before she moved in.
Later in 1920, Louise married Lawrence Coles. Lawrence lived one mile south on W. Pratt Blvd. Louise and Lawrence eventually moved to Milwaukee and had three children.
The Briggs Family @ 1614 W Sherwin: 1930 Census
In 1930, the household consisted of Irvin and Caroline, and their two youngest children - Roberta and Helen. Roberta had already started working at the library and Helen also worked as a bookkeeper at a grocery store.
The value of the home was $20,000 which is approx. $320,000 in 2021 dollars. The value was on the low end with the other homes in on the street. Other close-by homes on Sherwin at the time were owned by doctors, pharmacists, newspaper editors, and engineers.
The Briggs Family @ 1614 W Sherwin: 1940 Census
The household consisted of Caroline, her daughter, Helen, and her husband, Edward.
The house value was $8,000 which equals to $150,000 in 2021 dollars.
Irvin passed away one year before this census in 1939.
Irvin Briggs passed away in 1939.
Caroline Briggs continued to live at 1614 W. Sherwin and still lived there until she passed away in 1959.
She was 85 years old when she passed away and was great grandmother to eight children.
The Briggs family's chapter at 1614 W Sherwin was finished but will never be forgotten.
Family #2:
The Anglemire Family
Kenneth Norton Anglemire
Years @ 1614 W Sherwin: 7 (1962-1969)
Born: January 14, 1906; Chicago, IL
Died: January 5, 1994; Santa Fe, NM
Father: Fredrick Anglemier (b.1876; Illinois - d. 1954; Illinois)
Mother: Isabelle Alguire (b. 1886; New York - d. 1964; Illinois)
Ken was born in Chicago but spent several childhood years in Alameda, CA. His father worked as a music store salesman and the family moved frequently.
Ken graduated from Northwestern University in 1930. He worked for Chicago Title and Trust Company and was the President of the A.N. Marquis Company - publisher of the Who's Who publication.
In July 1933, Ken married Anna Hayes in Chicago. After they bought the house at 1614 W Sherwin, Ken's mother, Isabel, moved in with them as well. She passed away shorty after in 1964.
Anna (Anne) Hayes
Born: May 22, 1906; Illinois
Died: April 23, 1983; New Mexico
Father: Stephen Hayes (b.1865; Ireland - d. 1956; Illinois)
Mother: Anna Hattenbach (b. 1865; Indiana - d. 1940; Illinois)
Anne's father immigrated in 1889 from Tipperary County, Ireland. As a child, Anne grew up on Emerson St in Evanston, Illinois and her father worked for the railroad. She was the youngest of five siblings.
