William H. Weber came to Blue Island from Tinley Park in 1889. Weber served as President of the Blue Island Board of Education and was a member of the board of directors at the Commercial Bank, later the First National Bank of Blue Island. Active in the Republican Party for many years, he was the longest serving member of the …

Alden Klein was a proprietor of Klein & Schroth Meat Co., which continues to supply the area in its historic location, now known as the Grove Meat Co. Always a tight-knit community, William Klein lived just north across High Street and Edna Klein lived next door to the west with her husband Ward Seyfarth. The Klein family traces its roots …

Ward Seyfarth, an executive at Klein and Schroth Meat Co., was married to Florence Klein. Their son Harry became a prominent Chicago attorney and served for many years on the board of the First National Bank of Blue Island. This home is one of two that Robert Seyfarth designed for his brothers in Blue Island (we saw the home for William …

Robert Krueger was the first member of his family to devote himself exclusively to the funeral business founded by his father Christian Krueger Jr. in 1858. For his home Robert Krueger turned to local architect (and “shirttail relative”) Robert Seyfarth.  One of Seyfarth’s earliest independent works, the bold, symmetrical massing reflects the influence of his mentor, G.W. Maher, as well …

This home was constructed by prominent local builder William Vandenberg for himself and his wife Anna. Vandenberg’s skillful use of fishscale shingles, fanwork and other ornament shows that he possessed a unique understanding of Queen Anne architecture, of which this house is an excellent example. In 1892, the house was sold to Nelson Cool, a local coal dealer who was …