Because of that, I'm on the e-mail list of the DANK Haus. This is the organization in Chicago that preserves German history in Chicago--and there is a bunch of it. Chicago was essentially built by Germans. The DANK headquarters is on Western Avenue, just a block away from Lincoln Square. I've been there several times to research things I was writing about, and to show it off to fellow German Americans. It's really amazing if you're into history.
The November e-mail just crossed my desk and led me on a historical exploration this morning. This is what was written...
The DANK Haus is happily celebrating our building's 90th anniversary. Built in 1927, we treasure the historical structure that provides a home to the DANK Haus German American Cultural Center. The 6-Floor building was designed by Architect Paul Gerhardt Sr. (1863-1951). The structure was originally built for the Three Links Association, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and in 1967, it became a home for German Chicago.
Paul Gerhardt, the architect of the DANK Haus and German native, was born in the town of Dobeln in what was then the Kingdom of Saxony and today a part of Germany. He came to the United States upon the request of the German Textile Corporation to design spinning mills. Early in his career and shortly after arriving in the United States, Gerhardt also designed hotels and restaurants for German clientele, including an earlier Bismarck Hotel and the Rienzi restaurant in Chicago. He then was chosen as the Cook County Architect where he designed the Cook County Hospital and the building still remains today on Chicago's Near West Side along W. Harrison St. He was then hired as the supervising architect for the Chicago Board of Education and designed numerous schools. In the midst of all of his accomplishments, Paul Gerhardt designed the building that we all cherish, the DANK Haus.
Is there anything in this description that catches your eye? I was immediately drawn to the line about the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. What in the world is that?
So, I did some research and found that the organization was a charitable fraternity that helped people in need during a time when the government didn't do it at all. This isn't just a bunch of Odd Fellows who got together, either. The list of members is unbelievable. Most of them were not located in the Chicago chapter, but still. Check out this list...
Some notable members are:
William Jennings Bryan, U.S. Secretary of State (1913–1915)
Robert C. Byrd, U.S. Senator (1959–2010)
Charlie Chaplin, comedic actor and film director
Schuyler Colfax, U.S. Vice President (1869–1873)
Wyatt Earp, law officer in the American Old West
Ulysses S. Grant, 18th U.S. President (1869–1877)
Warren Harding, 29th U.S. President (1921–1923)
Rutherford Hayes, 19th U.S. President (1877–1881)
Thomas Hendricks, 21st Vice President of the United States
Charles Lindbergh, American aviator, author, inventor, explorer
Sir John A. Macdonald, 1st Prime Minister of Canada
William McKinley, 25th U.S. President (1897–1901)
Franklin Roosevelt, 32nd U.S. President (1933–1945)
Earl Warren, U.S. Chief Justice (1953–1969)
Amazing list, eh? Turns out that after the New Deal passed and the social safety net was instituted, the need for the Odd Fellows diminished and the membership dwindled, although it still exists in dozens of countries.
There is also a black mark on this organization, however. They didn't allow African-Americans until 1971. That seems like a pretty late date for that inclusion, doesn't it?
Nevertheless, that's how I spent my morning today. Welcome to my rabbit hole.
