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Early 1800’s - Fields, trees, the Des Plaines
River, and the Three Fires Nation. The
Potawatomi, Ottawa, and Ojiba Indian tribes inhabited the region around the
River.
1810 - Fort Dearborn Massacre, Alexander Robinson,
Chief of the Potawatomi tribe rescues military personnel taking them to
safety at Mackinac Island.
1820 - The Prairie DuChen Treaty deeds to Robinson
1,280 acres on both sides of the River, which would later comprise a large
portion of Schiller Park.
1830 - Robinson moves his family to the River. He leads a delegation of Chiefs to Washington D.C. to plead the cause
of the tribes being pushed out of the lake region. Later he, along with Billy Caldwell and other Chiefs, would have the
task of escorting the tribes westward.
1840 - John S. Everett buys 105 acres of Robinson land,
in the general area of
the present location of Irving Park Road and River Road. Ashley Gilbert buys land in what is now referred to as Fairview.
1850 - Immigrants arrive, taking up land all
around Robinson’s, most are German farmers coming to try
their luck in the land of promise.
1860 - Civil War years, Robinson’s son, David,
serves in Union Army.
1870 - Robinson dies, 1872, the community grows,
as more and more immigrants arrive, primarily Italian, Polish, and Spanish
1880 - William Kolze comes with family, buys land
that Everett had bought from the Indian. Wisconsin-Central Railroad first run 1886.
1890 - Kolze builds his home, a large white house,
which becomes a landmark. Railroads
strikes rear their heads. A time
of prosperity for some parts of county, but life in the Kolze community
is quiet and hardworking.
1900 - Statistics list nine homes, school, blacksmith shop,
and two saloons. Also
mud roads, backyard pumps, outhouses, gardens and various animals.
1910 - Population now 258 (180 are children). Movie era, Tom Mix, Farnums and others made movie in town and along
the Des Plaines River.
Village of Schiller Park incorporated, 1914.
1920 - Prohibition, Stock Market Crash - onset of hard
times.
1930 - Depression, population about 700. Julia Marenga
Kolze, daughter-in-law of William Kolze, becomes Mayor in 1932. She is the town’s first woman mayor and the first woman mayor
in the State of Illinois.
1940 - War years, several young men taken into
service. Population about 800.
1950 - Post-war boom, by mid 50’s population
reaches 5,000. New homes and businesses.
1960 - Tollway, O’Hare Airport, annexation of Fairview, Frogtown,
Indian Park sub-divisions. Population 8,600.
1970 - Three public schools, two Catholic schools.
Organizations such as Scouts, Sertoma, Legion, etc. flourish.
1980 - Continuing battle with O’Hare,
population levels off at about 11,000.
1990 - Home rule for Village. Memorial Wall for veterans erected. Trees killed by Dutch Elm disease in 1960’s begin to be replaced with young plantings. Plans begin for Metra Station and
Senior Housing projects. 2000 - Senior Housing
project is completed and first residents move in. Metra Station construction
begins. | 
