Kishwaukee Hospital recognizes Haish (1987)

Kishwaukee Hospital advertisement in the Daily Chronicle's "Milestone 150" | Photo by Jessi LaRue

In 1978, the Daily Chronicle published a special edition in honor of the 150th anniversary of the founding of DeKalb County. The publication features reminiscing columns, sports and culture highlights, and much more from the county's history. It is also filled with various advertisements from county establishments. The advertisement for Kishwaukee Community Hospital pays homage to Jacob Haish.

It reads:

"Building on a rich heritage...

One of this hospital's major benefactors was born even before DeKalb County was founded. He was the late Jacob Haish, leading industrialist, outstanding philanthropist, and great humanitarian. Though his concerns and benefactions were many, the barbed wire king had a special interest in health care. He left the bulk of his estate for a hospital and health care. Half a million dollars went to construct the Jacob Haish Memorial Wing, predecessor of DeKalb Public Hospital and of KCH. Later, directors of the Jacob Haish Memorial Corporation awarded $200,000 to KCH, a gift memorialized in 1981 with a dedication of the Jacob Haish Surgical Department here.

Jacob Haish was one of the earliest DeKalb County residents to support local health care. Today, we salute the memory of him and all the other generous givers through the years. We honor, too, the many citizens of today who share that concern for better health care, supporting KCH through memorial gifts, the Tree of Life, KCH 100, and other giving opportunities. We appreciate all you have done to make this hospital and its services possible. And we pledge to use your gifts as a steppingstone to build on all that has gone before. We promise, in short, to build on a rich heritage ... to provide better health care for this and all future generations.

Kishwaukee Community Hospital

Route 23 and Bethany Road.

DeKalb, Illinois 60115"

Cover of the Daily Chronicle's "Milestone 150" published in 1978 | Photo by Jessi LaRue

1955 auction of Haish's belongings

Furniture auction at Jacob Haish mansion | Photo courtesy of Joiner History Room, DeKalb County Archives

When Jacob Haish died in 1926, he left his palatial mansion to his longtime housekeeper and caregiver Anna Anderson, who resided in the home for years until her death in 1953. However, Haish's will did not state what should happen to the mansion after Anderson passed, so it was determined that the house and contents would be sold in order to fund other projects in his will, including a hospital.

An auction of the contents of the mansion was held May 12, 1955, on the lawn of the mansion, located on the corner of Pine Street and North Third Street in DeKalb. These photos from that day were provided by the Joiner History Room.

The auction announcement, posted in the May 11, 1955, edition of the DeKalb Chronicle reads:

"ANTIQUE FURNITURE AUCTION: The trustees of the Jacob Haish estate will sell at public auction at 405 North Third Street in DeKalb, Illinois, on Thursday, May 12, beginning at 1 p.m. many items of antique furniture consisting of marble top chairs, cherry tables, walnut chairs, birds eye maple bedroom set, walnut settees, walnut desk-bed, walnut clocks, mirror and some antique dishes. Whitman and Whitman, auctioneers."

Furniture auction at Jacob Haish mansion | Photo courtesy of Joiner History Room, DeKalb County Archives

A large number of items were purchased by Paul Nehring that day, and he enjoyed those items for many years with his wife Shirley Hamilton-Nehring, in their home on the Ellwood House museum grounds.

After they donated their private home to the Ellwood House museum in 2011, the museum purchased the Haish furniture so that it could be enjoyed by the public. Click here to see photos of the furniture as it has been displayed in the Ellwood House Museum's Visitors Center.

Furniture auction at Jacob Haish mansion | Photo courtesy of Joiner History Room, DeKalb County Archives

MANY MOURN HIS DEATH

Printed in the Feb. 19, 1926, edition of the DeKalb Daily Chronicle:

MANY MOURN HIS DEATH
"Grand Old Man" of DeKalb Numbered His Friends in Every Walk of Life.
HELPED THIS CITY

Genuine sorrow entered the hearts of hundreds of residents of this city and the surrounding community with the death of Jacob Haish. No resident of this city ever had more friends in every walk of life than did Mr. Haish. When Mrs. Haish died a few years ago, the entire community sorrowed with the grieved helpmate who was left, as he termed it, alone in the world. That same sorrow, even more profound, is being felt today with the death of "DeKalb's Grand Old Man." 

It seems but a short time since he made his daily visit to the Haish State bank, where he would sit contentedly in his easy rocker and greet friends who never failed to stop and have a word of greeting with him. Business men, in a hurry, would spare a few moments to chat with him. His personality and cheerful disposition was magnetic in its power. Shop workers, just free from work and still in their greasy clothes, stopping at the bank to make the savings account deposit or pay their rent, would stop to greet Mr. Haish. To all he presented the same cheerful smile and happy word of greeting. Truly, his friends are numbered in every walk of life.

Mr. Haish was a part of DeKalb. He helped build this city as much or even more than any other resident. When his shops were in operation he furnished employment for many men and he paid them good wages. His workers were not the disgruntled type and he aided materially in giving to DeKalb a citizenry that would be a credit to any community. Many families are residents of DeKalb today only through the work of Mr. Haish. The establishment of his enterprises in this city urged other business connections to be formed.


Article provided by the Joiner History Room.

Haish Stone "Is Splendid One"

Jacob and Sophia Haish's monument can be found in Fairview Cemetery in DeKalb. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

The Haish monument is a regular stop for bus tours, locals and historians in the DeKalb area. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

The monument for Jacob and Sophia Haish, located in DeKalb's Fairview Cemetery, has been of interest to many locals and historians. The article below, printed in the Daily Chronicle newspaper in 1928, details the construction of the monument.

From the Dec. 11, 1928, edition of the Daily Chronicle:

HAISH STONE IS FINISHED
Memorial for Pioneer DeKalb Manufacturer Has Been Erected at Fairview
IS SPLENDID ONE

"The major portion of the work of the Jacob Haish monument at Fairview cemetery was completed yesterday afternoon when stone cutters in the employ of Robert Trigg & Sons of Rockford the task of of erecting the large granite monument. The memorial will not be fully completed until next spring when landscape engineers will treat the plot of ground around the granite edifice.

Actual work on the monument was started about two weeks ago, after the concrete foundation had been built. The granite arrived several days ago and since then has been erected.

The base, made of Stony Creek granite, is triangular in shape. On this has been placed two other triangular pieces of granite, each piece smaller than the other, forming three steps, representing the three steps in Masonry. On the top piece of granite has been erected three fluted columns, one at each of the three corners of the triangle. On top of the columns has been placed another triangular piece of granite. The columns have the tapestry finished while the four triangular pieces that form the base and the top is polished granite.

The urn is located at the center of the Haish monument. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Urn in Center

In the center of the monument is a solid urn. On the top of the urn will be placed a bronze plate, on which will be written a brief history of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Haish. This plate has not yet been placed on the urn. 

On one side of the top of the monument is the name "Haish," the letters being of raised bronze, the first time that letters of this type have been placed on a granite monument in this city, it is stated.

The symbols of the Masonic order have been used in the design of the monument, which is of a canopy type.

As was stated previously, the base of the monument is composed of three triangular pieces of granite, forming three steps. The bottom piece, which form the first step, weighs 12 tons, it was stated, while the weight of all of the granite in the monument is 30 tons. O.C. Scott of Robert Trigg & Sons has been in charge of the work.

A plate on the urn details the lives of Sophia Haish and Jacob Haish. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

The granite, which comes from Connecticut, was shipped to this city and hauled from the railroad track to the cemetery on a trailer. The largest piece, which weighs 12 tons, was placed on a trailer having a weight of 6,800 pounds, and hauled to the cemetery by a large truck. The greater portion of a day was required in removing this piece of granite from the railroad flat car to the truck trailer.

The monument is one of the most beautiful of its type to be erected in a DeKalb cemetery and next spring after the surrounding ground has been landscaped, a number of DeKalb people will no doubt make pilgrimages to the cemetery to view the monument."

Details of the urn at the Haish monument in DeKalb's Fairview Cemetery. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Thanks to the Joiner History Room for sharing this article.

Jacob and Sophia

Photos of Jacob and Sophia Haish courtesy of the Joiner History Room.

Sophia Ann Brown was born March 10, 1828 in New York. She was the daughter of Thomas Brown, a farmer in the Naperville, Ill. area. 

Jacob and Sophia were married on May 24, 1847, in DuPage County, Ill. According to a Jan. 26, 1924 DeKalb Chronicle article, "He had been much attracted to Sophia ... during the year he had worked on her father's farm, and their friendship grew into a love that made their married life an ideal one."

They would live on the Brown farm for the first two years of their marriage before moving to DeKalb County.

Not much is known about Sophia, especially in comparison to her husband. However, her obituary, printed in the Sycamore True Republican on Sept. 11, 1918, said her philanthropies to the community were many.

The Jan. 26, 1924 edition of the DeKalb Chronicle states "Mr. Haish says there were two times in his life when he was particularly fortunate. The first was when he was married, and the second was when he moved to DeKalb. One of the beautiful features of his life has been his devotion to his wife while she lived."

Jacob and Sophia's monument at Fairview Cemetery in DeKalb, Ill. | Photo by Jessi LaRue