Brick from the Jacob Haish mansion

Bricks from the Jacob Haish mansion | Photo by Jessi LaRue

The pictured brick is from Scott Golden, of DeKalb. Like many remnants of the Haish mansion that still exist today, the bricks were collected unconventionally. His father had "scavenged" bricks from the outside of the Jacob Haish mansion shortly before its demolition in 1961. Golden said his father lived and worked nearby the Haish mansion, and he collected the bricks at night. 

DeKalb historian Steve Bigolin said the sunflower bricks were just one of many designs used around the outside of the mansion. He said many of these bricks were used around the corner tower of the mansion, and that the sunflower design was the only one that was made up of two bricks. 

The below postcard, provided by the Joiner History Room, shows the mansion's tower that was comprised of bricks.

Residence of Jacob Haish, 1901 | Photo courtesy of Joiner History Room, DeKalb County Archives

The Death of Jacob Haish

"The Death of Jacob Haish," below, was written by local historian Stephen Bigolin and appeared in his writings "This Was Jacob Haish."

THE DEATH OF JACOB HAISH
By Stephen Bigolin

In the spring of 1916, after being in the Barbed Wire business some 43 years, having reached the age of 90, Jacob Haish decided it was finally time to retire. He sold his beloved Barbed Wire Factory to P.A. Nehring, for $35,000. For the remaining decade of his life, Mr. Haish's only business connection was with the Jacob Haish State Bank, which he was the active President of. He would come to the bank each day, sit in his rocking chair in the lobby, twirl his gold headed cane, conduct his business affairs, and occasionally reminisce about the early days of Barbed Wire.

On September 9, 1918, Mrs. Haish, who for twenty years had been practically confined to a wheelchair because of ill health, died at age 90. Although the loss of his helpmate of 71 years created a void in his heart, Jacob Haish's love of life proved strong enough to endure the hardship, as he came to rely more and more for care on his housekeeper, Anna Anderson. Mr. Haish's last goal in life became to see his 100th birthday.

On March 8, 1920, the day before his 94th birthday, Mr. Haish drew up his Last Will & Testament. Whether this was but one of a series of Wills he wrote is not clear, although several changes were made in this Will by the time Mr. Haish died in 1926. The changes appear to have resulted from the fact that all the people to whom Mr. Haish wanted to leave some small portion of his estimated $5,000,000 estate, were going to the grave before him! In the final form, the Will provided for practically everything to be left to charity. One provision remained unchanged from the Will of March 8, 1920; that being that no relative of Mr. Haish's got even one cent of his estate. Upon his death, Mr. Haish intended for his mansion to be left to Anna Anderson; with enough money for her to always live comfortably in it.

A copy of the DeKalb Daily Chronicle boasts the headline "Jacob Haish Dead." | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Late in 1925, Mr. Haish fell victim to pneumonia. His constitution fought it to the best of its ability, with the goal of reaching 100 years of age guiding the struggle. In the early weeks of 1926 he rallied from the bout, but was totally blind, and afraid of being poisoned, so as to be robbed of that last great objective. He knew the soft touch of Anna Anderson's hands, however, and would only take food from her, according to Beatrice Gurler. On the afternoon of February 19, 1926, just 19 days before his 100th birthday, Jacob Haish died at his palatial residence. His death made headlines in the DeKalb Daily Chronicle for several days. His funeral was held in his mansion, which was opened to the public. In his Will, Mr. Haish left money for construction of a monument in Fairview Cemetery over the spot where he & his wife rested.

Jacob Haish history sits quietly in Rockton

Two lion statues, which once stood proudly at the Haish mansion in DeKalb, have resided at the Red Barn Golf Course for decades. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Some contents of the Haish mansion have been residing just an hour from their original home.

Chandeliers, woodwork, and even statues from the mansion can be found in Rockton, Ill.,  because of antique collector Walter Williamson, who was from Winnebago County.

Historian Steve Bigolin and I recently visited Rockton to see the items, and he told me the story he had dug up in the 1970s. Bigolin said shortly before the mansion's demolition, Williamson purchased scavenger's rights to the mansion for $1,200. In 1973, Williamson told Bigolin he recalled filling four trucks with various items. To this day, just some of those items can be found in a Chinese restaurant and on the grounds of a golf course in Rockton. The outcome of any other items is unknown.

Williamson had owned the Wagon Wheel Resort in Rockton, which consisted of a golf course, swimming pool, bowling alley, theater, and much more, and was open from 1936 until it closed in 1989. Williamson used some of the Haish items throughout the resort. Today, the China Palace Restaurant, which was formerly known as the Junior Wagon Wheel, and the Red Barn Golf Course, which was part of the resort, now have new owners but still feature the Haish memorabilia.

The golf course features the "two lions" that were seen for many years on the Haish lawn in DeKalb. Today, the two statues stand guard outside along the drive into the golf course, and although they are very weathered, you can still make out the phrase "patentee of barb wire," "Jacob Haish," and the bust of Jacob himself.

A lion statue that was once featured outside of the Haish mansion. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Another lion (some call it a bear) statue that was once Haish property | Photo by Jessi LaRue

One statue is inscribed with "Patentee of Barb Wire" | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Details of a statue | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Both statues along the drive into the Red Barn Golf Course in Rockton | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Historian Steve Bigolin poses for a portrait with the lion statue | Photo by Jessi LaRue

One statue features "1884" and "Built by Jacob Haish" on top of a bust of Jacob | Photo by Jessi LaRue

The weathered bust of Haish sits at the base of a statue | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Details of a statue | Photo by Jessi LaRue

The statues were acquired by avid antique collector Walter Williamson shortly before the Haish mansion was razed. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

A short drive from the golf course is the China Palace Restaurant. Upon walking in you immediately see pieces from the mansion that have been repurposed and carefully woven into the decor of the restaurant. A staircase post and woodwork can quickly be picked out.

Woodwork that was featured in the Haish mansion can now be found in Rockton's China Palace Restaurant | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Woodwork from the Haish mansion | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Woodwork details | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Woodwork details | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Woodwork details | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Woodwork details | Photo by Jessi LaRue

The dining room area also features two chandeliers from the mansion, which Bigolin believes would be worth much more than the $1,200 Williamson originally paid to remove items from the mansion.

Chandeliers that once dazzled in the Haish mansion can now be found in the China Palace Restaurant in Rockton. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

A chandelier that first hung in the Haish mansion | Photo by Jessi LaRue

The chandeliers now hang in the dining room of the China Palace Restaurant | Photo by Jessi LaRue

The Red Barn Theatre, which at one point was part of the resort, also featured porch posts and trim from the Haish mansion, but is no longer standing.

"H" marks the spot

Fisk Avenue "H" | Photo by Jessi LaRue

I spotted this "H" on Fisk Avenue in DeKalb this week.

The "H", made up of five bricks, can be found near the residential area along Fisk Avenue, Pond Street and DeKalb Avenue, which featured the "Haish flats." The flats were constructed by Jacob Haish to provide low-cost housing for working-class families, many of which were Haish's factory employees.

The excerpt below, from "Landmarks of the Barb City" by Stephen Bigolin, provides background on the possible history of the bricks. 

"A pair of curious commemoratives survive along with the flat at 228-230 Fisk. Embedded in the sidewalk on the northeast corner of Fisk and DeKalb avenues, and in the cement of the driveway to the flat, are two groups of five bricks forming the letter H. In 1983, some former residents of the area recalled that they either were told by their parents, or actually saw for themselves, that Jacob Haish himself originally laid these in place. However, this amounts to a case of oral tradition and is open to question.

It is true, though, that the driveway of the Haish mansion was paved with the same kind of decorative bricks and they also are known for their use as sidewalk pavement in front of houses or other tenements constructed by Haish."

Fisk Avenue "H", with 228-230 Fisk Avenue in the background | Photo by Jessi LaRue