I’m excited to share that Mr. Nicola Di Crescenzo, our friend we know as Jax Saggezza, has brought us an exciting, forgotten murder scandal from early 20th century Chicago!

Part One: Preface

At the start of the 20th century, Chicago was the hub of America’s Midwest. The impetus that made the City grow rapidly and greatly influence the nation’s economy was the numerous forms of transportation.

The Stockyards, circa 1900 LOC

The Chicago Union Stock Yards dominated the meat packing trade and became the world’s largest rail hub, making Chicago’s shipping ports the busiest on the Great Lakes.  Because of those assets the City evolved into the heart of the commodities business, drawing raw materials like lumber, iron, steel and coal. Those materials were handled and processed into finished goods that were shipped east and west to meet the growing demand of the expanding nation. That expansion also led to the cry for reform during  the Progressive Era that started in 1901.

Many of the companies that made Chicago their home were small furniture companies,  located primarily on the north and south branches of the Chicago River. That location placed them near the neighborhoods of their workers and the lumber yards serviced by lake shipping and the railroads.  The dense concentration of furniture production created an innovative center that produced a variety of chairs, rockers, tables and cradles . . . even wheelchairs.  Boosting Chicago’s furniture production was the craft traditions and values of skilled furniture workers, most of which were German immigrants. In 1900, there were 470,000 Chicago residents who had a least one parent born in Germany.

One of the well established and successful furniture companies was Niemann & Weinhardt Table Co. By 1904, Niemann & Weinhardt Table Co. had a 28-year legacy of success.  For reasons and terms not made public, “William Niemann and his two sons withdrew from the business, transferring their entire interest.”  The Niemanns started a new furniture company, The Niemann Table Company, also based in Chicago.  According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, “In 1900, Chicago’s more than 100 furniture plants averaged about 70 workers per firm, well beyond the scale of craft production.”  By 1910, Chicago had 200 furniture manufacturers with a labor force of over 10,000 employees.

The tables shown in the Niemann Table Company newspaper ads are typical designs of the time.