The 1864 opening of the CB&Q train line between Chicago and Aurora and subsequent establishment of local train service attracted real estate developers who set about to establish whole new towns along the route. Within twenty years, most land along the railroad from Chicago to Downers Grove had been claimed by one developer or another to establish train stops, subdivide the former farmland into salable lots, sell those lots, and (hopefully) make lots of money in the process.
As yet unexploited were two miles along the CB&Q between Riverside and La Grange where the land was still in the hands of land speculators. That open land caught the attention of Samuel Eberly Gross, a Civil War veteran and lawyer, who, in 1880 began his new career in real estate development and home building.
Described as “the most prolific builder in Chicago’s history. In its first ten years in the real estate business S E Gross & Company “sold more than 30,000 lots and built thousands of houses in 21 subdivisions.” Gross achieved his success by focusing on the housing needs of buyers of modest means – immigrants and blue-collar families. He published catalogs and ads offering homebuyers more than 400 designs from which to choose and touted his buildings as 'The workingman's reward: a home for $10 a month.” He seldom foreclosed on a mortgage, regardless of the prevailing economic conditions.
On December 1, 1888, S.E. Gross made its first land purchase along the CB&Q, bordered by Salt Creek, Washington, Maple & Southview avenues. Gross quickly platted streets, including the Grand Boulevard running diagonally through the subdivision. He erected a train station and a pavilion building, housing a general store, real estate office and post office. Several model houses were erected in anticipation of the grand opening of “Magnetic” Grossdale on June 15, 1889.
Gross promoted his new subdivision with characteristic aggressiveness and flamboyance. Large display ads appeared weekly in Chicago newspapers, extolling the benefits of homeownership and glorifying Grossdale (and other Gross subdivisions) as ideal places to locate. Gross’ agents met prospective homebuyers at Union Station and personally escorted them out to Grossdale.
Historian Dolores Hayden described Gross’s promotional process:
“S E Gross advertised "Grand Free Palace Excursion Trains" so that potential buyers could ride out to see his properties. Excursions were carefully scripted performances. Brass bands might be seated on the roofs of the railroad cars, sounding the overture to the festive day. Arriving on one of these trains to "Magnetic" Grossdale, passengers would see a substantial railroad station and a meeting hall and store constructed by the developer. Accompanied by the band, they would march into a circus tent where they might listen to more music have food and refreshments from wagons loaded with barrels of beer and talk to salesmen.”
The hoopla yielded results. Gross sold 800 lots in the first thirty days and continued at a brisk pace. Buyers could purchase $200 lots using down-payments as little as $10 to $25. Purchasers had the option of buying already constructed homes or simply lots to be built on later.
In 1890 the Chicago Post newspaper conducted an informal poll of people’s favorite Chicago suburbs, Grossdale placed third in the entire metropolitan area. One letter that accompanied a reader’s vote read as follows:
“I want to cast my vote as to (the) desirable residence suburbs in favor of Grossdale, for my little baby girl, now 10 months old. Her name is Grossie Dale Van Cleve, so named in honor of the fact that she was the first child born in this city. Her health is excellent, owing, we think, to pure air and healthy surroundings. Never sick for a day, weight 22 pounds. Hurrah for Grossdale, and hurrah for Grossie Dale! Mr. Editor, come out and see us.”
The new subdivision was successful enough that Gross added East Grossdale in 1893 and West Grossdale in 1895. The East Grossdale project arose on the site of Walter and Mary Peck’s 1880s “Hollywood” estate. Either for name consistency or of sheer egotism, Gross renamed Hollywood as East Grossdale, to the dismay and irritation of local residents. The 1895 West Grossdale subdivision occupied land west of Grossdale and abutting La Grange’s east border.
Grossdale was incorporated as a village in 1893, enabling installation of sidewalks, paved streets, sewers and street lighting. Jonathan Wesley Gross, Samuel E. Gross’s brother, served five terms as village president between 1897 and 1904. Gradually, though, relations between the Gross family members and Grossdale residents became strained. In the early 1900s, S.E. Gross, who had experienced financial reverses not related to real estate development, fell behind on payment of property taxes on lots he still owned. Then there was the lingering resentment over the renaming of Hollywood. Residents sought to distance themselves from their community’s flamboyant founder. That included changing the name of the town.
In late 1900, a referendum was held to change Grossdale’s name to Montauk. It was defeated by two votes. Dissatisfaction still simmered, and in 1904, the local political party opposing Jonathan Wesley Gross made a proposed name change a central issue in their campaign. The opposition party won. Gross was voted out of office and a contest was held to select a new name. The name Brookfield was submitted and selected in honor of Salt Creek that runs through the village. At that same time the Hollywood name was restored to East Grossdale and West Grossdale was renamed Congress Park.
Though the new names were applied to the municipality and neighborhoods, the CB&Q railroad refused to change the names of the three stations without Gross’ permission. Gross only provided his assent after the railroad paid $25,000 for the three handsome frame depot buildings that Gross had built in his new subdivisions.
Samuel Gross had accumulated substantial wealth during his glory days of real estate development. He lived with his wife Emily in a Chicago mansion at the corner of Lake Shore Drive and Division Street and were prominent in social circles. But the new century brought tumult into Gross’ life. First was the real estate developer’s lawsuit, accusing playwright Edmond Rostrand of plagiarizing Gross’ romantic comedy The Merchant Prince of Cornville in Rostrand’s Cyrano de Bergerac. Though Gross won the suit, it came at the cost of years of distraction and legal expense. What has been described as “unwise speculation” cost Gross his wealth. He filed bankruptcy in 1908, while residing at the Kellogg Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Emily Gross filed for divorce on grounds of desertion. And for good reason. Eight days after the divorce decree was issued, the seemingly ailing 65-year-old Gross, married the beautiful and musically talented 18-year-old Rose Lois Haughley, who dropped out of high school to become a bride. Gross died in 1913, and is buried in Graceland Cemetery in Chicago.
As for Grossdale – renamed Brookfield – the community moved on following the involuntary departure of its founder. By 1960 its population had reached 20,000 and continues to hover near that mark. Brookfield’s world-famous Zoo hosts millions of visitors each year. Squarely in the center of the community is the S.E. Gross Middle School. Gross' stately and spacious CB&Q (now moved across the street from its orignal site) has been preserved and houses the Brookfield Historical Society. Those two structures are nearly the only reminders of the flamboyant real estate developer who created the community.
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