Müller Home and Soda Pop Factory

110 W. Fremont Street

Brief History of The Beverage Company

(1872-1991)

· The company was organized as "Sass and Brother" manufacturers of soda water in 1872. The proprietors were Louis.H. Sass and Frederick W. Müller. The bottling works were located at 116 S. Dunton. They manufactured Ginger Ale, Sarsaparilla, Lemon Soda and Strawberry Soda.

· By 1873, F.W. Muller bought out his half-brother’s interest in the company.

· The bottling works were relocated in 1882 to 500 North Vail Ave where F.W. Muller erected a brick building. The basement was used for a factory and the first floor for a home. (now part of the Arlington Heights Historical Museum complex.)

· F.W. Muller Carbonated Beverages delivered soda pop along the dirt roads of the Northwest Suburbs. By this time, new flavors including Lemon Sour, Klondike Fizz, Buffalo Mead and Cream Soda were added.

· In 1906, the property at 110 and 112 W. Fremont St. was purchased and a new building was built. The building housed the bottling factory, offices, and garage on the first floor and apartments for Muller’s sons William and Henry on the second floor.

· Mr. Muller retired in 1923 and his sons William and Henry took over the business and renamed it Arlington Club Beverages.

· In 1945, they sold out to Harvey Shumaker and William Schild. In 1956, the plant was purchased by Robert Thompson. In 1960, Harvey and Marion Lutz bought the business. In 1964, the business moved to 1326 W. Central Road in Mt. Prospect due to changes in zoning laws. In 1978, the business was sold to Robert Phelps. In 1986, the business was sold to Richard Vandenbark. At that time, it offered 33 flavors, and yearly sales were approximately $550,000. Its appeal was its low price, 7 and 10 oz. Bottles, freshness, and multiple flavors. Vandenbark declared bankruptcy in 1991.

· Today, handcrafted sodas following the original recipes used by the Sass and Brother manufacturers in 1872, are available at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum gift shop. Using only the finest quality ingredients including real cane sugar. There are four flavors available: Lemon, Strawberry, Ginger Ale, and Sarsaparilla. Produced & Bottled by Avery 's Bottling Works, New Britain, CT.

www.ahmusuem.org

Who was Frederick W. Müller?

Frederick W. Müller

(1848(9)-1925)

Frederick William Müller was born in Germany on July 1, 1848(9). His father, Jacob Müller was a merchant who died in Germany in 1866. His mother, Sophia Müller died the following year.

Frederick was the eldest of five children. He received a fair education according to German customs and worked as a clerk in his father’s store before traveling to the United States. Frederick arrived in the U.S. in June 1868 and he traveled to Chicago. There, he found employment with Sass and Hefner, manufacturers of soda water. Louis Sass was one the partners of this soda company and was also Frederick’s half-brother. He worked there until March, 1872.

He arrived in Arlington Heights, then known as Dunton on Good Friday, in March 1872. Here Frederick and his half brother became partners forming the company Sass and Brother, manufacturers of soda water. The bottling works were located at what is now 116 S. Dunton St. Their partnership only lasted until the end of 1872 when Frederick purchased his half brother’s interest in the company and formed F.W. Müller Carbonated Beverages.

Frederick met Elizabeth Sievert and they were married on March 14, 1873. Elizabeth was also from Germany. The couple resided in a home at 110 S. Dunton.

In 1882, Müller built the home and soda factory on the corner of North Vail and West Fremont St.

Frederick and Elizabeth had five children, Minnie, William C., Marie C., Henry F. and Adeline A.

Frederick, known as "Pop" Müller, retired from the family business in 1923. His two sons took over the business renaming it Arlington Club Beverages. "Pop" Müller died in 1925.

Accomplishments:

· Supervisor of Wheeling Township for 28 years 1887-1915

· Mayor 1897-1899

· Member of the School Board 1892-1900

· Medinah Temple Shrine

The Müller Children

Frederick and Elizabeth had five children, Minnie, William, Marie, Henry and Adeline.

Minnie, the eldest child of Frederick and Lizzie Müller, married Nathaniel Moore Banta on July 17, 1901. Her husband was the first president of the Arlington Heights Park Board and Minnie was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of A.H. They had a daughter named Elizabeth, and she married Herbert E. Müller on June 18, 1927. Minnie died on January 19, 1963 in Old Orchard Manor Nursing Home, Skokie, Illinois. Nathaniel died on February 5, 1932 at the age of 65.

William was born in 1876. He married Mary Putnam. They had four daughters. Wilhelmine, Lorraine, Marie and Adeline. William died February 13, 1960 in Las Vegas, New Mexico and was buried there. He was survived by his wife Mary, 2 daughters: Wilhelmine Engel of Cheyenne, Wyoming and Lorraine Leftwich of Las Vegas, New Mexico, 10 grandchildren, and 15 great grandchildren. Preceding him in death were his brother Henry, and two daughters, Adeline (who married William Erb of Las Vegas, New Mexico) and Marie. Marie married Eugene C. Stroker on March 27, 1925 in Arlington Heights.

Henry married Huldah Elizabeth Hallen on April 26, 1906. He died October 1947 leaving his wife, daughter Mrs. Willard Pate, a grandson, and his three sisters. Huldah celebrated her 100th birthday in the Americana Nursing Home, Arlington Heights in 1982.

Marie never married. She was a public school teacher. She died in 1962.

Adeline never married. She sold the family home to the Historical Society in 1967 for use as a museum. She died in 1971.

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