www.FranzosenbuschHeritageProject.org Home
Westphal, Adolph
Photographer and soda bottler.
Born November 1, 1835, Prussia; died October 7, 1913, River Forest, Illinois.
Buried in Forest Park.Adolph Westphal had been a photographer in his native Prussia, so it was only natural that he open a photography studio when he arrived in Chicago in 1864. His interest in outdoor photography took him to the Des Plaines River in River Forest. Westphal was delighted by the beauty of the area and decided to settle there.
He bought the old Quick homestead at Lake Street and Clinton Place, which became a successful tavern and dance hall. For years, it was the stopping spot for weary travelers going from the western farms to the Chicago markets. He also opened a photography gallery at Lake and Marion Streets in Oak Park and a grocery store. Eventually he closed the tavern and began bottling beer.
In 1894 local liquor restrictions forced him to switch to holding soda, but a loophole in the law let him continue to sell bottled beer on a wholesale basis. A 1906 advertisement for the Adolph Westphal Bottling Company, Inc. describes it as "bottlers of fine carbonated beverages, ginger ale, root beer, etc., also leading brands of bottle beer; distributors of Neptune Triple Distilled Water, Mammoth Springs Water, Attica Natural Lithia Water. Prompt Delivery."
Other entries for the Westphal family are at:
Sources include but are not limited to:
From "Nature's Choicest Spot" ... a Guide to Forest Home and Germany Waldheim Cemeteries prepared by The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.
Graveyards of Chicago by Matt Hucke and Ursula Bielski -- a book which describes many of the Chicago area cemeteries.
Last Modified: 02/06/2006