From the "The Village of Harlem: Its People, Homes and Business – 50th
Anniversary Souvenir 1856 to 1906"
"Judge Gorke, as he is familiarly called in the village, is one of the best known, influential, and popular men in Harlem and west of Chicago. He was born in Germany in 1856, came to Chicago in 1876 a penniless lad. While in Chicago he worked a odd jobs, but as he learned floriculture in Germany he obtained employment at Douglas Park and became chief florist and landscape gardener. With only a small portion of the grounds laid out at the beginning of his superintendency before he left he saw eighty acres of improved grounds added to it. After leaving the services of the Park, he operated a greenhouse plant of his own on the West Side. Attracted by the advantages of his business in a location further out, he came to Harlem in 1890 and leased a plant in Altenheim and grew flowers for the Chicago market. One year later he bought a plant at Des Plaines and Cleveland Aves., which he conducted for nine years. Still operating the greenhouse plant, at the same time, in 1896, he opened the well-known and popular sample room at the corner of Harlem and Circle Aves. Recently he has turned of the management of the same to his sons.
"Mr. Gorke has not only been an active man in business, but has also taken a deep interest in citizenship. He was elected Trustee of the Village Board in 1893, and in 1894. He was elected President of the Board in 1895, and again in 1896. During his incumbency in office there were hundreds of thousands of dollars voted for public improvements, among them being water works, sewerage, gas and electricity. In 1896, when the full force of the then existing panic was felt and it was difficult to raise money on any class of securities, he was able to dispose of Harlem's bonds at 91 1-2, while the neighboring villages were compelled to sell as low as 50. With the full interest of the people of Harlem always at heart, he fought for and obtained a five cent fare to Chicago.
"In 1900 Mr. Gorke was elected Highway commissioner and served for three years. In 1904 he was elected Police Magistrate, which office he still holds. While Judge Gorke has served the public faithfully, yet he is active in several business enterprises in Chicago. He is Treasurer of the Gold Dollar Mining Co., President of the Gold Extraction Co., director of the Pittsburg, Idaho, Mining and Milling Co. His Chicago office is at 171 Washington Street.
"Mr. Gorke belongs to several social and benevolent societies of the village. He was married in 1878 to Miss Margaret Manau of Kankakee, Illinois, a most excellent woman, and devoted mother and wife. They have nine children living and one dead. Those living are Otto, August, Frederick, Ameta, Robert, Clara, Anna, Lillie and Harry."