C. H. Thompson (1859-1945): Developer of Luxury Homes
by Gustavo Azevedo
Three centuries ago, not much of modern-day Rogers Park existed. Where houses, apartments and shops now line the streets, birch trees and dunes dotted the landscape. Although almost empty compared to today’s population, the area was home to small groups of Potawatomi, Ojibwe, Odawa, and others.
In 1816, the Treaty of St. Louis was signed. It established the Indian Boundary line, using the trail that became Rogers Avenue as the northern edge of a twenty-mile-wide path open to westward-bound settlers. In return for “all their right, claim, and title, to all the land contained in the before-mentioned cession,” the tribes were to be paid “$1,000 in merchandise annually” to be delivered over 12 years.[1]
As the westward settlement grew, it was not long before some newcomers from the east violated the treaty’s terms and illegally established themselves in the territory north of the boundary line.
The illegal settlements led to ongoing conflicts with the Native Americans, who were supposed to have control of the land, and in 1833, an agreement was imposed upon them in the Treaty of Chicago. Under terms of this treaty, the native tribes were pushed north and west, and the US Government took complete control of Northeastern Illinois.
By the 1830s, immigrants, mostly German and Swedish, made the area their home. Philip McGregor Rogers, an Irishman from Watertown, New York, lived there until he died in 1856. Ultimately, Rogers acquired 1,600 acres of land from today’s Howard Street south to Devon Avenue. This land became the foundation of the Village of Rogers Park.
The modern suburb was officially annexed into the city of Chicago in 1893. By the turn of the 20th century, it was a residential hub for well-off business executives, high-ranking government officials and other wealthy people looking for the latest infrastructure of suburban life with ready access to the city. Real estate entrepreneurs and developers flocked to the area to fulfill the needs of this new market, and one of the most prolific was Charles Henry Thompson.
In those days, houses “Built by Thompson” were regarded as the highest quality.
Charles Henry Thompson Goes Where the Action Is
C. H. Thompson was born in Roodhouse, Illinois, about 50 miles southwest of Springfield, on February 12, 1859. His father, Samuel Thompson, was a farmer and a veteran of the Mexican American War.[2] The family grew livestock, wheat and corn. Although Thompson can still be seen, at age 11, in the 1870 census alongside his parents and five siblings in Roodhouse[3], he’s not found in the 1880 census. Consequently, his early adulthood remains a mystery. The 1890 census—notorious for the great fire that consumed its records—is also out of our research’s reach.
However, leading up to the turn of the 20th century, Chicago was the fastest growing city in the world. With the 1893 World’s Fair around the corner, opportunity was in abundance, and it is no surprise that the first evidence of Thompson in the city comes from the real estate ads he ran in the Chicago Tribune. His office was in the Tacoma Building at the corner of LaSalle and Madison Streets.[4] One of the first skyscrapers in Chicago, the 1888 building was designed by Holabird and Roche, key architects in the First Chicago School of architecture. It was demolished in 1929.[5]
Although we found no record of the marriage, other sources indicate that Thompson married Clara Brandenburg around 1889. Clara was born in Blanchester, Ohio, on September 6, 1866. Like Samuel Thompson, Clara’s father, Joseph Brandenburg, was also a farmer.[6]
In 1900, the Thompsons lived at 1058 (now 1340) Chase Ave, a home Charles built in 1897 that must be one of his first projects in Rogers Park.[7] According to the census, the couple had been married for 11 years and Clara had experienced one pregnancy, but by 1900 had no living children, revealing that the couple suffered an early loss. [8] They had no children the rest of their lives.
In the 1900 census, Thompson was listed as a mortgage banker and he soon took on a direct role in shaping the community. In May 1900, Thompson was one of the Rogers Park residents who proposed creation of the North Shore Park District. A month later, he was granted the construction permit to build on 765 (now 1707) Chase Avenue, another early Rogers Park project.
Clara also took on a public role in community affairs. Not expected to pursue a career or higher education, women of her era and status poured their efforts into social and community-based organizations. In 1901, the Rogers Park Woman’s Club elected Clara president. As an organization devoted to the community and the arts, the group’s causes included establishing a public library and teaching English to immigrants, along with other social and cultural activities. The Rogers Park Woman’s Club closed permanently in the fall of 1996.[9]
“Built By Thompson” Becomes a Brand
The two houses on Chase Avenue were the first of about 100 homes Thompson built in Rogers Park from 1898 until 1912.[10] He built houses on Jarvis, Chase, Estes, Touhy, Fargo, and Sheridan Road. From Chase Avenue, the Thompsons moved to another “Built By Thompson” home on 7405 Sheridan Road.
With quality as their main selling point, houses built by Thompson were as sturdy as they were elegant. Of course, such elegance came at high prices, but Thompson was not comfortable only staying in that market. For less affluent people looking to move into the neighborhood, Thompson also built less costly housing that still proudly displayed its “Built by Thompson” seal of quality, reducing costs by building on smaller lots. Regardless of their price, these houses were built by Thompson’s team of highly skilled craftsmen.
Over time, Thompson and his homes were known throughout Chicago and the North Shore suburbs. The homes were aggressively sold through over three hundred advertisements in the Chicago Tribune from 1900 until 1914. These ads offered homes that were “yet to be built.” This allowed Thompson and his team to customize the house depending on the buyer’s needs. These custom-built Rogers Park homes often listed Thompson himself as their architect, yet another way he shaped the neighborhood.
New Opportunities Prompt A Move West
In January 1914, Charles and Clara announced that they were leaving Chicago for a trip around the world. Their journey would start in New York, where they would sail to Naples. The couple planned to tour Europe until September and then return to Naples to sail further east, continuing their journey through the Holy Land, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Calcutta, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Japan, and Honolulu. They also revealed that they would be saying goodbye to Rogers Park at the end of their travels and moving to Beverly Hills, California. The trip was to end in San Francisco in June of 1915.[11]
But, their plan was interrupted. On June 28, 1914, Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist. A month later, on July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, beginning World War I.[12]
When the war broke out, many Americans were left stranded in Europe, looking for ways back home. In early August, the Chicago Tribune featured reports of many stranded Chicagoans organizing safe passage from the crisis. However, Josephine Brandenburg, a relative of Clara’s, expressed deep concern about not hearing any news from the Thompsons for three weeks.[13]
When the war broke out, they were touring the Austrian Alps and quickly made their way to Switzerland, where they were out of reach for three weeks. Then, they went to Paris, where they found safe passage to America. The Thompsons spent two weeks in Chicago after their return before moving to Los Angeles.
The Thompsons Fulfill their California Dream
By 1917, the Thompsons had moved to Los Angeles and quickly settled into a wealthy lifestyle supported by work in the city’s booming real estate market. In 1919, Thompson was a manager for the Frank Meline Company, in charge of their real estate office on Wilshire Boulevard . [14]
Diversifying his portfolio, Thompson invested heavily in other businesses that were flourishing in the early years of Hollywood. The Federal Trust and Savings Bank of Hollywood announced their board of directors in 1922, a group of men who played prominent roles in the birth of Hollywood and the American Film industry. Serving alongside Thompson were George Eastman and Cecil B. DeMille.[15]
Eastman was a wealthy entrepreneur and philanthropist best known as founder of the Eastman-Kodak Company, maker of easy-to-use cameras and film for everyday consumers. Eastman gained his fame and built his company by simplifying the entire photography process, which before his invention required the photographer to carry an enormous amount of equipment, jugs, chemicals, and glass tanks.[16] He was also an innovator in the new moving picture industry.
DeMille made his Broadway acting debut in February 1900 but was quickly hooked on writing and directing. As motion pictures took the spotlight, DeMille shifted to directing in that medium. Needing a location to shoot his western The Squaw Man, DeMille turned to a rental studio in a rural suburb of Los Angeles called Hollywood. The rental studio turned out to be a barn, and The Squaw Man was one of the first films shot in Hollywood. DeMille went on to become one of the most famous producer-directors in the industry, capping off his career with his most celebrated film, the 1956 classic The Ten Commandments.[17]
While Charles established himself in the business community, Clara raised the Thompson name in the social circles of Los Angeles. A popular socialite and prolific fundraiser, Clara was one of the founders of the Hollywood Bowl and often hosted beautifully decorated gatherings to encourage donations from the famous and wealthy for the Bowl, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and other causes.
In just one example, in May 1926, the Thompsons hosted a teatime reception for over 400 guests to celebrate the completion of their new home on Sunset Boulevard in the elegant Holmby Hills section.[18]
With no children—or war—and plenty of money, the Thompsons made their second attempt at world traveling. In his 1921 passport application, Thompson describes a vacation that will take him and Clara to Mexico, other places in Central America, Italy, and France.[19]
Their adventurous travels added to their social prominence. In 1923, Thompson photographed the opening of the tomb of King Tut and brought the photos back to display at the local Men’s Club in California. In reports of the event, he was called a “noted world traveler, Egyptologist and student of anthropology.”[20]
Not to be left out, Clara served as president of the Around The World Club and was re-elected in 1929.[21] This “stimulating and select group of women” gathered to discuss their travels and present the local news from wherever they visited.[22] At the time, very few could afford months of traveling internationally, so the Around The World Club was established for these privileged women to share their traveling experiences.
One of the most unique pieces of their travel story comes from an emergency passport application made by the couple on January 20, 1923, in Mumbai, India. Little is known about what led to the Thompsons losing their passports abroad, but the application itself paints a picture of their journey. Instead of applying for a passport to return home, they applied for one to continue their travels. When asked what countries they would be visiting, the application lists Egypt, Palestine, England, Czechoslovakia, Turkey, Greece, Jego Slavica (Yugoslavia), Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Romania, and the British Isles.[23]
The Thompsons lived a well-spent life with a legacy that outlives them. Clara passed away in 1943,[24] and Charles Thompson died on April 25, 1945. Together, they are buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California.[25]
The Rogers Park Legacy of C. H. Thompson
C.H. Thompson and his luxury homes are part of Rogers Park’s history. The Thompson homes are a piece of the jigsaw puzzle that gives the neighborhood its unique atmosphere. Most have endured, through good and bad times, proof of the “Built by Thompson” promise. They fit into the neighborhood scene along with the work of John Carlson, whose less costly homes provided many first-time buyers with the opportunity for home ownership. They share streets with the elegant but affordable courtyard apartments built by Emma Kennett and others throughout the neighborhood.
Along with the other developers, builders, and architects of their era, these noted members of our community left behind a variety of residential options that meet the needs of people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, lifestyles and economic levels. Thanks to them, the diverse mix of today’s Rogers Park residents can all call the same place home.
Sources Cited In This Article
[1] “Indians Cede the Land,” by Patricia Lofthouse, Native Themes in New Deal-Era Murals, Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
[2] Passport Application, Charles Henry Thompson, filed in Los Angeles, February 7, 1921.
[3] United States Census, 1870, Macoupin County, IL, p. 25, Samuel Thompson Household.
[4] Classified Ad for land sale, Chicago Tribune, May 25, 1890, p. 16.
[5] “Tacoma Building,” Preservation Chicago, October 31, 2018.
[6] United States Census, 1880, Clinton County Ohio, Enumeration District 60, Joseph Brandenburg.
[7] Chicago Building Permit # 489, 1048 Chase, issued July 7, 1897, to Charles H Thompson.
[8] United States Census, 1900, Chicago Ward 25, Enumeration District 776, sheet 4B.Thompson, 1048 Chase.
[9] “The Rogers Park Woman’s Club,” by Hope Shannon, Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society, August 4, 2014.
[10] Entries for C. Thompson, Index to the American Contractor’s Chicago Building Permit Column, 1898-1912.
[11] “Thompsons Leave Chicago,” The Inter Ocean (Chicago, Illinois), January 23, 1914, p. 4.
[12] “Timeline (1914-1921),” Library of Congress.
[13] “No Answer to Cable,” Chicago Tribune, August 4, 1914, p. 7.
[14] Frank Meline Ad, The Los Angeles Times, November 9, 1919, p. 28.
[15] “Officers Elected to Head New Bank Opening Here Soon,” Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, September 26, 1922, p.1.
[16] “George Eastman,” Kodak Company.
[17] Biography, Cecil B. DeMille, cecilbdemille.com.
[18] “Mrs. Thompson Entertains with Formal Tea,” Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, May 24, 1926, p. 6.
[19] Passport Application, Charles Henry Thompson, previously cited.
[20] “To Show Views of King Tut’s Tomb At Its Opening,” Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, May 15, 1926, p. 7.
[21] “President Accepts Club Re-Election,” Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, April 12, 1929, p. 6.
[22] “World Travelers Planning Excellent Winter Program,” Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, September 13, 1929.
[23] Emergency Passport Application, Charles Thompson, 1923.
[24] Obituary, Mrs. Clara B. Thompson, Los Angeles Times, June 5, 1943, page 14.:
[25] Find a grave.com Memorial ID # 85532699, Charles Henry Thompson, died April 25, 1945.
About the Author
With his article, we bid goodbye to Gustavo Azevedo, who graduated from Loyola University on December 9, 2024. As a student intern with RPWHS, Gustavo has been instrumental in finding and telling the stories of some of the more noted residents of Rogers Park and West Ridge. He moved to the United States from Brazil in 2013 and to Rogers Park in 2022 after a year abroad. Gustavo graduated with a degree in Multimedia Journalism , and he hopes to work in video production. We wish him all possible success in his future, and we hope he will never stop telling the stories of ordinary people who have made their mark on history.