At the Old Settlers' picnic Mr. John Wentworth gave the following historical data:

"Let's go back to the time when Cook County was first organized. Before that, anyone wishing to get married, had to go to Peoria. The first German who voted here, was John von Horn, whom I knew very well and who was established here in 1830; the second was John Wellmacher, a baker who made good money by selling bread to the Indians. These are the only two Germans I know of up to the organization of Cook County.

"In 1836, we had the German hotel of Adam Berg on LaSalle Street. I danced for the first time with a German lady. At that time there was only one Catholic priest here and he was a German. The first German who obtained an office was Clemens Stose. He was alderman of the second ward."