Kildeer, Illinois - History - Brickman Builders

Brickman Builders

On October 16, 1958, Brickman Builders of Chicago announced their intent to build a planned community "of the future" in Ela Township of 20,000 residential units. This planned community would cover nine square miles south and southeast of Lake Zurich. It would contain 16,000 single family homes, 6000 apartments or duplex units, one high school, four junior high schools, 29 grade schools, a country club, ten church sites, ten percent of the area would be reserved for industrial use, have an ultimate population of 60,000 people and take 15 years to build. There would be a central shopping mall at West Cuba and Quentin Road containing a major department store, a variety store, ten small shops, one or more supermarkets, a bank, two drugstores, two restaurants, a professional and medical center, with provisions for parking 2,500 cars. Six smaller shopping centers were also to be located in neighborhoods.

When Joseph M. Brickman announced his "billion dollar city" he claimed to have bought or had options on 2,000 of the required 6,222 acres (25.18 km2). He was proud to say it would be the largest planned community in the country, his "Blueprint of the Future", and its purpose was to bring organized development to the projected rapid growth of the area. Naturally, all of this came as a shock to the existing residents who moved here to enjoy the natural tranquil countryside. It was discovered that Brickman intended to incorporate as a village. If there were 100 residents and 35 voters living within the prescribed boundaries, they could hold a referendum to establish a village form of government, he could effectively select individuals to have voted into office, and form his own government complete with codes and ordinances to serve his own interests.

To accomplish his plan, Brickman began building a subdivision on Sturm's farm, located on the south side of Rand Road just west of Quentin Road, in the summer of 1957. The completed homes were "rented" to Brickman's real estate agents and their employees. Surrounding residents became suspicious when it surfaced that "renters" were paying $50 per month for a three bedroom house. Rumor had it that he was also moving itinerant farm workers into structures on other properties. People became convinced that Brickman would shortly incorporate the Sturm Subdivision and systematically annex his other adjacent parcels. Simultaneously, Brickman was seeking rezoning of these properties from Lake County to permit small lots.

Inspired by longtime resident Dorothea Huszagh, local residents organized and petitioned to hold a referendum to incorporate their own municipality. Brickman continued with his grand plan. One of his maneuvers was to provide farm buildings as rent free housing to migrant workers in exchange for their votes to incorporate his own village. One Saturday he attempted to move a small red barn west on East Cuba Road to one of his properties for this purpose. Mounted on a truck, it could not make it across the small, one lane bridge over Buffalo Creek because of large overhanging oak tree branches. The foreman ordered the branches be cut down but neighbors told him the tree was on private property and to stop. Workers didn't heed the warnings and a call went out for others to join in the opposition. A small crowd gathered blocking the west side of the bridge, facing Brickman employees on the east side. Ralph Huszagh ran home and got his rifle, bringing it back for his older brother Rudy. One shot into the ground brought things to a halt and further hostilities ended when the Sheriff's police arrived ordering the barn off the road and back to the farm. Cheering residents were then dispersed. On September 8, 1996, a plaque was mounted on the bridge dedicating it as a memorial to Dorothea Huszagh, who died in 1995, and others who stood up against the desecration of our countryside.