Lansing Historical Society

10/19/2026

This is the home of Lansing pioneer Christian Schultz ~ Late 19th century view and mid 1990's view. It has since been demolished.
History ~
Christian Schultz was a farmer and hay presser. He was born in Germany in 1841 and migrated to Lansing with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. August Schultz and his three brothers, John, Fred, and Henry in 1856. The family settled on 186th Street in a small log cabin and immediately engaged in farming.
Christian married Sophia Lange (she moved to Dyer at the age of 16) in 1867 and continued farming after the death of his father.
As the years passed, Christian bought more land and at one time he owned 413 acres in the area of Lansing. After a few years, he built a brick farmhouse that stood in the old Lansing Lumberyard. He also built a spacious barn in 1874 that he most appropriately called the “big barn”. It had stalls for 78 cows and 24 horses.
Christian was an enterprising man and in 1866 he started his hay pressing business. This method of gathering the hay was later eliminated by the hay baler. It was Lansing’s first business. He utilized the long hay in the meadows around Lansing. The bales were shipped by the Pennsylvania (PanHandle) Railroad to Cincinnati, Louisville, St. Louis, Cleveland, Chicago, and the state of Alabama. Chicago served as the terminal and transfer point. The hay press was located on the site of the American Legion building.
At times, Christian had 40 men working as hired hands. Butter, chickens, and geese were sold to help pay off the mortgage on the farmland. In 1890 he started a mattress factory.
The Schultz’s had two girls, Anna and Elizabeth and three boys, William, Henry and Charles. One of his sons, Henry F.W., was born in March of 1874. He became a farmer, village banker, real estate salesman and insurance man. William and Charles farmed the land just south of 186th Street. Besides his demanding responsibilities on the farm, Christian was a member of the Lutheran Church, engaged in politics and served as a school director.
He died in 1894 and his wife lived until 1913. Even though he has been gone many years, his name is a very common name in Lansing.

10/15/2026

The Village of Lansing handed the ceremonial batons to Munster, Indiana on the bike path at the state line. October 14th, 2026 ~ Photos by Dan Bovino.

10/12/2026

The village of Lansing took a beating in the summer.

Weather events July 27 and Aug. 11 with tornadoes sweeping through the community made life miserable for many residents and Mayor Brian Hardy issued a disaster proclamation.

So the town can use some good news, right?

It’s coming Wednesday as Lansing will enjoy a special event and designation when the American Discovery 250 Relay rolls into town.

Ceremonies set in Frankfort, Chicago Heights and Lansing as American Discovery 250 Relay comes through Southland Tuesday and Wednesday.

10/07/2026

The Historic Ford Hangar as seen from the corn field to the north.
October 6th, 2026 ~ Photo by Dan Bovino

10/04/2026

Here's a nice clean copy of the Pennsylvania Railroad Depot in Lansing, Illinois c.1911
The PRR (originally running along what was known as the Panhandle line) arrived in Lansing in 1865. Passenger service making a station stop in Lansing ended in the late 1920s. Passenger trains still used the line to get to Chicago's Union Station via the Bernice cut off. The line was abandoned in 1992 and is now the Pennsy Greenway bike path.

10/03/2026

Providing links to move us forward with digital equity ~ from Kyla Williams Tate.

Cook County Digital Equity Website:

https://digitalequity.cookcountyil.gov

Access Amplified Digital Equity Symposium:

https://www.ticketfalcon.com/e/accessamplified2026/

Building a More Connected Cook County Meet the people and programs working to ensure digital access, safety, and opportunity for all. Where Do You Fit In?Whether you're just getting started or already working in the digital equity space, there's a place for you here. New to Digital Inclusion? Learn....

10/03/2026

Then Now ~
Yates Avenue (now Torrence) looking north from just south of Indiana Avenue c. 1890. H.R. Koopman photo.
Same perspective looking north from across from Schultz Insurance. October 30th, 2022, 7:30 a.m. (132 years later).
This area was once know as Cummings Corner.
The only building that is still there is located on the southeast corner of Indiana Avenue and Torrence. It was once Nufer's Tavern. It has been many things since. A second story was added in the early 1920's.

10/02/2026

Then/Now ~ 3455 Ridge Road
Then photo ~ Winterhoff Meats (left), Lansing General Store (right) c. 1904.
Now photo ~ Gus Bock Hardware c. 2016

10/02/2026

Here's a nice postcard view looking west on Indiana Avenue toward Torrence Avenue (then known as Yates Avenue).
Probably taken around 1900.