John Reher oral history transcript, 1885-1979

• Main Author: John Henry Frank Reher
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: Bensenville Community Public Library 1979
• Subjects: Oral history; Bensenville; Local History; Automobiles; Canada; Fairbanks; Morse; Alaska; morse
• Online Access: http://www.idaillinois.org/u?/p16614coll53,3367

John Reher discusses his parent’s immigration from Germany, renting farms in Chicago, becoming a rural mail carrier in 1918, getting drafted, being a hobo and doing farm work, being a fireman on the Milwaukee Road, Jack Elfring, racing cars in fairs, making car parts, Louis and Art Chevrolet, Ford Metallurgy, racing for money at fairs, getting into flying, the Elmhurst Flying Field, Charles Lindberg, flying parts from Fairbanks Morse in Beloit Wisconsin, his open biplane with fabric wings, doing his own repairs, crashing a plane, quitting racing and flying when he got married, working in the automobile business, having his own garage service, building a house, moving his garage to Bensenville, selling Ford cars until 1954, Otto Kresnicka, Herb Dierking, leasing space to Beeline and Carpet Town, Leonard Geils, doing a 2200 mile car race in Mexico, cracked blocks and pressurized cooling systems, extreme race conditions, racing speeds and tires, chain driven cars and changing gear ratios, crashing at 100 mph and injuries, people dying in crashes, a mechanic named Joe Progue, racing in Canada, going to Alaska with his wife Melinda, choir practice at St. John’s Church, horse and buggies to meet the little ladies, his father in-law Henry Schultz, social life before cars, walking for beer, Al Raack’s Tavern, John Blank’s Tavern, Max Fensky’s Tavern, his wedding in 1927, Chamber of Commerce meetings, and putting in street lights. John Henry Frank Reher, (1898-1982). ORH-Oral Histories The Bensenville Historic Collection houses documents, photographs, and maps from the mid 1800’s to present day. Several families are featured and the collection includes many types of records documenting life, schools, business, land usage, religious life, genealogy, cemeteries, civic groups, village services, railroads, oral histories and more.