ADAM KOHLEY FAMILY

Adam Kohley arrived in this country in 1845 from Prussia. He lived in Chicago for two years until 1847. He then came to Lisle Township and stayed briefly before continuing on to California for the gold rush. He returned to Lisle Township in 1849 and settled there, purchasing one mile of property along what is now Highway 53. He retained approximately 290 acres. He married Anne Maria Damm in 1852. She had come here from Bavaria (West Germany). They had seven children. The youngest son, Adam Jr. took over the farm when his parents passed away in 1908 and 1909.

Adam Jr. married Elizabeth Wehrli in 1895. They had five children. The oldest was Arnold and the youngest Adam William III. They also had three girls: Maria, Veronica and Elizabeth.

Adam took over the farm as mentioned above. He, with the help of his sons, operated the farm until 1925, when another sixty-acre farm known as the Smith Farm, lying along 83rd Street one mile east of Rt. 53 was purchased. This made for a total of 350 acres with two sets of buildings.

Adam Kohley II passed away on April 11, 1937. His sons, Arnold and Adam III, purchased the property, dividing it into two equal 175 acre parcels, each with a set of buildings, in 1939.

Arnold married Josephine Theilen in 1938 and farmed his 175 acres with the buildings on 83rd Street until 1966 when he sold the property to developers only months before his untimely death on May 11 of that year. The property is now part of the Village of Woodridge.

Adam William Kohley III married Lucille Case on May 3, 1933. They had four children: William, John, Ann and Carol. Adam farmed until the early sixties, by which time most of the property had been sold and subdivided into what is now the Village of Woodridge. The buildings and 6¼ acres have been retained (the buildings on Rt 53). Mr. Kohley passed away on January 23, 1974. His wife still resides on the original property.

The original 120 acres of river bottom land is now owned by the DuPage County Forest Preserve District.


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