|
How to Begin To start the James Anderson Company timeline at its beginning we have to open by describing the founder’s arrival in America way back in 1848. James Anderson arrived from Aberdeenshire, Scotland lured by the promise of young America. He soon began working for a fellow Scotsman in a Millburn lumberyard in what is now known as Old Mill Creek, Illinois, located five miles south of the Wisconsin border. In 1857, James married and moved south within Lake County, Illinois. There, he worked clearing the land to allow the development of the newly planned City of Lake Forest. Lake Forest as a Cow Town In 1878 James began a cattle import business and brought the first herd of Black Angus cattle over to the United States. In later years, James kept the cattle in and near Lake Forest, and at times there were many Black Angus throughout the downtown. Growing Roots in Lake Forest Having decided to settle permanently in Lake Forest, James subsequently started a general store and his own lumberyard in town. |
James Anderson (1831)
|
The Anderson Family Settles into America
The Anderson family grew and thrived in the emerging village, starting a Presbyterian church in 1859 with seven other local residents. In addition, James founded a bank in Lake Forest and began buying up some of the area's most prominent properties. When James passed away in 1919 at age 88, Reverend McClure remarked that like the granite found in Aberdeenshire, James had "the granite of conviction; and it mattered not what the shocks, what the perplexities, he stood true to the thing he thought was right."
The Anderson family grew and thrived in the emerging village, starting a Presbyterian church in 1859 with seven other local residents. In addition, James founded a bank in Lake Forest and began buying up some of the area's most prominent properties. When James passed away in 1919 at age 88, Reverend McClure remarked that like the granite found in Aberdeenshire, James had "the granite of conviction; and it mattered not what the shocks, what the perplexities, he stood true to the thing he thought was right."
|
The Next Generation of Andersons Starts JACO The second generations of Andersons carried on with the same granite of conviction. During the second generation, after graduating from Lake Forest College (then known as Lake Forest University), James Anderson Jr. formed James Anderson Company, a surveying and engineering company in Lake Forest in 1891. At age 28, Lake Forest appointed James as City Engineer. Five years later, in 1896, he won a Lake County Surveyor position and served the county in that role for the next twenty years. Recognizing James Jr.'s expertise and prominence, the city of Highland Park subsequently appointed him as its City Engineer in 1900. |
Anderson Store (1898)
|
An Early Recognition of Water and Flooding Issues
As City Engineer for Highland Park, IL and a Lake County surveyor, James Anderson Jr. became deeply involved in advocating for and executing the development of local and regional Sanitary and Drainage Districts. These new Districts were central to addressing lake water pollution and flooding issues that threatened the emerging communities.
As City Engineer for Highland Park, IL and a Lake County surveyor, James Anderson Jr. became deeply involved in advocating for and executing the development of local and regional Sanitary and Drainage Districts. These new Districts were central to addressing lake water pollution and flooding issues that threatened the emerging communities.
James Anderson Jr. (1869)
|
Lake Forest Development
James Anderson Company also provided the engineering for many of the Lake Forest developments in the 1920s, including subdivisions, streets, drainage, sewer construction, water and gas mains, and electric lighting. Working with his cousin, noted local architect Stanley Anderson, James Anderson Jr. was responsible for many of Lake Forest's most iconic buildings. Some notable examples include the original main structures at Lake Forest High School and the original Lake Forest Hospital. The Great Depression Changes Everything The Great Depression brought the families' good fortunes to a halt, and hard times fell upon the company and all of America. James Anderson Jr. suffered a heart attack in 1938, and leadership of James Anderson Company then passed on to a third generation with James (Jim) Anderson, age 35, taking over the helm as President for the next 57 years. Like his father, Jim attended Lake Forest College and the Illinois Institute of Technology, earning a degree in engineering while learning the surveying business in the field. JACO Prepares for War With World War II advancing, the American government was readying for battle and hired James Anderson Company to help prepare for the war. With most American navy training taking place at the Great Lakes Naval Station, the government needed too rapidly expand the facility to accommodate a surge from 6,000 to 68,000 sailors. James Anderson Company was hired to provide the necessary engineering and took on 500 plus new employees to accomplish this critical work. |
The government asked that James Anderson Company build 17 new camps containing barracks and training facilities and allowed the company just 30 days to complete the work on each camp. Within two years, the Great Lakes training base grew tenfold and became the world's largest, encompassing nearly 1,600 acres and housing more than 100,000 sailors.
James Anderson Company also managed the expansion of Fort Sheridan during this same timeframe to handle the enormous numbers of recruits called up by the 1940 draft.
James Anderson Company also managed the expansion of Fort Sheridan during this same timeframe to handle the enormous numbers of recruits called up by the 1940 draft.
Infrastructure that Protected America
In further preparation for the War, the government hired James Anderson Company to help the Plantation Pipe Line Company build a national defense pipeline from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Greensboro, North Carolina. James Anderson Company also surveyed and designed pipelines for the War Emergency Pipelines Company, which built the Big Inch and Little Inch pipelines, vast systems created to connect East Texas oil and other petroleum products to the northeastern states. This infrastructure allowed oil to be transported in pipelines rather than on the ocean-going tankers vulnerable to German submarine attacks.
In further preparation for the War, the government hired James Anderson Company to help the Plantation Pipe Line Company build a national defense pipeline from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Greensboro, North Carolina. James Anderson Company also surveyed and designed pipelines for the War Emergency Pipelines Company, which built the Big Inch and Little Inch pipelines, vast systems created to connect East Texas oil and other petroleum products to the northeastern states. This infrastructure allowed oil to be transported in pipelines rather than on the ocean-going tankers vulnerable to German submarine attacks.
The Fourth Generation
Both Cornell engineering graduates, the fourth generation of Andersons, Edward (Ted), and James (Jim) Anderson, began working at the company in the 1940s. The next generation worked from the 1950s through the 1980s to accommodate Lake Forest's swelling population. Working for developers, James Anderson Company designed the roads, water mains, sanitary sewers, and storm sewers for the subdivisions that had become the favored method of building new housing stock. The company also continued to help engineer and oversee sanitary systems for the North Shore Sanitary District.
Both Cornell engineering graduates, the fourth generation of Andersons, Edward (Ted), and James (Jim) Anderson, began working at the company in the 1940s. The next generation worked from the 1950s through the 1980s to accommodate Lake Forest's swelling population. Working for developers, James Anderson Company designed the roads, water mains, sanitary sewers, and storm sewers for the subdivisions that had become the favored method of building new housing stock. The company also continued to help engineer and oversee sanitary systems for the North Shore Sanitary District.
|
Building Out Vernon Hills
James Anderson Company's work began to expand westward in the 1980s and 1990s with Vernon Hills’ exponential growth. James Anderson Company oversaw the design and construction of all the commercial developments and public improvements needed to provide the rapidly growing village’s infrastructure. The company also administered the expansion of the private area's developments. As Vernon Hills continued to annex nearby land, James Anderson Company directed the design and construction of those developments. The company further assisted Vernon Hills by helping the village forcibly annex some large property areas previously sought by Lincolnshire. The Fifth Generation The fifth generation of Andersons to work in the family business includes Scott and James (Jamie) Anderson, who joined the company after graduating from college (Mississippi and Wisconsin, respectively) in the 1980s. The company soon thereafter began to serve as Village Engineers for the Village of Mettawa, assisting in developing the village's commercial buildings and the residential subdivisions on the west side of the Tollway. Land Development Brings Drainage Issues In 2010, James Anderson Company began undertaking substantially more drainage projects. This work had become increasingly urgent due to the intense level of land development, much of which was along the three forks of the North Branch of the Chicago River. James Anderson Company assisted with the expansion and the later upgrading of these district improvements. Work on the ditches included clearing of non-native trees and brush and planting of native species to hold the banks. It also involved the modification of failing banks. |
|
During this period, the company assisted in operating and maintaining the two substantial stormwater detention reservoirs on the middle and west forks of the North Branch of the Chicago River. These basins are 60 to 70 feet deep, and each holds over 500-acre feet of water. These basins were designed, constructed, and maintained to protect large areas of Deerfield, Highland Park, and Lake Forest from flooding. The Corps of Engineers, the Lake County Forest Preserve District, the West Skokie Drainage District, and the Union Drainage District planned and built these basins as a joint effort. The Corps designed the basins while the Forest Preserve District provided the land for their creation. The basins are operated and maintained by the West Skokie and Union Drainage Districts.
James E. Anderson, Edward M. Anderson, James G. Anderson, Scott V. Anderson, and James Anderson II (1995)
|
Serving the Village of Vernon Hills
James Anderson Company has been Village Engineers and/or Village Consulting Engineers for the Village of Vernon Hills since 1984. In that year, the company began work on large public infrastructure projects valued at over $450,000,000 and was solely responsible for the review, design, and inspection of municipal improvements. These improvements include site development, sanitary systems, water and stormwater management, street and parking lot development, lighting, traffic signals, and erosion control. The company also undertook significant work on private infrastructure in Vernon Hills, including many large subdivisions such as Gregg's Landing, Grosse Pointe Village, Hawthorn Club, Stone Fence Farms, Continental Executive Park, and Corporate Woods. |
The projects James Anderson Company managed in Vernon Hills have been designated among the best planned and constructed in northern Illinois. According to a 2020 ranking by Money magazine, the Village of Vernon Hills is one of the 50 best places in the United States to live with its highly effective and efficient water, sanitary, storm, grading, paving, street lighting and traffic management systems, all designed and built by James Anderson Company over the years.
|
Old Mill Creek and Tempel Smith Farm
In 2001, JACO was selected as the Village Engineer of the Village of Old Mill Creek and we have continued in the role over the years. The Village of Old Mill Creek is unique in northern IL with about half the Village protected as county forest preserves and the other half farmed by Tempel Farm and Tempel Smith. Tempel Farm offers organic produce and eggs. Tempel Farm founded and still manages the Tempel Lipizzans, the largest collection of Lipizzan dressage horses in the world. For those not familiar with equestrian matters, dressage is defined as the “art or method of training a horse in obedience and precision of movement”. |
|
At Tempel Farm, experienced trainers follow the classical dressage standards of horse training established in Europe hundreds of years earlier. The Tempel Lipizzans offer performances, clinics, private events, breeding and horse sales. With the Lipizzan horse now considered an endangered domestic animal, JACO is pleased to be able to provide the village engineering work that helps keep the Villages environment pristine to support organic farming and protected horse riding.
Village Engineers for Mettawa
James Anderson Company has served as the Village Engineer for the Village of Mettawa since 2005. In that role, JACO has been responsible for the review, design, and inspection of all municipal improvements in the village. In addition, JACO manages Mettawa’s Engineering, Building Service, and Public Works Departments. JACO has assisted the Village of Mettawa with the planning and construction of many substantial commercial real estate development projects including the HSBC North America Headquarters, the Hilton Garden Inn Residences at Marriott and the Costco retail store.
Mettawa also houses other significant commercial buildings such as the headquarters for Metro Self Storage, Impact Network, and Brunswick in addition to the main Abbvie Medical building, Vyaire Medical, Stage Right, and American Health Service. Alongside these commercial properties, The Village of Mettawa also accommodates many equestrian farms like Always Faithful Stables, Corporate Way Farms, Sapphire Riding Academy, O’Donnell Farm, and Pegas Farm among others. JACO is uniquely able to provide Village engineering services that balance the different priorities and concerns of brick and mortar based enterprises with those focusing on natural resource and environmental considerations.
James Anderson Company has served as the Village Engineer for the Village of Mettawa since 2005. In that role, JACO has been responsible for the review, design, and inspection of all municipal improvements in the village. In addition, JACO manages Mettawa’s Engineering, Building Service, and Public Works Departments. JACO has assisted the Village of Mettawa with the planning and construction of many substantial commercial real estate development projects including the HSBC North America Headquarters, the Hilton Garden Inn Residences at Marriott and the Costco retail store.
Mettawa also houses other significant commercial buildings such as the headquarters for Metro Self Storage, Impact Network, and Brunswick in addition to the main Abbvie Medical building, Vyaire Medical, Stage Right, and American Health Service. Alongside these commercial properties, The Village of Mettawa also accommodates many equestrian farms like Always Faithful Stables, Corporate Way Farms, Sapphire Riding Academy, O’Donnell Farm, and Pegas Farm among others. JACO is uniquely able to provide Village engineering services that balance the different priorities and concerns of brick and mortar based enterprises with those focusing on natural resource and environmental considerations.
|
Specializing Further in Survey Work
James Anderson Company has provided extensive surveying services since its founding in 1891. However, it wasn't until 1990 that the company created a separate legal subsidiary known as Lake County Land Survey Company to further specialize in surveying work. Since that time, James G. Anderson has taken over much of the firm's surveying and is known for his meticulous attention to detail and tremendous local knowledge. Lake County Land Survey Company retains thousands of records that the company has developed and stored for more than 100 years. These extensive records are critically important when homeowners, developers, and municipalities encounter survey problems. There is likely no more comprehensive resource for those seeking surveying information in northern Illinois. |
|
|
Forest Builders, Construction Company
Scott Anderson further diversified the still privately owned company, launching construction company Forest Builders in 1998. Scott and his team have built and remodeled homes and businesses in northern and western Illinois and southern Wisconsin. While Forest Builders has experience working on a variety of architectural styles, the company has a unique appreciation for renovating and restoring the classic turn of the century homes found along Chicago's North Shore. Forest Builders is known for its ability to resolve complex construction situations where detailed and advanced engineering work is required. |
|
Scott later launched Forest Plumbing in 2008 to broaden the array of services available to those seeking construction, renovation, and repair services.
|
A Focus on Ecological Issues
James Anderson Company began providing ecological consulting services at about this same time to assist its civil engineers, surveyors, stormwater management experts, and construction group. These services include delineation, permitting and mitigation, soil erosion and sediment control, wetland planning and monitoring, arborist services, and the design and implementation of native landscapes. In addition, we assist our clients in dealing with ever changing expectations and regulations pertaining to the environment. Ecological consulting initiatives have been an important part of our work on Drainage and Park Districts. In recent years, our efforts have helped establish an oak savanna on the Atkinson Basin property and have created stretches of quality native vegetation and prairie along portions of the three Branches of the North Chicago River. We have recently been commissioned to create pollinator gardens at the Oasis and Whipporwill Parks in Mettawa. James Anderson Company began providing ecological consulting services at about this same time to assist its civil engineers, surveyors, stormwater management experts, and construction group. These services include delineation, permitting and mitigation, soil erosion and sediment control, wetland planning and monitoring, arborist services, and the design and implementation of native landscapes. In addition, we assist our clients in dealing with ever changing expectations and regulations pertaining to the environment. Ecological consulting initiatives have been an important part of our work on Drainage and Park Districts. In recent years, our efforts have helped establish an oak savanna on the Atkinson Basin property and have created stretches of quality native vegetation and prairie along portions of the three Branches of the North Chicago River. We have recently been commissioned to create pollinator gardens at the Oasis and Whipporwill Parks in Mettawa. |
We apply engineering Best Management Practices (BMP) to develop engineering plans that optimize stormwater management solutions, pollution abatement, and streambank stabilization. James Anderson Company was proud to receive the 2015 BMP award for our ecological consulting work at the Proctor & Gamble site on the Skokie River where we converted a culvert into a ditch, creating habitat, improving ecological quality, and increasing natural beauty.
New Doppler Radar Dome Improves Local Weather Data
In 2015 James Anderson subsidiary Lake County Survey Company provided the engineering, surveying, and wetland delineation services for a 53-acre parcel of land purchased by Disney Corporate Real Estate. Disney acquired this property in northeast Kane County to allow for the construction of WLS Television's new 152' Doppler Radar Dome. The site was selected as it lies west of Chicago and is in the path of incoming weather that impacts the city. James Anderson Company provided a full range of services for the site, including wetland inventory and delineation, soil survey, watershed map, flood insurance rate map, floristic quality, hydrology, and hydric soil assessments. This radar facility is vital to the region as it provides faster, more detailed weather data than can be obtained through the National Weather Service.
In 2015 James Anderson subsidiary Lake County Survey Company provided the engineering, surveying, and wetland delineation services for a 53-acre parcel of land purchased by Disney Corporate Real Estate. Disney acquired this property in northeast Kane County to allow for the construction of WLS Television's new 152' Doppler Radar Dome. The site was selected as it lies west of Chicago and is in the path of incoming weather that impacts the city. James Anderson Company provided a full range of services for the site, including wetland inventory and delineation, soil survey, watershed map, flood insurance rate map, floristic quality, hydrology, and hydric soil assessments. This radar facility is vital to the region as it provides faster, more detailed weather data than can be obtained through the National Weather Service.