Henry & Catherine Doehler House

Henry and Catherine Doehler House. . Henry and Catherine Doehler came to Blue Island from Bavaria in 1851, making them some of the earliest residents here, as Blue Island was still a small town of fewer than thirty-five buildings and more than twenty years away from officially incorporating as a village. They raised three children in Blue Island, one of whom, George, fought in several key battles of the Civil War, including at Gettysburg, where he was injured in the leg. George built a home at about the same time which still stands just down the block at 13406 Old Western Avenue. Henry Doehler died on November 24, 1897, and his widow sold their home in 1907 to David and Minnie (Isler) Heimbach, who were married that year. Minnie's parents, Fred and Fredericka Isler, had immigrated from Germany in 1869. , , David grew up down the street at what's now 13362 Old Western Avenue and continued the livestock business his father started it was a successful endeavor, serving as an outlet for local cattle raisers and supplying Chicago's Union Stockyards. Cattle were housed in a large barn that stood on the back of the property. Minnie died on July 2, 1919, at the age of 36, and David lived in the home until his death on Dec. 4, 1941. , , The home is one of just a handful that still stand on this stretch of Old Western Avenue. Many surrounding homes were lost in the early to mid 1960s, when Western Avenue was diverted to accommodate the widening of the Cal-Sag Channel., Historic Blue Island - Founded 1835.