Gordon-Van Tine No. 502

234 S. Vail, Arlington Heights

No. 502 from the 1923 catalog

According to the Arlington Heights Historical Society, this house was built about 1924. I'm not sure where they got that date, but the earliest year the house was listed in the telephone directory was 1927.

Either way, Gordon-Van Tine offered model No. 502 throughout the 1920's. In later years, they changed the name to the Sheldon. (Can you think of a worse name for a house?) This is a typical five-room frame bungalow. One distinguishing feature of the 502/Sheldon is that the door is off-center (although it's difficult to discern from the catalog illustration).

In the 1920's and 1930's, the house changed owners every few years. Then in 1938, Emil J. Hoggay and his family purchased the house, where they lived until 1943. Emil was one of the more colorful characters in Arlington Heights. Emil owned Turf Billiards at 1 N. Vail Ave (where Cortland's Garage is today) with his younger brother, Michael. 

Sheriffs and local police raided the pool hall several times over the years for back-room betting on horse races and other sports.  Emil Hoggay was arrested and convicted by Arlington Heights police in 1965 on charges of gambling and resisting arrest. In 1970, both brothers were arrested and charged with keeping a gambling house, gambling and aggravated battery. Emil, then age 66, hit the police officers with pool cues and kicked one of them in the groin. Man, if only camera phones were around back then--I would love to see that old man going off.

In 1972 the Turf Tavern (as it was then called) closed for good and the building became Richard Nixon's campaign headquarters.