Glencoe Historical Society
at the
Eklund History Center & Garden

One of the most rewarding tasks for the volunteers at the Glencoe Historical Society’s Research Center is to solve a “mystery.” That’s not necessarily a “who-dun-it” but answering a question someone poses that requires researching in our files and with other sources to find an answer.

The most recent “mystery solved” was the Case of John S. Meck and the Research Center staff used the abilities of Web-expert vice-president Karen Ettelson as well as long-distance help from a former Glencoe resident Cathy Masamitsu, a TV reporter and producer who is now living on the West Coast but keeps in touch with Research Director Ellen Paseltiner.

Cathy peruses eBay often and alerts Ellen about items for sale that pertain to Glencoe, most frequently postcards that have been offered for auction. In mid-May, however, she sent something none of the researchers were familiar with: A wanted poster with a $200 reward for one John Meck, a Northwestern University student, listed as missing and formerly living in Glencoe. The questions were myriad: Is this a Glencoe resident whom we can account for? Why was he missing? What is his story?

The first decision was to purchase the poster. While most of the artifacts in the historical society’s archives have been donated, a purchase price of only $12.50 and a curiosity about Meck and his life story combined to push for a buy. Then the searching began.

That the Mecks lived at 810 Vernon Ave. was confirmed by our telephone book collection. No other materials appeared in the archives. But Karen Ettelson’s intrepid Web searching came up with the rest of the story fairly easily and that was confirmed with information from a Plymouth, Ind. Chamber of Commerce 1999 newsletter.

John Meck and his parents lived in Glencoe. Meck’s father, Prof. S. R. Meck, was principal of the Jonathan Burr school (No city is given but there is a Burr school in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago.) John disappeared sometime after Dec. 1, 1925. His parents reported his disappearance to Evanston police and University authorities. But his parents declined to comment publicly about the issue. According to the Chicago Tribune on Dec. 9, “Students said Meck had spoken of leaving college and seeking work.” Presumably, the wanted poster was printed up at this time.

Five months later, in April 1926, Mrs. Meck found her son in a radio shop at 8 S. Dearborn St. She reportedly “remembered” that he had been dissatisfied as a student and “asserted that he wanted to learn the radio business.” She had circulated flyers among the radio stores and factories in Chicago. John’s employers told her that he worked in their laboratory.

John had been living in a south side rooming house. But the Tribune reported he went back home to Glencoe when he got “permission to get his education where he wants it.”

Where John got his education is not known but he certainly made a name for himself. According to the Plymouth, Ind.Chamber of Commerce, Meck Industries was founded prior to World War II. The company, located in the town that is 23 miles from South Bend, originally manufactured phonographs and public address systems. During the war, quartz crystals for radio equipment and various other electric devices were manufactured as well. After World War II the company converted to manufacturing radios and in June 1949 turned out its first commercial TV receiving sets and both 7- and 10-inch table models. The plant closed in 1956.

The mystery is not completely solved, of course. Did John Meck perhaps go to Notre Dame, which is why his company is located in Indiana? Did the reward poster help at all? We don’t know the answers. But the new accession to our archive, the wanted poster, and the information found out afterward gives us a good look at a Glencoe resident whom prior to this we may never have known about.