Herder Brothers Inc

Information may not be reliable

In 1920, Eugene Herder left his job at the Chicago stock yards and started a hauling business with his three brothers. They began on the corner of 53rd and Halsted in Chicago with a horse and a wagon, delivering ice in the summer and coal or firewood in the winter. After five years of hard work, the Herder brothers bought their first truck. During the Great Depression, the Herders found themselves extending credit to customers who couldn't afford to pay up front. Customers would get off the trolley at the 55th Street stop--only a few blocks from the Herder warehouse--and pay three or four dollars at a time towards their balance.
John Herder, Eugene's son, came to work for Herder Bros. in 1964. He helped the business to diversify into frieght hauling, furniture moving and furniture storage. After 50 years at the Halsted and 53rd Street location, Herder Bros. moved its warehouse to 45th and Tripp Avenue for eight years. Herder Bros. had acquired its own fleet of tractors and trailers over the years, but that gave way when the owner operator system became commonly accepted in the 1960s. Two of the original brothers had moved on to other lines of work by this time and one had died. Since 1970, there have been no actual Herder brothers.
In 1977, Herder Bros. moved again to its present location in Frankfort, Illinois, on the corner of Laraway and Center. John's son, Christopher Herder, now manages the business.