b Nov. 20, 1866, Millville, OH; d Nov. 25, 1944, Chicago.
Lawyer; federal judge; first baseball commissioner; banned “Black Sox” players from Major League Baseball; presided over conviction of IWW leaders in 1918.
Landon, Margaret Mortenson
b Sept. 3, 1903; d Dec. 4, 1993.
Writer; wrote Anna and the King of Siam.
Lane, Albert G.
b May 15, 1841; d Aug. 22, 1906, Chicago.
Educator; superintendent of Chicago Public Schools (1891–1898).
Lane, Frank “Trader”
b Feb. 1, 1895 or 1896, Cincinnati, OH; d Mar. 19, 1981, Richardson, TX.
Baseball executive; White Sox general manager (1950s).
Lane, Hannah
b July 15, 1780, Kingsbury, NY; d Sept. 16, 1853, Worth Township, Cook County, IL.
Arrived in Alsip in 1834.
Lane, Joseph
b Aug. 10, 1773, Champlain, Clinton, NY; d June 10, 1877, Worth Township, Cook County, IL.
Arrived in Alsip in 1834.
Lanigan, James (Jim) W.
b Jan. 30, 1902, Chicago; d Apr. 9, 1983, Elburn, IL.
Classical and jazz musician; violinist with Chicago Symphony Orchestra; string bass/tuba player with original Austin High School jazz band.
Lansett, Peter
b Canada.
Credited with 1820 discovery of coal near Coal City.
Lansing, George
b NY.
Arrived in Lansing area in 1846.
Lansing, Henry
b Chenango County, NY; active 1840s–1860s.
Early Lansing postmaster; operated general store.
Lansing, John
b NY.
Platted village of Lansing in 1865.
Lardner, Ring
b Mar. 6, 1885, Niles, MI; d Sept. 25, 1933, Long Island, NY.
Sports journalist; playwright; lyricist.
Lasker, Albert Davis
b May 1, 1880, Freiburg, Germany; d May 30, 1952, New York, NY.
Advertising executive; philanthropist; pioneered modern advertising methods.
Lasker, Mary
See Block, Mary Lasker
Lathrop, Jedediah H.
b July 5, 1806, Lebanon, NH; d Nov. 23, 1889.
Early settler of Elmhurst; planted elm trees along Cottage Grove.
Lathrop, Julia
b June 29, 1858, Rockford, IL; d Apr. 15, 1932, Rockford, IL.
Social reformer; Hull House resident; first head of U.S. Children's Bureau.
Laughlin, Clara Elizabeth
b Aug. 3, 1873, New York, NY; d Mar. 3, 1941, Chicago.
Travel writer; founder and editor of So You're Going travel monthly.
Laughton, Bernardus H.
active 1820s–1830s.
Indian trader; established trading post in Lyons with brother David.
Laughton, David
active 1820s–1830s.
Early settler; established trading post in Lyons with brother Bernardus.
Lawrence, George R.
b Feb. 24, 1867, Ottawa, IL; d Dec. 15, 1938, Chicago.
Photographer; pioneer in aerial and panoramic photography; banquet photographer.
Lawson, Victor Fremont
b Sept. 9, 1850, Chicago; d Aug. 19, 1925, Chicago.
Owner and editor of Chicago Daily News (1876–1925); philanthropist.
Le Beau, Emily Beaubien
b July 8 or 28, 1825, River Raisin, Washtenaw, MI; d Nov. 4, 1919, Aurora, IL.
Daughter of Mark Beaubien.
Le Grand Saulteur [Mineweweh; Ninkaton; Minavavana]
b c. 1710; d Autumn 1770.
Ojibwa chief; prominent leader from Sault Ste. Marie District.
Leahy, Mary Clemenza
active 1910s.
Nun; one of the first women to earn a bachelor's degree at DePaul, 1912.
Leaner, Arthur
See Benson, Al
Leaner, George
b June 1, 1917, MS; d Sept. 18, 1983, Chicago.
Record producer; founded “One-derful” record label in 1962.
Leavensworth, Jessie
active 1840s.
Resident near Riverwoods and Deerfield Road in 1841.
Lederer, Eppie
See Landers, Ann
Lee, Charles
active 1800s.
Farmer before 1812.
Lee, William A.
b Apr. 11, 1895, Chicago; d June 16, 1984, Chicago.
Labor leader; head of Bakery Truck Drivers Union (1916–1960); president of Chicago Federation of Labor (1946–1984).
Legge, Katherine [Katherine McMahan]
b 1870, Butler County, PA; d Aug. 22, 1924, Pasadena, CA.
Wife of president of International Harvester; husband donated land for memorial park in her honor.
Legler, Henry Eduard
b Feb. 22, 1861, Palermo, Italy; d Sept. 13, 1917, Chicago.
Librarian of Chicago Public Library (1909–1917); proposed network of neighborhood libraries.
Lehmann, Ernst E.
b Oct. 28, 1886, Chicago; d Jan. 18, 1930, Chicago.
Cattle breeder; son of founder of Lake Villa.
Lehmann, Ernst J.
b Jan. 27, 1849, Tetrow, Germany; d Jan. 4, 1900, White Plains, NY.
Originator of the department store concept in Chicago; owned “The Fair Store”; founded Lake Villa and Lindenhurst.
Leigh, Edward Baker
b Apr. 23, 1853, Townsend, MA; d May 17, 1932, Kerr County, TX.
President of Chicago Railway Equipment Co.
Leiter, Levi Z.
b Nov. 2, 1834, Leitersburg, MD; d June 9, 1904, Bar Harbor, ME.
Merchant; partner in Field, Leiter & Co. (later Marshall Field & Co.); president of Commercial Club and Art Institute of Chicago.
Leopold, Nathan, Jr.
b Nov. 19, 1904, Chicago; d Aug. 30, 1971, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Thrill murderer; coperpetrator in 1924 kidnapping and murder of Bobby Franks.
Lester, Frederick E.
b July 3, 1828, Clinton, NY; d Jan. 21, 1891.
Merchant; postmaster; founded Wood Dale.
Levy, Felix Alexander
b Oct. 20, 1884, New York, NY; d June 16, 1963, New York, NY.
Rabbi of Congregation Emanuel (1907–1956); president of Central Conference of American Rabbis.
Lew, Gerard
b May 7, 1888, MA; d Mar. 11, 1965, Chicago.
First president of DuSable Museum Board; poet.
Lewis, Allen C.
b 1821, Sterling, CT; d Oct. 27, 1877, Chicago.
Businessman; established Polytechnic School (forerunner of Illinois Institute of Technology).
Lewis, Arthur Morrow
b ca. 1873, England; d Aug. 22, 1922, Chicago.
Lecturer; socialist; speaker at Dill Pickle Club.
Lewis, Benjamin Franklin
b Nov. 23, 1842, Union County, IN; d Feb. 2, 1928, Pasadena, CA.
Publisher of county histories.
Lewis, Evan “Strangler”
active late nineteenth century.
Wrestler; fought in first recognized professional heavyweight championship.
Lewis, Frank J.
b Apr. 9, 1867, Chicago; d Dec. 21, 1960, Chicago.
Businessman; philanthropist; founded Lewis Univ.
Lewis, Henry B.
b 1825, Madison County, NY; d June 6, 1901, Chicago.
Early realestate dealer in Englewood; member of Chicago Board of Trade.
Lewis, Lloyd Downs
b May 2, 1891, Pendleton, IN; d Apr. 21, 1949, Libertyville, IN.
Journalist and managing editor at Chicago Daily News; biographer.
Lewis, Meade Lux
b Sept. 4, 1905, Chicago; d June 7, 1964, Minneapolis, MN.
Boogie-woogie pianist; discovered in Chicago clubs.
Lewis, Samuel
active 1830s.
Music teacher; opened school of music around 1835.
Leyendecker, Joseph Christian
b Mar. 23, 1874, Montabaur, Germany; d July 25, 1951, New Rochelle, NY.
Artist; illustrator; known for magazine cover illustrations; did first Arrow collar advertisements.
Lieb, Hermann
b May 24, 1826, Turgau, Switzerland; d Mar. 4, 1908, Chicago.
Lawyer; county clerk; cofounded Abend Zeitung; owner and editor of Chicago Democrat.
Liesegang, Adolph
active late nineteenth century.
Bandleader; organized band after the fire of 1871.
Lincoln, Abraham
b Feb. 12, 1809, Hodgenville, KY; d Apr. 14, 1865, Washington, DC.
U.S. president; nominated at 1860 Republican Convention in Chicago; cofounded Republican Party in Illinois; congressman (1847–1849).
Lincoln, Benjamin B.
b 1806, VT; d 1855, Palatine, IL.
Arrived in Palatine around 1835; first justice of the peace in Palatine.
Lincoln, Mary Todd
b Dec. 13, 1818, Lexington, Kentucky; d July 16, 1882, Springfield, IL.
U.S. First Lady; hospitalized at Bellevue Place sanatorium in Batavia.
Lincoln, Robert Todd
b Aug. 1, 1843, Springfield, IL; d July 26, 1926, Manchester, VT.
Lawyer; railroad executive; founded Glenwood School; U.S. secretary of war; diplomat.
Lindheimer, Benjamin Franklin
b Oct. 1, 1889, Chicago; d June 5, 1960, Beverly Hills, CA.
Real-estate dealer; racetrack owner.
Lindsay, Vachel
b Nov. 10, 1879, Springfield, IL; d Dec. 5, 1931, Springfield, IL.
Poet; associated with Chicago Renaissance; wrote The Congo and Other Poems.
Lingg, Louis
b Sept. 9, 1864, Mannheim, Germany; d Nov. 10, 1887, Chicago.
Anarchist; convicted in Haymarket Square riot; committed suicide before his execution.
Lingle, Alfred Philip “Jake”
b July 2, 1891, Chicago; d June 9, 1930, Cicero, IL.
Crime reporter for Chicago Tribune.
Little Turtle
b ca. 1752, Ft. Wayne, IN; d July 14, 1812, Fort Wayne, IN.
Chief and military leader of the Miami Indians.
Livermore, Mary Ashton Rice
b Dec. 19, 1820, Boston, MA; d May 23, 1905, Melrose, MA.
Writer; abolitionist; suffragist; founded Illinois Woman Suffrage Association.
Llapitan, Carmelito
b Dec. 14, 1910; d Apr. 2, 1988.
Founded Filipino American Council of Chicago; served as council president 1961–1965 and 1970–1978.
Lloyd, Henry Demarest
b May 1, 1847, New York, NY; d Sept. 28, 1903, Chicago.
Social reformer; economist; Chicago Tribune journalist; wrote Wealth vs. Commonwealth (1894).
Locke, Ned
b Dec. 25, 1919, Redwing, MN; d Feb. 4, 1992, Kimberling, MO.
Ringmaster on Bozo's Circus television show.
Loeb, Jacob M.
b Sept. 17, 1875, Chicago; d Feb. 17, 1944, Chicago.
Insurance executive; president of Chicago Board of Education (1910s).
Loeb, Richard
b June 11, 1905, Chicago; d Jan. 28, 1936, Lockport, IL.
Thrill murderer; coperpetrator of 1924 kidnapping and murder of Bobby Franks; killed in prison.
Loewy, Raymond
b Nov. 5, 1893, Paris, France; d July 14, 1986, Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Industrial designer; designed Studebaker car and Coca-Cola bottle.
Logan, John Alexander
b Feb. 9, 1826, Murphysnoro, IL; d Dec. 26, 1886, Washington, DC.
Lawyer; U.S. Army general; state legislator (1853–1854; 1857–1858); U.S. representative (1859–1862; 1867–1870), U.S. senator (1871–1876; 1879–1886).
Logan, Josephine Hancock
b May 1, 1862, Chicago; d Nov. 1, 1943, Chicago.
Arts patron; writer; established “Sanity in Art” committee (1936).
Lohr, Lenox R.
b Aug. 15, 1891, Washington, DC; d 1968.
General manager of Century of Progress World's Fair, 1933.
Long, Birch Burdette
b ca. 1878, Columbus, OH; d Mar. 1, 1927, New York, NY.
Artist; painter; illustrator.
Loomis, Frank D.
b Dec. 14, 1880, Bowling Green, OH; d Nov. 1969, Hopedale, IL.
Executive director of Chicago Community Trust; founded Crusade of Mercy in 1934.
Lorimer, William
b Apr. 27, 1861, Manchester, England; d Sept. 13, 1934, Chicago.
U.S. congressman and U.S. senator; led Republican political machine in Chicago.
Lott, George
b Oct. 16, 1906, Springfield, IL; d Dec. 3, 1991, Chicago.
Tennis player; outstanding doubles player in the 1930s; tennis coach at DePaul Univ.
Loughman, John Patrick
b May 12, 1894, Chicago; d Dec. 5, 1946, Chicago.
Labor speaker; known as King of the Soapboxers; captain of Hobo College.
Louis, Joseph
b May 13, 1914, Lafayette, AL; d Apr. 12, 1981, Las Vegas, NV.
Heavyweight boxing champion; became a professional boxer in Chicago.
Lovett, Harriett [Harriett Lovett Sayre]
b ca. 1820; d Nov. 16, 1913, Chicago.
Arrived in Chicago in 1835; farmed in Montclare area.
Lovett, Robert Morss
b Dec. 25, 1870, Boston, MA; d Feb. 8, 1952, Chicago.
Reformer; educator; editor; English professor at Univ. of Chicago; Hull House resident.
Lowden, Frank Orren
b Jan. 26, 1861, Sunrise City, MN; d Mar. 30, 1943, Tucson, AZ.
Lawyer; businessman; governor of Illinois (1917–1921); agriculturist.
Lowe, Julia R.
active late nineteenth century.
Physician; led campaign for public baths.
Lozano, Rudy
b July 17, 1951, Harlingen, TX; d June 8, 1983, Chicago.
Labor organizer; community activist; Midwest director of International Ladies Garment Workers Union.
Lubin, Charles W.
b Nov. 16, 1903, Chicago; d July 15, 1988, Chicago.
Businessman; founded Kitchens of Sara Lee.
Luckman, Sidney
b Nov. 21, 1916, Brooklyn, NY; d July 5, 1998, Aventura, FL.
Professional football player; Bears quarterback (1940s).
Ludby, Peter
active 1830s.
Arrived in Dunning in 1839.
Ludmila, Anna [Jean Cahley; Jean Marie Gee]
b Jan. 12, 1903, Chicago; d Apr. 18, 1990, Houston, TX.
Ballet dancer; principal dancer of Chicago Opera Ballet in the 1920s.
Lumbard, Frank
active 1840s.
Educator; appointed vocal teacher in public schools, 1847.
Lundgren, Harriet
b Nov. 20, 1907, Chicago; d Jan. 9, 1996, Chicago.
Ballet dancer; principal dancer with Chicago Grand Opera Ballet; conducted ballet school in Chicago.
Lundin, Frederick
b May 18, 1868, West Tollstad, Sweden; d Aug. 29, 1947, Beverly Hills, CA.
Manufacturer; state senator (1894-1898); U.S. congressman (1909–1911); president of Lundin & Co.
Lunt, Orrington
b Dec. 24, 1815, Bowdoinham, ME; d Apr. 5, 1897, Evanston, IL.