b July 8, 1892, Aurora, IL; d Nov. 10, 1924, Chicago.
Flower shop owner; led North Side gang; adversary of Al Capone.
O'Brien, Agatha
active mid-nineteenth century.
Roman Catholic nun; led group of Sisters of Mercy to Chicago in 1846; helped establish orphanage, Mercy Hospital, other social services.
O'Brien, Christopher
b ca. 1881, Meath, Ireland; d June 3, 1951, Chicago.
Football executive and scout; cofounder and owner of Cardinals football team.
O'Connor, Leonard “Len” John
b June 28, 1912; d July 5, 1991, Tubac, AZ.
Radio and TV journalist; writer and commentator for nearly 40 years.
O'Connor, Timothy J.
b Jan. 27, 1902; d Dec. 31, 1967, Chicago.
Police commissioner (1950–1960); resigned after “burglar in blue” scandal.
O'Hare, Edward H. “Butch”
b Mar. 13, 1914, St. Louis, MO; d Nov. 26, 1943, Gilbert Islands, Pacific.
World War II fighter pilot; awarded Congressional Medal of Honor (1942); shot down during volunteer mission in the Pacific; namesake of O'Hare Airport.
O'Kennard, James
b May 22, 1926, Chicago; d July 1971, Chicago.
Active in early development of DuSable Museum.
O'Leary, Catherine
b ca. 1827, Ireland; d July 3, 1895, Chicago.
Owner of barn where 1871 fire allegedly originated.
O'Leary, Patrick
b ca. 1819, Ireland; d Sept. 15, 1894.
Husband of Catherine O'Leary; owned barn in which 1871 fire began.
O'Neill, Francis
b Aug. 25, 1849, Cork, Ireland; d Jan. 28, 1936, Chicago.
Chief of Chicago Police (1901–1905); authority on Irish folk tunes.
O'Neill, Lottie Holman
b Nov. 7, 1878, Barry, IL; d Feb. 17, 1967, Downers Grove, IL.
State legislator (1923–1931; 1933–1963).
O'Shaughnessy, Thomas A.
b Apr. 14, 1870, Chariton, MO; d Feb. 11, 1956, Chicago.
Mural artist; created stained-glass windows in Old St. Patrick's Church.
O'Toole, Donald
b Apr. 4, 1909, Chicago; d Sept. 21? 1996, Frankfort, IL.
Banker; involved with Princeton Park Homes development on Chicago's South Side.
Oakes, Grant Wilson
b Apr. 1905, Westfield, NY; d July 1967?
Labor union official; leader of Farm Equipment Workers.
Oatman, Elder John
b July 14, 1787, Jefferson, KY; d 1875, Llano, TX.
Early store and tavern owner in West Dundee; minister; helped establish Eureka College.
Oatman, Nancy
b Mar. 22, 1876, Pennsylvania, VA; d 1864, Llano, TX.
Established store and tavern in 1835.
Ochsner, Albert J.
b Apr. 3, 1858, Baraboo, WI; d July 25, 1925, Chicago.
Chief surgeon at Augustana Hospital.
Ogden, William Butler
b June 15, 1805, Walton, NY; d Aug. 3, 1877, Fordham Heights, NY.
Businessman; first mayor of Chicago (1837–1838).
Ogle, George Alden
b July 5, 1863, Zanesville, OH; d May 27, 1930, Santa Monica, CA.
Publisher; head of map publishing company specializing in county atlases.
Oliver, Joe “King”
b May 11, 1885, near New Orleans. LA; d Apr. 8, 1938, Savannah, GA.
Jazz cornetist and bandleader; created King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band; gave Louis Armstrong his start.
Olmsted, Frederick Law
b Apr. 26, 1822, Hartford, CT; d Aug. 23, 1903, Waverly, MA.
Landscape architect; travel writer; designed World's Columbian Exposition, Washington and Jackson Parks.
Olson, Arthur H.
b May 17, 1927, Gary, IN; d Oct. 3, 1981, Portage, IN.
First mayor of Portage (1968–1971).
Onahan,William J.
b Nov. 24, 1836, Carlow, Ireland; d Jan. 12, 1919, Chicago.
Businessman; city clerk; city collector and city comptroller; president of Chicago Public Library.
Opatrny, Clara [Clara Cernocky]
b Oct. 28, 1910, Fox River Grove, IL; d Jan. 27, 1993, Barrington, IL.
Purchased Fox River Picnic Grove in 1942 with husband Louis Cernocky, Jr.
Opatrny, Eman
b Jan. 8, 1877, IL; d Aug. 19, 1916, Algonquin, IL.
Farmer; first developer of Fox River Grove and builder of Castle Pavilion.
Opatrny, Frank
b 1830 or 1832, Bohemia, Austria; d Mar. 2, 1908, Fox River Grove, IL.
Landowner; purchased 80 acres along the Fox River in 1869.
Oremus, John A.
b Dec. 29, 1913, Chicago; d Apr. 4, 2002, Bridgeview, IL.
Businessman; mayor of Bridgeview for 42 years.
Orvis, Justin K.
b Nov. 6, 1870, Camp Lake, WI; d Aug. 7, 1939, Chicago.
Lawyer; supported construction of a rail line linking Lake Zurich to Chicago.
Ouilmette, Antoine
b 1760, Montreal, Canada; d 1841, Council Bluffs, IA.
Fur trader; among the earliest European settlers in Chicago area.
Ouilmette, Archange
b 1764, Sugar Creek, MI; d Nov. 25, 1840, Council Bluffs, IA.
Potawatomi wife of Antoine Ouilmette; granted land in 1829 Indian treaty.
Oukrainsky, Serge [Leonide Orlay de Carva]
b Dec. 2, 1885, Odessa, Russia; d Nov. 1, 1972, Los Angeles, CA.
Ballet and opera dancer; choreographer and director of Chicago Grand Opera Ballet; created Pavley-Oukrainsky ballet company.
Overton, Anthony
b Mar. 21, 1865, Monroe, LA; d July 2, 1946, Chicago.
Lawyer; business executive; published Chicago Bee; organized Douglass National Bank; founded Overton Hygienic Manufacturing Co.
Owen, William B.
b June 5, 1834, Crown Point, NY; d 1901.
Manufacturer of brick and terra cotta; founded Owen works.
Owings, Nathaniel Alexander
b Feb. 5, 1903, Indianapolis, IN; d June 13, 1984, Santa Fe, NM.
Architect; environmentalist; partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.