Encyclopedia of Chicago

Babcock, Morgan	b 1806, De Ruyter, NY.	Farmer; settled along DuPage River in 1833 in area that became Babcock's Grove.
Babcock, Ralph	b Dec. 1, 1810, Tully, Onondaga, NY; d Sept. 19, 1897, Elroy, WI.	Farmer; settled along DuPage River in 1833 in area that became Babcock's Grove.
Bachrach, William A.	b May 15, 1879, Elgin, IL; d July 15, 1959, Chicago.	Swimming instructor; coach of Illinois Athletic Club and U.S. Olympic team.
Bailen, Maurice	b Apr. 10, 1902, Chicago; d Oct. 15, 1980, Maywood, IL.	Filmmaker (The Great Depression); organized Chicago Film and Photo League.
Bailly, Joseph [Honore Gratien Joseph Bailly de Messein]	b Apr. 7, 1774, Varennes, Quebec; d Dec. 21, 1835, Porter County, IN.	Fur trader in northern Indiana.
Bailly, Marie	b ca. 1783; d 1866.	Trader; ran trading post with husband Joseph; namesake of village of Monee.
Baker, Ray Stannard	b Apr. 17, 1870, Lansing, MI; d July 12, 1946, Amherst, MA.	Muckraking writer; reformer; journalist for Chicago News-Record; won 1940 Pulitzer Prize.
Balaban, Abraham Joseph	b Apr. 20, 1889, Chicago; d Nov. 1, 1962, New York, NY.	Motion picture executive; cofounded Balaban & Katz.
Balaban, Barney	b June 8, 1887, Chicago; d Mar. 7, 1917, Byram, CT.	Motion picture executive; cofounded Balaban & Katz; chairman of Paramount Corp.
Balatka, Hans	b Mar. 5, 1826, Hoffnungsthal, Moravia, Austria; d Apr. 17, 1899, Chicago.	Musician; composer; led Philharmonic Society of Chicago; founded Balatka Academy of Musical Art.
Balbo, Italo	b June 5, 1896, Ferrara, Italy; d June 28, 1940, Tobruk, Libya.	Aviator; Italian air minister; led goodwill air convoy to Chicago.
Balch, O. H.	active 1830s.	Editor of Juliet Courier, 1839.
Baldwin, Thomas F.	active 1850s; d Sept. 21, 1876.	Early settler; riverboat captain; purchased land in Berwyn around 1856.
Ball, Charles B.	b Aug. 3, 1854, New Haven, CT; d Oct. 18, 1928, Chicago.	Chief sanitary inspector for Chicago Dept. of Health.
Ballard, J. P.	active 1830s.	Built first house in Portersville (later Valparaiso) in 1834.
Banga, Henry	b Feb. 14, 1848, Liestal, Switzerland; d Dec. 24, 1913, Chicago.	Physician; surgeon; pioneer of antiseptic surgery at Michael Reese Hospital.
Bangs, George S.	b Feb. 20, 1823, Akron, OH; d Nov. 17, 1877, Washington, DC.	General Superintendent of Railway Service; instituted “fast mail” train in 1875 to New York.
Bangs, Justus	b Mar. 16, 1806, Montague, MA; d Dec. 13, 1895, Wauconda Lake, IL.	Founded Wauconda.
Banks, Paul N.	b Apr. 15, 1934, Montebello, CA; d May 10, 2000, New York, NY.	Book conservator at Newberry Library.
Barber, John	b ca. 1796; d Dec. 19, 1876, Bolingbrook, IL.	Early Bolingbrook resident.
Barbour, J. Berni	b Danville, KY; active early twentieth century.	Music publisher; established first black-owned music publishing company.
Barnett, Claude Albert	b Sept. 16, 1889, Sanford FL; d Aug. 2, 1967, Chicago.	Entrepreneur; newspaper executive; founded Associated Negro Press.
Barnett, Ferdinand Lee	b ca. 1859, Nashville, TN; d Mar. 11, 1936, Chicago.	Attorney; journalist; founded Chicago Conservator newspaper.
Barnett, Ida B. Wells	See Wells, Ida Bell
Barrett, Nathan Franklin	b 1845, Staten Island, NY; d Oct. 1919.	Landscape architect; designed Pullman community.
Barrows, John Henry	b July 11, 1847, Medina, MI; d June 3, 1902, Oberlin, OH.	Minister; planned and chaired World's Parliament of Religions (1893).
Bartlett, Edwin	b Oct. 6, 1812, Conway, MA.	Farmer; established Ontarioville; first postmaster of Ontarioville.
Bartlett, Frederic C.	b June 1, 1873, Chicago; d June 25, 1953, Beverly, MA.	Painter; muralist.
Bartlett, Frederick H.	b Feb. 6, 1875, Binghamton, NY; d July 27, 1948, Pasadena, CA.	Real-estate developer; developed Beverly Shores (1933).
Bartlett, Luther	b July 21, 1817, Conway, MA; d June 25, 1882, Bartlett, IL.	Founder and first postmaster of Bartlett.
Bartlett, Lyman	b Nov. 21, 1807, Conway, MA; d June 6, 1865.	Purchased farm in Wayne Township in 1844.
Bartlett, Robert	b Aug. 22, 1884; d May 2, 1967, Chicago.	Real-estate developer; developed Lake Barrington.
Barzynski, John	b 1848 or 1849; d 1886, Chicago.	Editor and publisher; founded Gazeta Katolicka (Polish Catholic Gazette).
Barzynski, Vincent	b Sept. 20, 1838, Sulislawice, Poland; d May 2, 1899, Chicago.	Roman Catholic priest; established first Polish Catholic parish in the United States in Chicago.
Basker, Robert S.	b Sept. 29, 1918, East Harlem, NY; d Apr. 6, 2001, San Francisco, CA.	Activist; leader of reconstituted Mattachine Midwest (1964).
Bates, Gerry	b Aug. 24, 1800, Chesterfield, MA; d July 29, 1878, Elmhurst, IL.	Innkeeper; postmaster; founded Cottage Hill (Elmhurst).
Bates, William Wallace	b 1826, Nova Scotia; d Nov. 26, 1911, Denver, CO.	Shipbuilder; U.S. commissioner of navigation.
Bauer, Sybil	b Sept. 18, 1903, Chicago; d Jan. 31, 1927, Chicago.	Swimmer; Olympic backstroke champion (1924).
Bauler, Mathias “Paddy”	b Jan. 27, 1890, Chicago; d Aug. 20, 1977, Melrose Park, IL.	Saloon owner; alderman; Democratic boss of Forty-third Ward (1933–1967).
Baum, L. Frank	b May 15, 1856, Chittenango, NY; d May 6, 1919, Hollywood, CA.	Children's author (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz); journalist; playwright.
Baumann, Frederick H.	b Jan. 6, 1826, Augernmunder, Germany; d Mar. 18, 1921, Chicago.	Architect; engineer; designed Chicago's first skyscraper.
Baxter, Donald E.	b 1882, Southington, OH; d July 20, 1935, on a plane en route to Los Angeles, CA.	Founded Baxter International; developed intravenous medical device.
Bayer, Herbert	b Apr. 5, 1900, Haag (Salzburg), Austria; d Sept. 30, 1985, Montecito, CA.	Artist; industrial designer; taught at Institute of Design.
Beardsley, Ziba	b Aug. 3, 1800; d July 14, 1878, Crystal Lake, IL.	McHenry County clerk (1839–1843).
Beatty, Talley	b Dec. 22, 1918, Cedar Grove, LA; d Apr. 29, 1995, New York, NY.	Dancer; choreographer.
Beaubien, Jean-Baptiste	b Sept. 5, 1787, Detroit, MI; d Jan. 5, 1863, Naperville, IL.	Fur trader; owned Fort Dearborn site.
Beaubien, Madore B.	b 1809; d 1883.	Fur trader.
Beaubien, Mark	b Apr. 25, 1800, Detroit or Monroe, MI; d Apr. 11, 1881, Kankakee, IL.	Innkeeper; fiddler; built and owned Sauganash Tavern.
Beck, Dave Daniel	b June 16, 1894, Stockton CA; d Dec. 26, 1993, Seattle, WA.	President of International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Beck, L. W.	active 1860s.	Real-estate developer; donated land for Cook County Normal School.
Beebe, George W.	active 1840s; d 1864, Willow Springs, IL.	Contractor; did extensive work on the I&M Canal.
Beecher, William John	b May 23, 1915, Chicago; d July 27, 2002, Wood Dale, IL.	Ornithologist; biologist; director of Chicago Academy of Sciences.
Begley, William	active 1860s.	Brewer; owned Waukegan Brewing Co. in 1860s.
Beifeld, Joseph [Joseph Byfield]	b Aug. 22, 1853, Budapest, Hungary; d Sept. 17, 1926, Chicago.	Wholesale manufacturer of cloaks; bought Sherman Hotel in 1902.
Bell, Robert	b Jan. 18, 1922, Flint, MI; d Dec. 8, 1997, Lake San Marcos, CA.	Actor; portrayed Bozo the Clown for 25 years on WGN-TV.
Belushi, John	b Jan. 24, 1949, Chicago; d Mar. 5, 1982, Hollywood, CA.	Actor; comedian (Second City, Saturday Night Live, The Blues Brothers).
Beman, Solon Spencer	b Oct. 1, 1853, Brooklyn, NY; d Apr. 23, 1914, Chicago.	Architect; designed city of Pullman and Fine Arts Building.
Bengson, Emil H.	b Feb. 15, 1881, Holstein, Germany; d Jan. 11, 1943, Chicago.	Businessman in Portage Park; president of storage warehouse and coal companies.
Bennett, Edward H.	b May 12, 1874, Cheltenham, England; d Oct. 14, 1954, Tryon, NC.	Architect; city planner; coauthored Plan of Chicago (1909); designed Century of Progress Exposition.
Bennett, Helen Marie	b ca. 1879, Washington, IA; d Apr. 21, 1962, East Providence, RI.	Feminist; reporter for Chicago Record-Herald; initiated Women's World's Fair.
Bennett, Richard M.	b Feb. 4, 1907, Braddock, PA; d May 2, 1996.	Architect; designed Park Forest Plaza.
Benny, Jack [Benjamin Kubelsky]	b Feb. 14, 1894, Chicago; d Dec. 26, 1974, Beverly Hills, CA.	Comedian for radio, films, and television.
Benson, Al [Arthur B. Leaner]	b June 30, 1908, Jackson, MS; d Sept. 6, 1978, Berrien, MI.	Disc jockey at WGES (WVON).
Bergman, Edwin A.	b July 18, 1917, Chicago; d Feb. 17, 1986, Chicago.	Businessman; art collector; philanthropist.
Bernard, L. Cosby	b July 14, 1890, Junction City, KY; d Aug. 1963, Sylva, NC.	Residential architect in Hammond.
Bernardin, Joseph	b Apr. 2, 1928, Columbia, SC; d Nov. 14, 1996, Chicago.	Archbishop of Chicago Diocese (1982–1996); cardinal.
Berry, Addison	b ca. 1866, Hackensack, NJ; d Feb. 13, 1940, Hammond, IN.	Hammond architect; active in 1920s.
Berry, Edwin Carlos “Bill”	b Nov. 11, 1910, Oberlin, OH; d May 13, 1987, Chicago.	Civil rights leader; executive director Chicago Urban League.
Berry, Parker N.	b Sept. 2, 1888, Hastings, NE; d Dec. 16, 1918, Princeton, IL.	Architect; chief designer for Louis H. Sullivan.
Besinger, Leonard W.	b June 26, 1907; d Aug. 9, 1982, Elgin, IL.	Northwest suburban builder and developer.
Bickerdike, George N.	b 1806, Yorkshire, England; d Nov. 4, 1880, Yorkshire, England.	Resident at Fort Dearborn; owned land near Oak Park.
Biegler, Martha A.	b Dec. 1, 1864, IN; d Apr. 29, 1947, Kankakee, IL.	Feminist; journalist (Chicago Daily Socialist).
Bielfeldt, John S.	b Jan. 26, 1834, Holstein, Germany; d Dec. 31, 1899, buried in Thornton, IL.	Established brewery in Thornton, 1852.
Biesel, Fred	b 1863; d 1964.	Painter; head of Illinois Art Project (1941–1943).
Bilandic, Michael A.	b Feb. 13, 1923, Bridgeport, IL; d Jan. 15, 2002, Chicago.	Mayor of Chicago (1976–1979); chief justice of Illinois Supreme Court.
Binder, Joseph	b Mar. 3, 1898, Vienna, Austria; d June 26, 1972, Vienna, Austria.	Graphic designer; illustrator; lecturer.
Binga, Eudora Johnson	b Feb. 22, 1869, Chicago; d Mar. 26, 1933, Chicago.	Socialite; philanthropist.
Binga, Jesse	b Apr. 10, 1865, Detroit, MI; d June 13, 1950, Chicago.	Banker; real-estate investor.
Bistor, James E.	b July 30, 1890, Macomb, IL; d Mar. 3, 1945, Chicago.	Real-estate broker; leader in Association of Real Estate Taxpayers (ARET).
Black Hawk [Makataimeshekiakiak]	b 1767, Sauk Village (Rock River, IL); d Oct. 3, 1838, near Des Moines River, IA.	Sauk leader; launched Black Hawk War (1832).
Black Partridge	active 1800s.	Potawatomi chief.
Black, Greene Vardiman	b Aug. 3, 1836, Scott County, IL; d Aug. 31, 1915.	Dentist; dean of dentistry at Northwestern Univ.
Black, Neville	b Jamaica; d Apr. 2000.	Dancer; choreographer; founding director Chicago Contemporary Dance Co.
Blackbird [Chief J. B. Assikinock]	b 1768, L'Arbor Croche, MI; d Nov. 3, 1866, Wekwemiking, Manitoulin Island, MI.	Ottawa chief; led Aug. 1812 attack on Fort Dearborn.
Blackshear, Kathleen	b June 6, 1897, Navasota, TX; d Oct. 14, 1988, Navasota, TX.	Painter; lecturer at Art Institute of Chicago.
Blackstone, John	active 1830s.	Established sawmill on Thorn Creek with John Kinzie and Gurdon Hubbard.
Blair, Lucy McCormick Linn	b Feb. 4, 1886; d Nov. 16, 1978, Lake Forest, IL.	Founder and first president of Junior League Chicago.
Blanchard, Charles A.	b Nov. 8, 1848, Galesburg, IL; d Dec. 20, 1925, Wheaton, IL.	Educator; president of Wheaton College.
Blanchard, Jonathan	b Jan. 19, 1811, Rockingham, VT; d May 14, 1892, Wheaton, IL.	Educator; social reformer; first president of Wheaton College.
Blanchard, Joseph	active 1830s.	Constructed first city market in 1834.
Blanchard, Rufus	b Mar. 7, 1821, Lyndeboro, NH; d Jan. 3, 1904, Wheaton, IL.	Mapmaker; publisher; historian.
Blanchard, Walter	b Mar. 31, 1807, Newhampton, NH; d Dec. 4, 1863, Ringgold Gap, Taylor's Ridge, GA.	Farmer, Downers Grove area; judge; infantry captain in Civil War.
Blaney, James Van Zandt	b May 1, 1820, Newcastle, DE; d Dec. 11, 1874, Chicago.	Chemical manufacturer; cofounded Rush Medical College.
Blatchford, Eliphalet Wickes	b May 31, 1826, Stillwater, NY; d Jan. 25, 1914, Chicago.	Lead manufacturer; trustee for Newberry and Crerar Libraries; helped found Chicago Academy of Sciences.
Bliss, Philip	b July 9, 1838, Clearfield County, PA; d Dec. 29, 1876, Ashtabula, OH.	Christian composer; hymnodist; musical evangelist.
Block, Leigh B.	b Apr. 7, 1905, Chicago; d Dec. 9, 1987, Santa Barbara, CA.	Steel executive; chairman of Art Institute of Chicago (1970–1975).
Block, Mary Lasker	b Sept. 16, 1904, Chicago; d Feb. 17, 1981, Chicago.	Business executive; trustee of Art Institute; founded Block Museum at Northwestern Univ.
Blodgett, Henry W.	b July 21, 1821, Amherst, MA; d Feb. 9, 1905, Waukegan, IL.	Railroad builder; federal judge; Illinois state representative and senator.
Blodgett, Israel	b 1779, Amherst, MA; d 1861.	Early resident of Downers Grove.
Blood, Mary A.	b June 20, 1851, Hollis, NH; d July 25, 1927, Chicago.	Educator at Columbia College.
Blum, Jerome S.	b 1884, Chicago; d July 23, 1956, New York, NY.	Painter; assisted Frank Lloyd Wright in planning color scheme for Midway Gardens.
Bodenheim, Maxwell	b May 26, 1892, Hermanville, MS; d Feb. 7, 1954, New York, NY.	Poet; critic; novelist; associated with Chicago Renaissance.
Bogan, William Joseph	b Oct. 26, 1870, Mackinac Island, MI; d Mar. 24, 1936, Chicago.	Educator; superintendent of Chicago Public Schools.
Bohac, Ben F.	b Jan. 4, 1893, Chicago; d Mar. 19, 1975, Chicago.	President and founder of Talman Federal Savings & Loan Association.
Boldt, Melvin H.	b 1917; d 1981.	Industrial designer; designed household appliances, jukeboxes, and powerboats.
Bolm, Adolph R.	b Sept. 25, 1884, St. Petersburg, Russia; d Apr. 16, 1951, Hollywood, CA.	Ballet dancer; teacher; choreographer for Chicago Opera Company.
Bonfield, John	b Apr. 12, 1836, Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada; d Oct. 19, 1898, Chicago.	Police inspector; headed platoon at Haymarket Square riot.
Bontemps, Arna Wendell	b Oct. 13, 1902, Alexandria, LA; d June 4, 1973, Nashville, TN.	Writer; worked for the WPA Illinois Writers' Project; taught at Univ. of Illinois.
Boone, Levi D.	b Dec. 6 or 8, 1808, Lexington, KY; d Jan. 24, 1882, Chicago.	Doctor; captain in Black Hawk War; mayor of Chicago (1855–1856).
Booz, Edwin G.	b Sept. 2, 1887, Reading, PA; d Oct. 14, 1951, Evanston, IL.	Management consultant; founded Booz, Allen & Hamilton.
Borden, Gail	b Nov. 9, 1801, Norwich, NY; d Jan. 11, 1874, Borden, TX.	Surveyor; invented condensed milk; opened milk factory in Elgin.
Borowski, Felix	b Mar. 10, 1872, Burton, Westmoreland, England; d Sept. 6, 1956, Chicago.	Composer; musical critic; president of Chicago Musical College.
Boudreau, Lou	b July 17, 1917, Harvey, IL; d Aug. 10, 2001, Olympia Fields, IL.	Baseball player; Hall of Fame shortstop; Chicago Cubs broadcaster.
Boulden, Jesse Freeman	b Oct. 8, 1820, DE.	Editor; minister; pastor of Olivet Baptist Church in 1860s.
Bourassa, Leon	b 1798 or 1799.	French-Indian trader; settled on land which is now Forest Home Cemetery.
Bouscaren, Louis G.	b Mar. 13, 1882; d Aug. 4, 1966, Evanston, IL.	Businessman; platted South Riverwoods area.
Bowen, James H.	b Mar. 7, 1822, Mannheim, NY; d May 1, 1881, Chicago.	President of Calumet & Chicago Canal & Dock Co.
Bowen, Louise de Koven	b Feb. 26, 1859, Chicago; d Nov. 9, 1953, Chicago.	Social reformer; benefactor and president of Hull House; president of Juvenile Protective Association.
Bowles, Lillian	b 1884? d 1949?	Owner of music publishing house specializing in gospel music.
Boyce, William D.	b June 16, 1858 or 1860, Plum Township, PA; d June 11, 1929, Chicago.	Publisher; founded Boy Scouts of America.
Boyington, William W.	b July 22, 1818, Southwick, MA; d Oct. 16, 1898, Highland Park, IL.	Architect; designed Chicago Water Tower and Pumping Station.
Boykin, Randson	b Sept. 4, 1949; d Nov. 15, 1995.	Poet; performance artist; founder and executive director of Katherine Dunham Foundation.
Boyton, Paul	b June 29, 1848, Dublin, Ireland; d Apr. 18, 1924, Brooklyn, NY.	Aquatic showman; invented “Shoot the Chute.”
Brach, Emil J.	b May 21, 1859, Schoenwald, Germany; d Oct. 29, 1947, Chicago.	President and founder of E. J. Brach Candy Manufacturers.
Bracken, Jimmy	b May 23, 1908; d Feb. 20 or 22, 1972, Chicago.	Record producer; cofounded Vee-Jay Records.
Bradley, Cyrus P.	b Nov. 14, 1819, Concord, NH; d Mar. 6, 1865, Chicago.	First chief of police in Chicago; sheriff of Cook County.
Bradley, Preston	b Aug. 18, 1888, Linden, MI; d June 1, 1983, Morrisville, VT.	Christian Unitarian minister; civic leader; founder and pastor of Peoples Church.
Bradley, Will H.	b July 10, 1868, Boston, MA; d Jan. 25, 1962, La Mesa, CA.	Illustrator; graphic designer; painter.
Bradley, William Henry	b Nov. 29, 1816, Ridgefield, CT; d Mar. 1, 1892, Chicago.	Circuit court clerk; Newberry Library trustee.
Bradwell, Myra Colby	b Feb. 12, 1831, Manchester, VT; d Feb. 14, 1894, Chicago.	Attorney; publisher; established Chicago Legal News; first woman member of Illinois State Bar Association.
Braidwood, James	b Mar. 1, 1831, Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland; d Feb. 1, 1879, Braidwood, IL.	Sunk first coal shaft in Will County; founded city of Braidwood.
Brand, Edwin	b Oct. 16, 1835, Edmeston, NY; d Dec. 25, 1900, Chicago.	Photographer.
Brand, Michael	b Mar. 23, 1826 or 1828, Odenheim, Rheinhessen, Germany; d Oct. 26, 1897, Chicago.	Brewer; alderman; Illinois state legislator; founded Michael Brand Brewing Co.
Brass, Allen H.	b June 2, 1818, NY; d Jan. 23, 1892, Crown Point, IN.	Innkeeper in Munster in 1840s.
Breasted, James Henry	b Aug. 27, 1865, Rockford, IL; d Dec. 2, 1935, New York, NY.	Egyptologist; archeologist; historian; founded Oriental Institute at Univ. of Chicago.
Breckenridge, James D.	b Aug. 8, 1926, Brooklyn, NY; d Dec. 18, 1982, Evanston, IL.	Art history professor, Northwestern Univ.; wrote for Herald-American.
Breckinridge, Sophonisba Preston	b Apr. 1, 1866, Lexington, KY; d July 30, 1948, Chicago.	Social scientist; reformer; Univ. of Chicago faculty, School of Social Service Administration.
Brennan, Edward P.	b June 30, 1866, Chicago; d Jan. 10, 1942, Chicago.	Building superintendent; introduced street numbering system.
Brennan, George E.	b May 20, 1865, Port Byron, NY; d Aug. 8, 1928, Chicago.	Democratic Party leader; Illinois National Committeeman.
Brentano, Lorenz	b Nov. 4, 1813, Mannheim, Germany; d Sept. 17, 1891, Chicago.	Journalist; attorney; school board chairman; co-owner Illinois Staats-Zeitung; U.S. congressman.
Brickman, Joseph M.	b Dec. 11, 1901; d Dec. 14, 1977, Evanston, IL.	Founded home building firm; helped found Highland Park Country Club.
Brinkman, William J.	b 1874; d Feb. 24, 1911, Chicago.	Architect; designed St. Josephat Church; designed exhibits at World's Columbian Exposition.
Britten, Frederick Albert	b Nov. 18, 1871, Chicago; d May 4, 1946, Bethesda, MD.	U.S. congressman.
Britton, Edgar	b Apr. 15, 1901, Kearney, NE; d Apr. 1982, Denver, CO.	Artist; muralist; painter; sculptor.
Brodman, Howard Charles	b Mar. 15, 1885, Peoria, IL; d Feb. 25, 1861, Chicago.	Superintendent of Department of Maps and Plats; involved in street naming.
Brooks, C. Wayland	b Mar. 8, 1897, West Bureau, IL; d Jan. 14, 1957, Chicago.	Attorney; U.S. senator.
Brooks, Gwendolyn [Gwendolyn Brooks Blakely]	b June 7, 1917, Topeka, KS; d Dec. 3, 2000, Chicago.	Poet; first African American Pulitzer Prize winner (Annie Allen); poet laureate of Illinois.
Brooks, James	active 1830s.	Landowner; owned property around the I&M Canal in 1838.
Broonzy, William Lee “Big Bill” [William Lee Conley]	b June 26, 1893, Scott, MS; d Aug. 14, 1958, Chicago.	Blues singer; guitarist; recording artist.
Brophy, Truman William	b Apr. 12, 1848, Goodings Grove, IL; d Feb. 4, 1928, Chicago.	Oral surgeon; pioneer in cleft palate surgery; an organizer of Chicago College of Dental Surgery.
Bross, William	b Nov. 4, 1813, Montague, NJ; d Jan. 27, 1890, Chicago.	Journalist; newspaper editor and publisher; Lieutenant Governor; founded Democratic Press.
Brown, Adam	b 1805? Guilford, NC; d Mar. 8, 1895.	Arrived in South Chicago Heights area (“Brown's Corners”) in 1833.
Brown, Arthur, Jr.	b May 21, 1874, Oakland, CA; d July 7, 1957, Burlingame, CA.	Architect; member of Architectural Commission, Century of Progress.
Brown, Christopher	b 1832, OH.	Son of Adam and Phoebe Brown, who arrived in South Chicago Heights area in 1833.
Brown, Corinne Stubbs	b ca. Dec. 14, 1849, Chicago; d Mar. 15, 1914, New York, NY.	Suffrage leader; labor reformer; socialist; president of Illinois Women's Alliance.
Brown, H. D. “Curly”	d May 1930.	Millionaire; founded Arlington Heights racetrack.
Brown, James Stanley	b Sept. 1863, Cumberland, OH; d Sept. 6, 1939, Frankfurt, MI.	Educator; superintendent and principal of Joliet Township High School and Junior College (1893–1899).
Brown, John G.	active early twentieth century.	Village president of Fox Lake after incorporation in 1907.
Brown, Joseph H.	active early 1900s.	Steel industry executive.
Brown, Nathaniel J.	b Jan. 27, 1812, Windsor, VT; d Aug. 2, 1900, buried in Lemont, IL.	I&M Canal builder; large Lemont property owner.
Brown, Ned	active twentieth century; d 1959.	Member Potawatomi tribe; advisor to Cook County Forest Preserve commission.
Brown, Phoebe	b ca. 1810, TN; d 1892.	Arrived in South Chicago Heights area (“Brown's Corners”) in 1833.
Brown, Roger [James Roger Brown]	b Dec. 10, 1941, Hamilton, AL; d Nov. 22, 1997, Opelika, AL.	Artist; Chicago Imagist.
Brown, Roy Thomas	b July 8, 1932, Tucson, AZ; d Jan. 22, 2001, Chicago.	Puppeteer; “Cooky the Cook” on Bozo's Circus; Garfield Goose puppeteer.
Browne, Francis Fisher	b Dec. 1, 1843, S. Halifax, VA; d May 11, 1913, Chicago.	Editor; founded the Dial.
Browne, Maurice	b Feb. 12, 1881, Reading, England; d Jan. 21, 1955, London, England.	Actor; theatrical director; founded Chicago Little Theatre (1912).
Browning, Charles Patrick	b Apr. 9, 1915, Louisville, KY; d Jan. 20, 1954, Little Rock, AR.	Vice president Chicago Defender; active in South Side Community Art Center.
Brownlow, Louis H.	b Aug. 29, 1879, Buffalo, MO; d Sept. 1963, Arlington, VA.	Journalist; director of Public Administration Clearing House.
Broyles, Paul W.	b Feb. 3, 1896, McLeansboro, IL; d Feb. 25, 1974, St. Louis, MO.	Republican state senator; chaired anti-Communist commission.
Brundage, Myron “Slim”	b Nov. 29, 1903, Blackfoot, Idaho; d Oct. 18, 1990, El Centro, CA.	Tavern owner (College of Complexes); organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World.
Bryan, Thomas Barbour	b Dec. 22, 1828, Alexandria, VA; d Jan. 25, 1906, Washington, DC.	Attorney; early businessman; founded Graceland Cemetery; real-estate developer.
Bubacz, Stephen S.	b Aug. 17, 1909, Chicago; d Dec. 15, 1968, Chicago.	Neighborhood organizer; led Russell Square Community Committee (1938–1968).
Buck, Dudley	b Mar. 10, 1839, Hartford, CT; d Oct. 6, 1909, West Orange, NJ.	Organist; composer.
Buell, Dorothy R.	b 1886 or 1887, Menasha, WI; d May 17, 1977, San Jose, CA.	Conservationist; organized Save the Dunes Council.
Bulliet, Clarence Joseph	b Mar. 16, 1883, Corydon, IN; d Oct. 20, 1952, Chicago.	Art, drama, and music critic for Chicago Evening Post andChicago Daily News.
Bullock, Carrie E.	b June 16, 1887, Laurens, SC; d Dec. 31, 1962, Chicago.	Nurse; associated with Visiting Nurse Association for 47 years.
Bundesen, Herman N.	b Apr. 27, 1882, Berlin, Germany; d Aug. 25, 1960, Chicago.	Physician; author; politician; president of Chicago Board of Health; Cook County coroner.
Burdell, Nicholas	active 1840s.	Band leader in 1840.
Burgess, Ernest Watson	b May 16, 1886, Tilbury, Ontario, Canada; d Dec. 27, 1966, Chicago.	Sociologist at Univ. of Chicago; involved with Chicago Area Project; developed “concentric zone theory.”
Burke, Jack	active 1880s.	Boxer; fought in first prizefight in Chicago in 1885.
Burke, Ralph H.	b ca. 1884, Chicago; d Aug. 23, 1956, Chicago.	Engineer; city airport consultant; involved in development of O'Hare Airport; chief engineer of Chicago Park District.
Burmeister, Charles G.	b ca. 1876; d Oct. 12, 1950, Chicago.	Undertaker.
Burnett, Leo	b Oct. 21, 1891, St. Johns, MI; d June 7, 1971, Lake Zurich, IL.	Founded Leo Burnett advertising agency.
Burnham, Daniel Hudson	b Sept. 4, 1846, Henderson, NY; d June 1, 1912, Heidelberg, Germany.	City planner; architect; created 1909 Plan of Chicago; developed early skyscraper.
Burnham, Daniel Hudson, Jr.	b Feb. 22, 1886, Chicago; d Nov. 3, 1961, Chicago.	Architect; director of works at Century of Progress Exposition.
Burnham, Hubert	b Sept. 7, 1882, Chicago; d Dec. 31, 1968, La Jolla, CA.	Architect (son of Daniel H. Burnham); designed Union Carbide Building; architect for Century of Progress Exposition.
Burnham, Telford	b Oct. 23, 1843, Cincinnati, OH; d Apr. 29, 1923, Kankakee, IL.	Attorney; developed plan for area that became Burnham.
Burroughs, Charles	b Feb. 28, 1919; d Feb. 26, 1994.	Cofounded DuSable Museum of African American History.
Burroughs, Edgar Rice	b Sept. 1, 1875, Chicago; d Mar. 19, 1950, Encino, CA.	Novelist; creator of the character Tarzan.
Burton, Charles W.	b Apr. 19, 1884, Meridian, MS; d Sept. 23, 1957, Chicago.	Clergyman; lawyer; head of National Negro Congress until 1940.
Burton, William Merriam	b Nov. 17, 1865, Cleveland, OH; d Dec. 29, 1954, Miami, FL.	Chemist; president of Standard Oil (Indiana); pioneer in oil refining technology.
Busby, Denver A.	b Oct. 8, 1896, Trenton, MO; d Apr. 22, 1981, San Diego, CA.	Farmer; his dairy farm was later developed into Burr Ridge.
Busse, Fred A.	b Mar. 3, 1866, Chicago; d July 9, 1914, Chicago.	Mayor of Chicago (1907–1911); state treasurer; postmaster; president of Busse Coal Co.
Busse, William	b Jan. 27, 1864, Elk Grove, IL; d July 17, 1955, Elgin, IL.	Farmer; Cook County commissioner; Republican leader.
Buswell, James Oliver	b Jan. 16, 1895, Burlington, WI; d Feb. 3, 1977.	Clergyman; president of Wheaton College (1925–1940).
Butler, Burridge D.	b Feb. 5, 1868, Louisville, KY; d Mar. 30, 1948, Phoenix, AZ.	Publisher; owned Prairie Farmer and radio station WLS.
Butler, Frank Osgood	b Apr. 22, 1861, Chicago; d Mar. 18, 1955, West Palm Beach, FL.	Paper manufacturer; president of Natoma Farm, Hinsdale.
Butler, Paul	b June 25, 1892, Chicago; d June 24, 1981, Oak Brook, IL.	Business executive; real-estate developer; founded Oak Brook; founded Butler Aviation.
Butterfield, Justin	b 1790, Keene, NH; d Oct. 23, 1855, Chicago.	Lawyer; Whig Party organizer; commissioner of Land Office under President Taylor.
Buttrick, Hiram	b Dec. 17, 1811, Middletown, Concord, MA; d Dec. 1, 1886, Waukegan, IL.	Built sawmill in Antioch in 1839.
Butts, Magnolia Lewis	b ca. 1894–1896, Tipton, MA; d Dec. 10, 1949, Chicago.	Gospel choir organizer; soloist; assistant to director of the Metropolitan Choir; director of W. G. Cook Gospel Choir.
Byfield, Joseph	See Beifeld, Joseph
Byford, William Heath	b Mar. 20, 1817, Eaton, OH; d May 21, 1870, Chicago.	Physician; author; cofounded Chicago Medical College and Woman's Hospital Medical College.
Byrne, Francis Barry	b Dec. 19, 1883, Chicago; d Dec. 17, 1967, Evanston, IL.	Architect; apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright; designed churches and schools for Chicago Archdiocese.