Frederick Lundin

Background

Frederick Lundin was born Fredrik Lundin Larsson in the parish of Västra Tollstad, Hästholmen, Ödeshög Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden. His parents were Lars Fredrik Lundin and Fredrika Larsdotter. He had two sisters, Lovisa (1854–1873) and Elin. He immigrated with his parents and sister when he was a child to the United States and settled in Chicago, Illinois, in 1880. After completing his academic studies, he served as president of Lundin & Co. manufacturer of Lundin's Juniper Ade, which was made from Juniper berry extract.{{cite web|url= https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/lundins-juniper-ade-6-pc-aluminum-cups-1900|title= Lundin's Juniper-Ade |website= worthpoint.com |access-date=October 1, 2020}}

Career

Lundin served as a member of the Illinois State Senate from 1894 to 1898. He was later selected to serve as an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention from Illinois in 1904. In 1908 Lundin was elected as a Republican Congressman to the 61st United States Congress from Illinois' 7th congressional district in Near North Side, Chicago. He was a one-term congressman from March 4, 1909, until March 3, 1911, and was defeated for reelection in 1910. He resumed manufacturing interests and became involved as a Republican party ward boss in Chicago. Richard Norton Smith describes Lundin as:

In exchange for his supporters voting as he told them, Lundin arranged jobs mainly in the municipal sector. Lundin was instrumental in the election of William Hale Thompson as mayor in 1915 and succeeded in getting Thompson to appoint over 30,000 supporters to the city payroll in a form of political graft as all were required to kick back part of their pay to Lundin's organization. In 1922, Lundin was indicted on a charge of embezzling tax money. Although he was acquitted, this was the beginning of the end of his career as a political boss.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/the-most-corrupt-public-official-in-illinois-history-william-hale-thompson/1936986/

Lundin died in Beverly Hills, California, on August 20, 1947, and was interred in Forest Home Cemetery, Forest Park, Illinois.

Bibliography

References

state=Illinois| district=7 | before=Philip Knopf | after=Frank Buchanan | years=1909-1911

References

1. (October 22, 1908). "Swedish Candidate, Frederick Lundin to Congress".
2. Gustav Skogens. (2011). "Svensk styrde Chicago före Al Capone". [[Allt om Historia]].
3. "Chicagoboss från Västra Tollstad blev miljonär på enbärsdricka".
4. link. ""
5. (March 2022)
6. "Lundin, Frederick (1868-1947)".
7. ''The Colonel''. Richard Norton Smith. Pg 183. 1997. Houghton Mifflin