Will County IL Archives Biographies.....WENBERG, ALFRED 
************************************************

Copyright.  All rights reserved.

http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm

************************************************



File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Paula Winke-Martisek wranglerjack@comcast.net September 18, 2007, 12:21 am

Author: GENEALOGICAL AND  BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD

ALFRED WENBERG.  During the period of his residence in Joliet Mr. Wenberg has 

been successfully engaged in contracting and building, and he is recognized as 

one of the experts in his chosen occupation.  Among the contracts that he has 

filled may be mentioned the following: Beach block on Chicago street, Munroe 

Hall Annex, Reichmann and Abbott building on the corner of Chicago and 

Jefferson streets, Calmer building on Jefferson street, Farragut school, 

county sheriff's residence, the Barnes residence on Richards street, and 

considerable bridge work for bridge companies and the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern 

Railroad.  He built a row of houses on Cass street, also the entire site of 

the stone quarry, and has engaged in building not only in this city and 

county, but also throughout northern Illinois. Near Boros, Sweden, Mr. Wenberg 

was born April 25, 1858.  He was one of five sons and three daughters, of whom 

all the sons and one daughter came to America, and three sons are now living.  

John, who is now in Sweden, is a farmer and grist-miller; Frank, who was with 

Alfred, died in Joliet; Peter, who was also connected with Alfred in business, 

was the first of the family to pass from earth; Louis is a contractor in 

Indiana.  The oldest brother, on coming to America, adopted the name of 

Wenberg, which the others later assumed.  The father, Andrew Johnson, owned an 

estate in Sweden, where he died.  The mother, Britta, was a daughter of Lars 

Hessleholmer, a large farmer; she is now living in Joliet, where she is known 

as Mrs. Wenberg, the name taken by her sons.  In religion she is of the 

Lutheran faith.  At fifteen years of age our subject was apprenticed to the 

trade of a mason and bricklayer, at which he worked for some time.  In 1880 he 

came to America and began to work at his trade in Joliet.  His brother, John, 

who came to Illinois in 1869, returned to Sweden in 1874, and has since 

alternated between the two countries.  About 1872 Peter came to Joliet, a year 

after his sister, Ida, had settled here.  Frank, Louis, Alfred, with their 

mother, came in 1880.  Afterward Alfred worked at his trade during the day and 

of evenings, for some time, attended a night school, in order to gain a 

knowledge of the English language and customs.  In 1881 he bought a quarry on 

Cass street and Maple avenue, and with his brother, under the firm name of 

Wenberg Bros., began in the quarry business and contracting.  In 1895 the 

quarry was worked out and he retired from the business. In 1883 he became 

interested in contracting in Englewood, Chicago, where he continued for four 

years, and then, returning to Joliet, continued contracting in this city.  

Since 1892 he has been alone in business.  He is a member of the Joliet 

Builders' Association.  The various enterprises with which the Swedes of 

Joliet are identified find a warm friend in Mr. Wenberg.  He holds membership 

in the Scandinavian Sick Benefit Association.  He is identified with the 

Swedish Baptist Church and served as superintendent of the building committee 

at the time of the erection of a house of worship.  As trustee and treasurer 

he has been active in church work.  He is one of the two survivors of the 

charter members of the congregation, and from the time of the starting of the 

church to the present day he has never weakened in his friendship for the 

church and his sympathy with its work.  In the Sunday-school he has been an 

interested worker.  Politically he is a Republican, and fraternally holds 

membership with the Modern Woodmen of America. 

Additional comments:
Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County Illinois Containing 
Biographies of Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Biographical 
Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/wenberg1714nbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/

File size: 4.2 Kb