Frederick William Matthiessen
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Frederick William Matthiessen | |
|---|---|
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| Born | March 5, 1835 |
| Died | February 11, 1918 (aged 82) |
| Resting place | Oakwood Cemetery, LaSalle, Illinois |
| Alma mater | Freiberg University of Mining and Technology[1] |
| Spouse | Fannie Clara Möeller Matthiessen |
| Children | 5[2] |
Frederick William Matthiessen (March 5, 1835 – February 11, 1918) was a philanthropist, industrialist, and mayor of LaSalle, Illinois.[3] He was instrumental in the creation of Matthiessen State Park. Matthiessen was the paternal grandfather of scholar and Harvard professor F.O. Matthiessen.
Born March 5, 1835 in Altona, which was then under Danish control as part of the Duchy of Holstein. Matthiessen went on to attend university at the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology. It was here that he met Edward C. Hegeler, a fellow engineering student studying mining. They immigrated together to the United States of America in 1856.[4] After investigating several sites in the Northeast and Midwest of the country, they decided to set up their smelter on the banks of the Little Vermilion River, in LaSalle, IL.