{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = | image = Peter Reinberg (1).jpeg | birth_date = March 5, 1858 | birth_place = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]] | death_date = February 21, 1921 (age 68) | death_place = Chicago, Illinois | office = [[President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners]]<ref name="sec"/> | order = | term_start = 1914 | term_end = 1921 | predecessor = [[Alexander A. McCormick]] | successor = [[Daniel Ryan Sr.]] | office1 = [[President of the Chicago Board of Education]] | term_start1 = 1912 | term_end1 = 1914 | predecessor1 = J. B. McFatrich<ref name="M'FATRICH"/> | successor1 = Michael J. Collins<ref>{{cite web |title=Mrs. Young Wins with 15 votes; Collins Victor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/354959539 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=1 August 2021 |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=10 Dec 1914}}</ref> | office2 = [[Chicago Alderman]] from the 26th ward<ref name=centennial>{{Cite web |url=http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/LIB/AldermansList.htm |title=Centennial List of Mayors, City Clerks, City Attorneys, City Treasurers, and Aldermen, elected by the people of the city of Chicago, from the incorporation of the city on March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1937, arranged in alphabetical order, showing the years during which each official held office. |access-date=December 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904052355/http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/LIB/AldermansList.htm |archive-date=September 4, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | term_start2 = 1904 | term_end2 = 1912 | alongside2 = Freeman K. Blake (1904-1905)<br>William F. Lipps (1905-1912) | predecessor2 = William C. Kuester | successor2 = George Pretzel | party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] | occupation = [[Florist]] | spouse = | children = }} '''Peter A. Reinberg''' (March 5, 1858 – February 21, 1921) was an [[Americans|American]] businessman and politician who was a very successful [[florist]], and who served in the offices of [[president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners]], [[president of the Chicago Board of Education]], and [[Chicago alderman]].
==Early life== Reinberg was born on March 5, 1858, in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], where he was also raised.<ref name="UIC1"/><ref name="elementary"/> He born to Henry and Katherine Reinberg, immigrants who hailed from, [[Préizerdaul]], [[Luxembourg]].<ref name="RTL">{{cite web |last1=Wester |first1=Kevin |title=Luxembourg's history: Luxembourgish immigration to Chicago |url=https://today.rtl.lu/culture/exhibitions-and-history/a/1402165.html |website=today.rtl.lu |publisher=RTL |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=en |date=20 September 2019}}</ref><ref name="CSO">{{cite web |last1=Huckman |first1=Andrew |title=Luxembourg in Portage Park: Peter Reinberg's progeny and prodigies - CSO Sounds & Stories |url=https://csosoundsandstories.org/luxembourg-in-portage-park-peter-reinbergs-progeny-and-prodigies/ |website=csosoundsandstories.org |publisher=Chicago Symphony Orchestra |access-date=7 August 2021 |date=19 October 2014}}</ref> The family lived in the [[Edgewater, Chicago|Edgewater]] neighborhood of Chicago,<ref name="RTL"/> living near [[Rosehill Cemetery]].<ref name="rapidrise"/>
Reinberg was educated in [[Chicago Public Schools]].<ref name="elementary"/>
==Private sector career== Reinberg had a very successful career as a [[florist]].<ref name="UIC1"/><ref name="elementary"/> He had begun by growing [[turnips]] and [[potatoes]], before experimenting with [[roses]] and flowers in 1890.<ref name="rapidrise">{{cite web |last1=Seyfert |first1=Wolf |title=Flowers Make Millionaire Farmer Boy's Rapid Rise |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/350275858 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=6 Nov 1904}}</ref> He was very successful at growing roses and [[carnations]], and eventually owned [[greenhouse]]s with 1,200,000 square feet (110,000 square meters) of glass.<ref name="RTL"/> He was among the most famous greenhouse owners in Chicago.<ref name="RTL"/> He was considered the "Rose King" of Chicago.<ref name="RTL"/> His business made him a [[millionaire]], and he was among the largest rose growers in the world.<ref name="RTL"/> He was also considered to be the largest grower of carnations in the United States.<ref name="CarnationCampaign1">{{cite web |title=CARNATION USED IN CAMPAIGN |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/350224501 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=16 Mar 1904}}</ref>
Reinberg would serve on the board of directors of Ravenswood Bank.<ref name="elementary"/>
==Chicago City Council== In 1904, Reinberg made his political debut by successfully running as the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[Chicago City Council]] in the 26th district.<ref name="CarnationCampaign1"/><ref name=centennial/> In his campaign, he used the unique gimmick of providing each resident of his ward with carnations to wear.<ref name="rapidrise"/><ref name="CarnationCampaign1"/>
Reinberg was reelected in 1906,<ref>{{cite web |title=NEW COUNCIL IS AGAINST O?WNERSHIP |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/34518019 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=The Inter Ocean (Chicago) |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=4 Apr 1906}}</ref> 1908,<ref name="sweptbyR">{{cite web |title=CHICAGO IS SWEPT BY REPUBLICANS |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/350263002 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=8 Apr 1908}}</ref> and 1910.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kronika Chicagoska |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/620014228 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Dziennik Chicagoski |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=pl |url-access=subscription |date=6 Apr 1910}}</ref> Reinberg was unseated in 1912 by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee George Pretzel.<ref>{{cite web |title=WYBORY W CYFRACH |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/620018334 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Dziennik Chicagoski |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=pl |url-access=subscription |date=3 Apr 1912}}</ref>
In years such as 1908 and 1910, he had received election endorsements from the Municipal Voters League.<ref name="sweptbyR"/><ref>{{cite web |title=CITY VOTES TODAY, COUNCIL IS PRIZE |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/349266300 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=5 Apr 1910}}</ref>
==President of the Chicago Board of Education== In the fall of 1912, Reinberg became [[president of the Chicago Board of Education]].<ref name="M'FATRICH">{{cite web |title=Dr. J. B. M'FATRICH DIES |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/355060686/ |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=1 August 2021 |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=27 Apr 1914}}</ref> While Reinberg had originally indicated he would retire from the position, he made himself a candidate for another term in January 1914, as Mayor [[Carter Harrison IV]] had convinced him to stay aboard so that the board would continue to be led by an ally of superintendent [[Ella Flagg Young]].<ref>{{cite web |title=MAYOR HAS REINBERG RUN FOR SCHOOL BOARD CHIEF AGAIN |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/355186521 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=5 Jan 1914}}</ref> Reelected, he served until resigning in December of that year,<ref>{{cite web |title=Reinberg Urges More School Buildings |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/355052502 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=1 August 2021 |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=17 Dec 1914}}</ref> after becoming [[president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners]].
==President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners== In 1914, he was elected president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Having been nominated by the Democratic Party, he defeated [[Progressive Party (United States, 1912)|Progressive Parry]] [[incumbent]] Alexander A. McCormick. There was no Republican nominee (Republicans had been blocked by the [[Illinois Supreme Court]] from an [[electoral fusion]] joint nomination of McCormick).<ref name="WORTHY">{{cite web |title=WORTHY COUNTY CANDIDATES GET "TRIBUNE'S" O.K. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/370282983 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=1 Nov 1914}}</ref> Reinberg led McCormick (the county's leading Progressive Party politician) by more than a 60,000 plurality in the November election. The Democratic Party swept the 1914 Cook County elections. However, unlike in Reinberg's race, for the other countywide offices, Democratic nominees had only won by mere hundreds of votes.<ref>{{cite web |title=MOOSE ENABLE DEMOCRATS TO SWEEP COUNTY |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/370291333 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=4 Nov 1914}}</ref>
Reinberg was sworn in as president on December 7, 1914.<ref>{{cite web |title=MORIARTY ROILS HARMONY DOVE OF COUNTY BOARD |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/354959241 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=8 Dec 1914}}</ref> He would hold the county board presidency until his death in office in 1921.<ref name="sec">{{cite web |title=Cook County, Illinois - Secretary of the Board |url=https://legacy.cookcountyil.gov/secretary/past_presidents.htm |website=legacy.cookcountyil.gov |publisher=Office of the Secretary to the Board of the Cook County Board of Commissioners |accessdate=28 October 2020}}</ref><ref name="UIC1"/> He was reelected in November 1918, defeating Republican Charles N. Goodlow by a much narrower margin than his victory four years prior.<ref>{{cite web |title=REINBERG HEADS COUNTY BOARD OF DEMOCERATS |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/355211482 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=6 Nov 1918}}</ref>
During Reinberg's tenure, the county was hit by the 1918 [[Spanish flu]] epidemic. Amid this, he ordered the [[Cook County Hospital]] closed to all visitors, except those visiting individuals dying from diseases other than the flu.<ref>{{cite journal |title=City Hospital Forces Swept By Influenza |url=https://core.ac.uk/display/64752375 |website=core.ac.uk |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=en-gb |date=1918}}</ref>
Reinberg was also, by virtue of this position as county board president, the first president of the newly created [[Forest Preserve District of Cook County]].<ref name="UIC1">{{cite web |title=Peter Reinberg (1858-1921) |url=https://findingaids.library.uic.edu/exhibits/fpdcc/People/PETERREINBERG.html |website=findingaids.library.uic.edu |publisher=University of Illinois at Chicago |access-date=7 August 2021}}</ref> He oversaw its acquisition of more than 18,000 acres of land.<ref name="UIC1"/> He is sometimes considered the "father" of Cook County's forest preserve system.<ref name="RTL"/>
==Death== Reinberg died on February 21, 1921, at his Chicago home of a [[cerebral hemorrhage]].<ref>{{cite web |title=PETER REINBERG |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/595575468 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Kenosha News |agency=The Associated Press |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=21 Feb 1921}}</ref>
==Legacy== After his death, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County would name a campground north of [[Palatine, Illinois]] "Camp Reinberg" after him.<ref name="UIC1"/>
Chicago Public Schools named its Peter A. Reinberrg Elementary School after Reinberg.<ref name="elementary">{{cite web |title=History |url=https://reinberg.cps.edu/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=357713&type=d |website=reinberg.cps.edu |publisher=Peter A. Reinberg Elementary School |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reinberg, Peter A.}} [[Category:Businesspeople from Chicago]] [[Category:Chicago City Council members]] [[Category:Presidents of the Cook County Board of Commissioners]] [[Category:Presidents of the Chicago Board of Education]] [[Category:Illinois Democrats]] [[Category:1858 births]] [[Category:1921 deaths]] [[Category:American florists]]