Frederick William Müller was born in Teterow, Mechlenburg-Schwerin, Germany, on July 1, 1848(9). His father, Jacob Wilhelm Leonhard Christian Müller was a merchant who died in Teterow in 1866. His mother, Sophia Wilelmina Christiana Sass Müller died the following year. Frederick was the eldest of five children. He received a fair education according to German customs and worked as a clerk in his father’s store before traveling to the United States. On Frederick’s arrival to this country in June 1868, he traveled to Chicago. There, he found employment with Sass and Hefner, manufacturers of soda water until March 1872. Louis Carl Henry Sass, one the partners of this firm was Frederick’s half-brother.
He arrived in Arlington Heights, then known as Dunton, Good Friday, March 1872. Here Frederick and his half brother became partners forming the company Sass and Brother, manufacturers of soda water. The bottling works were located at what is now 116 S. Dunton St. Their partnership only lasted until the end of 1872 when Frederick purchased his half brother’s interest in the company and formed F.W. Müller Carbonated Beverages.
Frederick and Elizabeth Sievert, daughter of Frederick and Catherine (Geils) Sievert, were married on March 14, 1873. Elizabeth was a native of Hanover, Germany. The couple resided in a home at 110 S. Dunton. In 1882, Müller built the home and soda factory on the corner of North Vail and West Fremont St.
Frederick and Elizabeth had five children, Minnie, William C., Marie C., Henry F. and Adeline A.
Frederick, known as "Pop" Müller, retired from the family business in 1923. His two sons took over the business renaming it Arlington Club Beverages. F.W. died in 1925.
F.W.’s Accomplishments:
Supervisor of Wheeling Township for 28 years 1887-1915
Mayor 1897-1899
Member of the School Board 1892-1900
Member of Palatine Lodge #314 A.F. & A.M.
Member of Palatine Chapter #206 R.A.M.
St. Elmo Commandary K.T. #65
Medinah Temple Shrine
First Presbyterian Church of A.H.-united in membership April 1, 1917
Court Arlington #114 I.O.I.O.F.
Frederick was described in "Portrait and Biographical Record Book: Cook and Dupage Counties, Illinois" published in 1894 as follows:
"Mr. Müller (sic) is a man of keen intelligence and sound judgment, of undoubted business integrity, and enjoys the confidence of his fellow citizens in a marked degree. His success in life has been gained by his own unaided industry, and serves as an illustration of the beneficence of our free American institutions."
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