Albert J. Buchheit, our first mayor, was born in Watertown, Wisconsin in 1876. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, he studied dentistry both in Chicago and at Leipzig University in Germany. He opened his first office on Main Street in Park Ridge in 1905, and later built the Buchheit Building on Vine Avenue to house his practice.
Dr. Buchheit defeated William Malone in the first City election May 24, 1910, 272 votes to Malone’s 246 votes to become the first Mayor of Park Ridge. During his term of office, he signed ordinances to erect our first Public Library, to establish a house numbering system of addresses and to install fire alarm boxes on street corners.
Dr. Buchheit lived to the age of 91 years in his Park Ridge home, and is buried in the Town of Maine Cemetery.
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