Our program for March will be memoir recounts by William Radell
“The Recipe That Knew Too Much: A Cookie’s Clue to Property Secrets"
This memoir recounts William Radell’s investigation into intriguing family legends centered on his great-grandfather, Lorentz Peter Lindelof (LPL), a prominent union leader in early 20th-century Chicago and Indiana. Sparked by holiday baking sessions and stories of a lost summer home at Long Lake, alleged criminal threats, and ties to the Chicago Painters’ Union, the author embarks on research to uncover the truth.
Delving into union history, notorious figures of Chicago, and real estate records, William uncovers that their great-grandfather’s house was not lost in a mere card game, but transferred to Arthur Wallace—a bodyguard turned would-be hitman with connections to the Chicago Syndicate—thus confirming the family’s dramatic tales of union intrigue, criminal underworld, and personal courage. William Radell tells the story and describes the genealogical and research tools and resources utilized to uncover the secrets lurking in the attic of the Chain O’Lakes cottage.
