Ritter Lumber Company
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William McClellan Ritter (February 19, 1864 – May 21, 1952) was an American lumberman and businessman. He was the founder of W. M. Ritter Lumber Company. Ritter was a member of the
War Industries Board The War Industries Board (WIB) was a United States government agency established on July 28, 1917, during World War I, to coordinate the purchase of war supplies between the War Department (Department of the Army) and the Navy Department. Becaus ...
during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.


Early life

William McClellan Ritter was born on February 19, 1864, in
Lycoming County, Pennsylvania Lycoming County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 114,188. Its county seat is Williamsport. The county is part of the North Central region of the commonwealth. Lycoming County compri ...
. Ritter learned the lumber business on his family's farm in Pennsylvania. His mother was Elizabeth (née Morris) Ritter, a member of the Robert Morris family of Pennsylvania. He was given the middle name McClellan after
George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey and as Commanding General of the United States Army from November 1861 to March 186 ...
, the Union Army general his grandfather served with in the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. Ritter attended local schools in Pennsylvania. Ritter was the cousin of Charles L. Ritter of
Huntington, West Virginia Huntington is a city in Cabell County, West Virginia, Cabell and Wayne County, West Virginia, Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The County seat, seat of Cabell County, the city is located at the confluence of the Ohio River, O ...
, a lumberman and namesake of Ritter Park. His great nephew, William M. Ritter II would continue operating the lumber business after Ritter's death.


Career

Ritter bought and operated a thresher and then operated a small country hotel. Ritter began a logging operation in
Mercer County, West Virginia Mercer County is a county in Southern West Virginia on the southeastern border of the U.S. state of West Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 59,664. Its county seat is Princeton. The county was originally established in the St ...
in 1890. He also set up his own mills, and his operations were also in McDowell and Mingo counties, as well as
Buchanan County, Virginia Buchanan County () is a United States county in far western Virginia, the only county in the state to border both West Virginia and Kentucky. The county is part of the Southwest Virginia region and lies in the rugged Appalachian Plateau por ...
,
Dickenson County, Virginia Dickenson County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,124. Its county seat is Clintwood. History Dickenson County, formed in 1880 from parts of Buchanan County, Russell Count ...
, and
Pike County, Kentucky Pike County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the population was 58,669. Its county seat is Pikeville, Kentucky, Pikeville. The county was founded in 1821. It is ...
. In 1894, Ritter established the W. M. Ritter Lumber Company in
Welch, West Virginia Welch is a city in and the county seat of McDowell County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 3,590 at the 2020 census. Welch was incorporated as a city in 1893. History Welch was incorporated in 1893 and named after Isaiah A. W ...
. It would not be incorporated until 1901. He expanded his operations into
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
and
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
. In 1907, W. M. Ritter Lumber Company was indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of
peon Peon (English language, English , from the Spanish language, Spanish ''wikt:peón#Spanish, peón'' ) usually refers to a person subject to peonage: any form of wage labor, financial exploitation, coercive economic practice, or policy in which t ...
age. Ritter paid a ikonfine on behalf of his company. The company would be regarded as the world's largest hardwood lumber company with over 300,000 acres of land. The company would eventually merge with Georgia-Pacific Lumber Company. During
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Ritter served on the
War Industries Board The War Industries Board (WIB) was a United States government agency established on July 28, 1917, during World War I, to coordinate the purchase of war supplies between the War Department (Department of the Army) and the Navy Department. Becaus ...
as an advisor to
Bernard Baruch Bernard Mannes Baruch (August 19, 1870 – June 20, 1965) was an American financier and statesman. After amassing a fortune on the New York Stock Exchange, he impressed President Woodrow Wilson by managing the nation's economic mobilization in W ...
. Ritter also owned and operated coal companies and railroads in Virginia and West Virginia, including the Red Jacket Coal Company near Matewan, West Virginia. Ritter served as president of the National Hardwood Lumber Association and treasurer of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association. Ritter wrote a book, ''The Lumber Business''. In 1924, Ritter received national coverage for gifting worth of personal stock to 124 of his employees. Following the news, he was commended by President
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer from Massachusetts, he previously ...
.


Personal life

In 1905, Ritter lived and worked from
Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...
. Prior to World War I, Ritter lived in Welch. During the war, he moved to
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
Ritter was married twice. Ritter married Gertrude Adelaide Divine on February 2, 1896. They were later divorced. He married Anita Owen Bell on July 20, 1926, in
Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...
. They had a foster son, Paul D. Ritter.


Death

Ritter died on May 21, 1952, at his home in Washington, D.C. He was buried in the family cemetery in Hughesville, Pennsylvania.


Legacy

Ritter was named to the West Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame posthumously in 2020.


References


External links


University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Ritter Lumber Company: William McClellan Ritter, undated
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritter, William M. 1864 births 1952 deaths People from Lycoming County, Pennsylvania People from Welch, West Virginia Council of National Defense Businesspeople in wood products 19th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American businesspeople Businesspeople from West Virginia