Multnomah County OR Archives Biographies.....Ritter, Albert R. 1877 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com April 27, 2009, 6:18 pm Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company ALBERT R. RITTER has been one of the active factors in the development and up-building of Portland, where he has been engaged in the real estate business for twenty years. Besides his large agency business, he has operated extensively on his own account and holds a prominent place among those whose activities have tended to promote the advancement of Portland and vicinity. Mr. Ritter was born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1877, and is a son of Philip and Louise (Desor) Ritter. The family came to the United States in 1879 and located in Arkansas, where both parents died, the father being killed in a cyclone. Mr. Ritter received his education in the public schools to the age of twelve years, when necessity compelled him to go to work. He was employed at various occupations and during the ensuing ten years was in many of the western states and Canada. In 1899 he came to Portland and for a few years was variously employed, in the meantime gaining a good knowledge of the city. In 1908 he entered the real estate business, his early dealings being confined to selling residence lots and houses, but gradually he enlarged the scope of his operations and during the subsequent years has successfully handled deals in both residence and business properties. He is now a member of the firm of Ritter, Lowe & Company, of which he is president and Earl J. Lowe is secretary and treasurer, and they enjoy a wide reputation for reliability and square dealing. They are now specializing in business properties exclusively and among their large deals was the sale of Sullivan's Gulch to Ralph Lloyd. Mr. Ritter has a one hundred and ninety-eight year lease on the entire block at Twentieth street and Sandy boulevard, on which he is erecting some fine, modern structures, and he has been very active in the development of that district. He is also largely interested in several holding companies, of which he is president, and in all of his affairs has shown sound judgment that has enabled him to realize a very gratifying measure of success. In 1902 Mr. Ritter was united in marriage to Miss Lillian B. White, who was born in Oakland, Oregon, and is a daughter of Alvin and Sarah C. (Crouch) White, the latter a sister of Finland Sutherlin, who crossed the plains to Oregon in 1852 and settled where the town of Oakland now stands. Mr. and Mrs. Ritter are the parents of a daughter, Willetha, who is a graduate of St. Helen's Hall. Mr. Ritter gives his political support to the republican party and is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Irvington Club. the Wana Lake Club, the Columbia Country Club and the Chamber of Commerce. He belongs to the Portland Realty Board, of which he was president in 1922, and in 1923 was president of the Pacific Northwest Real Estate Association, while in 1924 he was vice president of the National Association of Real Estate Boards. During 1923 he traveled all over the United States, visiting every county and spending five thousand dollars of his own money in the interest of the real estate business. In this and many other ways he has shown an unselfish spirit in relation to those things which concern the public welfare and throughout this section of the valley he commands the respect of all who are acquainted with his activities. Cordial and affable in manner, he easily makes friends and no resident of this city is held in higher regard. Additional Comments: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. II, Pages 574 - 575 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/bios/ritter549gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb