William A. Ritschlag Biography


	This biography appears on pages 799-800 in "History of Dakota Territory" 
	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				WILLIAM A. RITSCHLAG.  

	William A. Ritschlag, who was active in business in Huron for 
many years but is now living retired, was born in Watertown, Wisconsin, 
October 18, 1852, and there pursued his education. In 1873 he went to 
Winona, Minnesota, where he learned the cooper's trade, following it 
until his removal to Mazeppa, Minnesota, where he took up the barber's 
trade. In February, 1880, he removed to Volga, South Dakota, which was 
then the terminus of the railroad, and on the 16th of May of the same 
year he arrived in Huron, hauling his barber's chair to that place on a 
wagon. He established the first barber shop in the city, occupying one 
corner of a grocery store until another building suitable for this 
purpose was erected. In 1897, after seventeen years devoted to that 
line of business, he sold out and for thirteen years he conducted a 
billiard hall. Since that period he has lived retired, for the success 
which he achieved in former years is sufficient to meet all of his 
wants and requirements. While engaged in barbering he also had the only 
outfit for the business and was the only taxidermist in the state, and 
he possessed a collection of over four hundred and fifty birds and 
animals that he had mounted himself. This is now owned by the Brookings 
College and contains a number of fine specimens of birds and animals 
that have now become extinct, which fact renders these specimens very 
valuable.  

	Mr. Ritschlag has always been active in affairs of the city. He 
was a member off the first city council of Huron, holding the office in 
1883, and he was twice elected treasurer of the city. In 1905, when the 
city hall was built, he was serving as alderman and acted as a member 
of the building committee. He continued as a member of the city council 
for four years, serving as such when the first city waterworks was 
built. There was much opposition to the plan of installing a 
waterworks, but Mr. Ritschlag stood strongly in its support and he and 
his associates in favor of the movement ultimately triumphed. For 
sixteen years he was chief of the fire department and during that 
period he succeeded in replacing the early crude apparatus with all 
that is most complete and up-to-date in a fire fighting equipment.  

	Politically Mr. Ritschlag is a democrat and he was one of the 
first three to cast a democratic vote in the county. He is well known 
in fraternal circles, belonging to the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of 
Pythias and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. Of all of these he is a 
charter member save the Knights of Pythias. He has a very wide 
acquaintance in Huron and this section of the state and with many of 
the "first events" his name is closely associated. He is now living 
retired in the enjoyment of a rest which he has truly earned and richly 
deserves.