William D. Orthwein

William D. Orthwein
BornFebruary 9, 1841
Stuttgart, Wurtemberg, Germany
Died1925 (aged 83–84)
OccupationBusinessman
SpouseEmily H. Thuemmler
ChildrenFrederick C. Orthwein
Percy Orthwein
William R. Orthwein
Parent(s)Frederick Charles Orthwein
Louise Lidle
RelativesCharles F. Orthwein (brother)
William R. Orthwein Jr. (grandson)

William David Orthwein (February 9, 1841 - 1925) was a German-born American Civil War veteran and grain merchant in St. Louis, Missouri.

Early life

William David Orthwein was born on February 9, 1841, in Stuttgart, Wurtemberg, Germany.[1][2] His father was Frederick Charles Orthwein and his mother, Louise Lidle. He had a brother, Charles F. Orthwein.[1][3]

Career

Orthwein emigrated to the United States in 1860, arriving in Lincoln, Illinois, to work as a salesman.[1] In 1862, he joined his brother in St. Louis, Missouri, to work for his grain commission business, Haenshen & Orthwein.[1] Meanwhile, he served in the Union Army during the American Civil War of 1861–1865.[1]

After the war, Orthwein resumed work for Haenshen & Orthwein.[1] By 1870, he worked for his brother's grain shipping firm, Orthwein & Mersman (co-founded by Charles F. Orthwein and Joseph J. Mersman),[3] up until 1879.[1] The firm shipped grains to Europe from St. Louis, via New Orleans, Louisiana, and Galveston, Texas.[1] In 1879, it became known as Orthwein Brothers,[3] and it was in business until 1893.[1]

Orthwein founded the William D. Orthwein Grain Company in 1893.[1] It was "the oldest grain firm in St. Louis."[1] He hired his son Frederick to work with him until 1900, when he retired.[1]

Orthwein also served as the president of the St. Louis Victoria Flour Mills.[1] He served as the Vice President of the Manufacturers Railway Company, while Adolphus Busch served as its president.[4] He served on the Boards of Directors of the Mississippi Valley Trust Company, the Kinloch Telephone Company,[1] and the St. Louis Merchants Exchange. He was a member of the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce.[1]

Personal life

Orthwein married Emily H. Thuemmler on June 9, 1870.[1][5] Around 1900, they built the Orthwein Mansion at 15 Portland Place in St. Louis and lived there for a quarter-century.[5]

The Othwein Mansion in St. Louis, Missouri.

Orthwein was a member of the Log Cabin Club and the Union Club, two private members' clubs in St. Louis, Missouri.[1] He donated to the Mullanphy Emigrant Relief Fund.[1]

Death

Orthwein died in 1925,[6] leaving an estate of about US$2 million (about $34,700,000 today[7]).[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Stevens, Walter Barlow (1921). Centennial history of Missouri (the center state) one hundred years in the Union, 1820–1921. Vol. 5. St. Louis & Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company. pp. 758–761. OCLC 1577514.
  2. ^ Yale University. Class of 1903 (1906). War Record and Record of Quindecennial Reunion. Yale University. p. 213. Retrieved 6 October 2015.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ a b c Fisher, Linda A. (2007). The Whiskey Merchant's Diary: An Urban Life in the Emerging Midwest. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press. p. xxix. ISBN 9780821417454. OCLC 76074264.
  4. ^ "Busch to Tunnel Under the River. Manufacturers' Railway Plans $3,000,000 Route Through the Mississippi for New Terminal System. New Gulf Road for City. Kansas City Southern to Enter St. Louis--Bush Making War on Iron Mountain--St. Paul's Activity". Alton Evening Telegraph. Alton, Illinois. January 20, 1906. p. 3. Retrieved October 8, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ a b Hunter, Julius K.; Pettus, Robert C.; Lujan, Leonard (1988). Westmoreland and Portland Places: The History and Architecture of America's Premier Private Streets, 1888–1988. University of Missouri Press. pp. 53–. ISBN 978-0-8262-0677-0. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Other Counties". Warrenton Banner. Warrenton, Missouri. September 25, 1925. p. 2. Retrieved October 7, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.