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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.
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