Historica Wiki
Advertisement
William G

William Gillett Ritch (4 May 1830-14 September 1904) was the Republican Governor of the New Mexico Territory from 3 June to 30 July 1875, succeeding Marsh Giddings and preceding Samuel Beach Axtell.

Biography[]

William Gillett Ritch was born in Ulster County, New York in 1830, and he served as county clerk and clerk of the board of supervisors before settling in Hudson, Michigan in 1855 and then moving to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He served as clerk of the Winnebago County circuit court from 1861 to 1865, as a Union Army lieutenant during the American Civil War, in the State Senate from 1868 to 1869, as a Republican presidential elector in 1868, as owner of the Neenah Times newspaper in Neenah in 1869 (backed by Congressman Philetus Sawyer), as Secretary of the New Mexico Territory from 1873 to 1886 and as acting Governor in 1875, and as a cattle ranch operator in Engle, Sierra County until his death in 1904.

Advertisement