David Rettiger Building, Strong City, KS
The now seemingly abandoned David Rettiger Building, Strong City, Kansas. This building dates from 1886. David Rettiger, a prominent business man and an influential citizen of Strong City, was born in Germany on Nov. 9, 1849, the son of Nicholas Rettiger, who brought his family to America in 1853, and to Kansas in 1873. Nicholas Rettiger died in 1886. David Rettiger acquired large tracts of land in Chase County, Kansas, on which were found valuable deposits of building stone. He invented a stone cutting machine and engaged in stone contracting on a large scale. He built many of the stone buildings in Cottonwood Falls, Strong City, and numerous other Kansas towns, and among his largest contracts were those for furnishing building stone for the Santa Fe Railway Company. In 1886 David Rettiger and Rose L. Harvey were united in marriage. Rose was born in Scotland in 1869, and came to America early in her life, with her parents—Hugh Harvey and his wife—wo eventually came to Strong City, where Mr. Harvey was a successful druggist and businessman. The Rettingers had four children: Hubert E., Charles D., Ervin J., and Esther Mary. Upon the death of Mr. Rettiger on Sept. 22, 1899, Mrs. Rettiger assumed the management of his large estate..
David Rettiger Building, Strong City, KS
The now seemingly abandoned David Rettiger Building, Strong City, Kansas. This building dates from 1886. David Rettiger, a prominent business man and an influential citizen of Strong City, was born in Germany on Nov. 9, 1849, the son of Nicholas Rettiger, who brought his family to America in 1853, and to Kansas in 1873. Nicholas Rettiger died in 1886. David Rettiger acquired large tracts of land in Chase County, Kansas, on which were found valuable deposits of building stone. He invented a stone cutting machine and engaged in stone contracting on a large scale. He built many of the stone buildings in Cottonwood Falls, Strong City, and numerous other Kansas towns, and among his largest contracts were those for furnishing building stone for the Santa Fe Railway Company. In 1886 David Rettiger and Rose L. Harvey were united in marriage. Rose was born in Scotland in 1869, and came to America early in her life, with her parents—Hugh Harvey and his wife—wo eventually came to Strong City, where Mr. Harvey was a successful druggist and businessman. The Rettingers had four children: Hubert E., Charles D., Ervin J., and Esther Mary. Upon the death of Mr. Rettiger on Sept. 22, 1899, Mrs. Rettiger assumed the management of his large estate..