The Anaconda Standard, Sunday Morning, June 19, 1892. Butte, Montana
The Proprietor of the Board of Trade Gambling House Cashes In
Butte, June 18. – William, or as he was better known “Billy,” Fritz, proprietor of the Board of Trade saloon and gambling house, died suddenly in his home, No. 19 East Porphyry street, at an early hour this morning from hemorrhage of the lungs. He was taken sick about 11 o’clock Thursday night. The funeral will take place from his late residence at 3 o’clock tomorrow afternoon.
Mr. Fritz had resided in Butte for about 18 years and was one of the best known men in the camp. He was familiar with all its early history and was well acquainted with many of the stirring scenes which were enacted here in the early days. He formerly worked for H. G. Valiton about 12 years ago when the latter was running a livery stable on West Park where the Maule block now stands. He worked there for two years and was foreman of the stable for about a year after it was removed to the corner of Park and Main. When the stable was sold to Owsley & Carr he quit and in 1882 he opened the Board of Trade saloon and gambling house. Up to that time, it is said by his friends, he had never taken a drink in his life. It is also said that he never gambled himself or played a game of cards. The Board of Trade was a profitable investment and he accumulated wealth at a rate which soon made him independent. He was always very reticent about his monetary affairs and never told anyone how much he was worth, but it is thought that he left property and money to the value of nearly $75,000. It is not known that he left any will and the property will probably all revert to the widow and two children who survive him.
This was the obituary of the original William Fritz, my great-grandfather. According to his marriage license he was from Williamsburg, NY, where he was born in December 1849. Williamsburg was a German section of what is now Brooklyn, NY. He would have been 43 years old at his next birthday.
According to this obituary he came to Butte, Montana in about 1880, at which time he was about 29 years old. I have no information as to what he did in the years between 1849 and 1880. If anyone reading this blog has any information at all about his early life I would appreciate it if you would put it in a comment so it can be shared with the rest of us.
RIP, Grandpa Billy
Henry Wellge, Perspective Map of Butte City, Mont. County Seat of Silver Bow County. 1890. Milwaukee, 1890.
The next William, William Hampton, was a saddler in the 14th Cavalry, C troop, and trained in Ft. Walla Walla Washington. His dress blue uniform was passed to Edmond Fritz in 1970. I have made a donation of this uniform and a picture of Grandpa posed on horseback with a pyramid of five other soldiers to the Ft. Walla Walla Museum for their permenant collection. They have only one other uniform of this vintage in their collection.
Did you keep a copy of the picture of him in uniform?
I have a scan of the picture, as do both my brother Bill, and Jack. I seem to recall some other pictures of Grandpa, maybe during his tour in the Philippines, when we gathered for your Dad’s 90th birthday at Lois and Tom’s house. Maybe Ruth had those pictures. The museum was overjoyed with this donation, and these articles are retrievable in the future. I thought it the safest way to preserve these items. Perhaps next year around the reunion folks might want to venture to Walla Walla to see this museum.
Ed- A scanned copy would be great. I could post it on the blog along with Grandpa’s discharge papers, which I just discovered among my Dad’s effects. You might want to know that his marksmanship was listed as 2d class in 1908 and 3d class in 1909 but his horsemanship was excellent.