rickerta  
 
 

Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington",  published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.


     ALLEN O. RICKERT is the proprietor of the only first class hotel in Lind, Washington.  Born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, July 21, 1861, he was the son of Josiah and Eliza (Bitting) Rickert, natives of Pennsylvania, in which state the mother died when Allen was a lad of eight years, and where the father is still living.  Mrs. Arminta Scholl, Frank and the subject of this sketch are the only surviving members of the family originally comprising five children; the other two, Charles and Thomas, being dead.
     Mr. Rickert's father is a carpenter by trade, and has followed that business all his life.  He is descended from an old and wealthy Holland family, his mother's father being John Eckert, a noted Holland physician, who came to America and fought under General Washington during the Revolutionary War.  He died in Berks county, Pennsylvania, leaving a large fortune in Holland.  Mrs. Rickert's father was for a number of years engaged in the tailoring business at Reading, Pennsylvania, and later removed to Emans, in the same state, where he died in 1877.
     The first thirteen years of Mr. Rickert's life were spent at the place of his birth, where he attended school.  At this age he entered an iron works where he labored three years, when he took up railroad work.  He was thus engaged in his native state until arriving at the age of nineteen, when he went to Ohio in the employ of a railroad in which he remained until starting for the West in 1884.  He came as far as Montana, where he was engaged in mining and in the sawmill business, and from that state he came to Idaho, then on to Oaksdale, Washington, in 1892.  Here he was engaged for one year in the hotel business.  He was thus engaged, after leaving Oaksdale, in Montana, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, at Spokane, Cheney, and Ritzville until 1903, when he came to Lind and purchased the Lind hotel which he at once proceeded to fit up in first class condition.  His house has the reputation, especially among traveling men, of being one of the finest and most ably managed hostelries in the Big Bend.  Besides the hotel, Mr. Rickert owns city property in Ritzville and a farm in Douglas county.
     In 1890 Mr. Rickert was married to Flora Jahn, daughter of Joseph and Johanna (Preuszler) Jahn, natives of Austria, who came to America in 1857.  The parents now live at Alma, Wisconsin, and have been parents of six children, of whom only three are living; Emma, married to Joseph Hoefling; Julia, married to J. C. Hammond; and Mrs. Rickert.  Mrs. Rickert is an able assistant and partner to her husband in his business, and is regarded as being an exceptionally competent and successful hostess.  Her father served eleven years in the Austrian army, and when retired was a field marshal.  He also taught school a number of years in his native country.  Mr. and Mrs. Rickert have one child, Edward W.
     In matters of politics, Mr. Rickert is a Democrat, and at the hands of his party has held office both in this state and Montana.  He has always been an active party worker.  He is at the present writing a member of his city council, to which position he was appointed to fill a vacancy.
     Socially, he is a member of the K. of P. order, and has been a member of the Odd Fellows, from which society he had taken a withdrawal card.  Mrs. Rickert is a member of the Rebekahs, and both are affiliated with the Lutheran Church.
 
 

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