William Durkin Ringo
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune, Wednesday, 23 January 1884, page 7
William Durkin Ringo, the well known old pioneer and citizen of Newport, passed to his last rest yesterday morning, of dropsy. He was in his seventy-second year. There was no more familiar character in Newport, nor one more generally liked by those who knew him here and elsewhere. Ringo was born on the 1stof July 1812, within a short distance of Maysville, Mason county. He was sent to the academy at Augusta Ky. where he went through the usual course and graduated with distinction.
He was for some time in the employment of his uncle John Tinker as a hatter. Later he came to Cincinnati and went into the steamboat cabinet building business with Mr. Shipley, with whom he learned the trade. Later, he was with Morton & Johnson and was the first journeyman they ever had. After a trip to New Orleans, he went up the Red River to Monroe and was for some time engaged in building houses and cotton gins. He went to Texas and joining the Patriot Army in that place bore a full snare in the struggle for the independence of that state. He remained in Texas a long time after the war and was a resident for twelve years.
In 1846 he reached Cincinnati, took up his home with his mother, then residing with her brother, William Koran. The latter dying in 1849 with cholera, his splendid estate amassed in his business as wholesale grocery, was divided between his two surviving sisters, Mrs. Ringo and Mrs. Tinker. Ringo purchased a lot on Front street in Newport for his mother and erected a house. His mother dying in 1865, left him her whole fortune.
His kind hearted disposition showed itself in the adoption of six little orphan children, whom he named and cared for as his own. These are Calvin W, aged nine years; William W, aged six; Charles Wesley, aged seven; Annie M, aged six; Maud Pearl, aged six; and Mattie Lee, aged three.
It is estimated his fortune is about $200,000 and in his will he left his entire estate to the orphan children. His funeral will take place tomorrow from his residence on Front street. The remains will be buried in the family lot at Spring Grove Cemetery.
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Cincinnati Enquirer, Wednesday, 23 January 1884, page 8
William Durken Ringo, Esq. died yesterday morning at five o'clock
at his home on Front street in Newport Ky. The immediate cause of his
death was dropsy from which he has been suffering more or less, for the past
seven or eight years.
The deceased was born in Mason County on the site of the present town of Maysville, on the 1st day of July 1812. He received a college education at the college at Augusta Ky. After he had completed his studies he returned home and worked for his uncle, William Tinker, in the business. He then came to Cincinnati in the year 1821 and learned the carpenter trade with a Mr. Shipley. After he had completed his trade he worked for Dan Morten as a steamboat joiner in Cincinnati, for a number of years.
He then left Cincinnati and went up Red River as far as Monroe, where he built several houses and a cotton gin. He ten went to Texas where he joined the Army and remained in the service for twelve years. His father was married to a Miss Koran, daughter of a wealthy grocer of Cincinnati who was the father of two children.
In the year 1849 Mr. Koran died from cholera and his vast estate was left to his two children. When his mother came into the final possession of the estate Mr. Ringo retired from active life and built a house on Front street in Newport and he has been a resident ever since. He was never married and his estate is valued at $200,000.
During his life he adopted six children by a regular process of the Courts and made them his heirs at law. One of the children was left on his doorstep by a cruel and heartless mother. The names of the children are Calvin W Ringo, Wm W Ringo, Charles W Ringo, Anna Ringo, Maud Pearl Ringo and Mattie Ringo. The eldest child is only nine years of age and the youngest three years of age. During his long residence in Newport he has been so afflicted as to make it uncomfortable and inconvenient to travel and he has only made one trip to Chicago and on to Big Bone Springs. He was a firm believer in spirits and often attended private sittings and public exhibitions but entertained a poor opinion of preachers.
He was of a peculiar dispositions and did not appreciate the idea of being away from his own home, which he had supplied with all the comforts to suit his judicious taste.
His funeral will take place Thursday morning from his late home on Front street and the following gentlemen have been chosen as pallbearers: Hon A S Berry, Colonel Thomas L Jones, Colonel Gus Artsman, Colonel Sttickland, A J Mullane and Mr. Peele. The remains will be interred at Spring Grove Cemetery. He was of a charitable disposition and was a free giver to the needy on all occasions, but his gifts and deeds of charity were not published to the world. A post mortem examination was held yesterday by Dr. Phythian.
Mr. Ringo left a will, the contents of which are not yet known. In addition to his estate in this city he owned several houses in Cincinnati.