William Tritt, of Poygan township, Winnebago county, Wisconsin, was born in Newville, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, on June 15, 1819, son of Christian Tritt, who was a native of Germany.

William moved to Trumble county, Ohio, in 1822, from Pennsylvania, and in 1850, being attracted by the immigration to Wisconsin, he, in company with his brother-in-law, Euclid Hubbard, came to Poygan township, where for $200 he purchased from George Rossin his squatter's right to the farm, which is still owned by him and at present occupied by his son-in-law, George Wilkinson. He made his home on his original purchase until 1904, since which time he has resided on an adjoining farm which he owns.

Mr. Tritt owned at one time 590 acres of land, but has divided part of it between his children, and now has 310 acres in his own name. He carries on general farming and dairying, at which he has been very successful during his long and useful life, and is widely known for his thrift and ambition as a financier and home builder. He has also served his country faithfully as a soldier in the Civil War. He enlisted in 1862 in the Twenty-first Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, Company F, under Colonel Sweet, and was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland, first going to Cincinnati, Ohio, to intercept Kirby Smith, whose army was threatening to invade the city at that time, and from then on he saw some busy times in the numerous battles that were fought by his command. Among the battles in which he participated were Perryville, Hoover's Gap, Nashville, Murfreesboro and Chattanooga, being taken prisoner at the latter place and confined in the prisons of Richmond, Andersonville, Florence and Gouldsborough for seventeen months, being one of the few who survived the terrible treatment and starvation to which they were subjected. His remarkable constitution, however, served him well in this hour of peril, and when rescued he was sent to St. Louis, where he remained in the hospital for some time. He was transferred from there to Benton Barracks, and then to the Marine Hospital, where he was honorably discharged from the service on June 14, 1865. Thus Mr. Tritt's life has been a busy and eventful one of four score years and eight, and at the present writing (1908) is hale and hearty and enjoying good health. He takes a keen interest in current events, and in his younger days held many local offices of trust.

Mr. Tritt was married July 2, 1842, to Miss Julissa Hubbard, sister of Euclid Hubbard. The children of this marriage were: Zenas C., lives in Kansas; Frederica, deceased; William Lloyd is a farmer in Poygan township; Ida, now Mrs. Adelbert Safford, widow; Euclid H. lives in Omro; Adelia, now Mrs. Gibbs; Allie, now Mrs. Dexter Luce, of Oshkosh and Elina, now Mrs. Patrick Flannagan, of Poygan township.

Of the second marriage the children were: Hiram, a farmer in Poygan township and Florence, now Mrs. George Wilkinson, lives on the old homestead.