Early Settlers

Rittman's history enriches its attraction; where industries come to flourish and families come to settle. Rittman is the only place in the United States named Rittman. The first settlers, in what now is Rittman, were William Doyle and John Coleman who took title to land on July 23, 1814. Records indicate that eight families purchased land in the northeastern part of newly formed Wayne County within a month of their neighbors. It is likely they traveled the same trails and arrived close together. These families sold portions of their land to others, and within a year other families were clearing trees, planting crops; thus begins the history of Rittman, Ohio.

William Doyle first settled the Rittman area in 1815, through a presidential land grant. Martin and Sarah Fritz and their infant son, Adam, were other early settlers. Sadly, Sarah Fritz and Adam were the first settlers to be buried in the Rittman Cemetery. Land for the cemetery had been donated by Doyle, and a school and non-denominational church were built nearby. Another church, built close to the cemetery, acquired the name of Knupp's Old Church (because the road to it ran across Jacob Knupp's farm). The restored church, located off DeCourcey Road, still stands today as a stately reminder of the area's history; it is maintained by the Rittman Historical

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