Christopher Fritchman, who is president of the Finleyville Planing Mill Company and president of the Finleyville Floral Company, is also extensively engaged in the production of coal, gas and oil, and has been prominently identified with various other enterprises of this locality. He was born February 26, 1850, on a farm in Sewickley Township, Westmoreland County, Pa., a son of David and Rosanna (Weaver) Fritchman.
The Fritchman family was founded in this country by John Fritchman, who spelled his name Frietzman, who, with his two brothers, Adam and Michael, came here from Germany, where they were born and reared, and located in Westmoreland County, Pa. Adam and Michael Frietzman were millers and distillers, and they became the owners of a large tract of land in Westmoreland County, and laid out a private cemetery at Sistersville, Pa., where the three brothers were subsequently buried. John Frietzman, grandfather of our subject, located at Pittsburg, where during the remainder of his life he ran a hotel, which was destroyed by fire in 1845. He also operated a lime kiln and burned all the lime used in constructing the western Pennsylvania Penitentiary. He was first united in marriage with Barbara Walthour, a native of Germany, and to them were born six children, namely; John; David; Michael; Christopher; Polly, who married Mr. Riddle; Eliza, who was the wife of Mr. Wentling, all of whom lived to an advanced age with the exception of Christopher, who died in early manhood. After the death of Mrs. Fritchman, who was buried at Turtle Creek, John married a Mrs. Gephart, a widow, who outlived him many years.
David Fritchman, father of our subject, was born in 1797 in Pittsburg, where he was reared, but later located on a farm in Westmoreland County, Pa., which he inherited from his uncles. Here he followed farming all his life and died here in 1869, and in 1872 the old farm was sold by his heirs to the Western Pennsylvania Coal Company at $535 an acre, the proceeds from same being used by the heirs in purchasing the old Campbell farm at Finleyville from E. VanVoorhis. David Fritchman married Rosanna Weaver, who was born in Cumberland County, Pa., and died in Washington County, Pa., in 1888, and of their union were born nine children: Irvin W., who died and was buried at Andersonville Prison, Ga., where he was held a prisoner of war for thirteen months, first enlisted in 1861 in the 14th Pa. Vol. Inf., and served as quartermaster under Gen. Patterson in the first Battle of Bull Run, and re-enlisted in Co. H, 18th Pa. Cav., was made sergeant and taken prisoner July 5, after the battle of Gettysburg; William P., who is a resident of West Newton, Pa., is a veteran of the Civil War. He served with Co. E, 105th Pa. Vol. Inf., was taken prisoner at the battle of Fair Oaks, and confined at Libby Prison, Belle Isle and Salisbury, where he was paroled; Francis Marion, now a resident of Denver, Col., served a full term in the Civil War, a member of the 155th Pa. Vol. Inf.; Jane, who died at the age of sixteen years; Almira, who is a resident of Finleyville, Pa.; Oliver, who resides in Jefferson County, Pa.; Isabelle, who is the wife of John Boyd, of Finleyville; Christopher, and Lucetta, who is the wife of Nelson Boyd, postmaster of Finleyville.
Christopher Fritchman was reared on the farm in Sewickley Township, Westmoreland County, attended the township schools and Mt. Union College, Ohio, and at the age of sixteen went to Missouri, where he worked in a sawmill for his brother and cousin. The following year, after the death of his father, he returned to the farm for a time, then went to Virginia, where he followed bridge building for a time, after which he spent one year working on the McConnelsville railroad. He then entered Mt. Union College, where he attended three years, when he was obliged to abandon his studies on account of ill health, and entered into active business for himself along several different lines, and in 1875 located on his present farm of 190 acres at Finleyville, but continued to carry on his business in Fayette County, until about 1885, after which he made Finleyville his permanent home and opened the Germania Coal Mines on his farm, operating same in partnership with Henry Florscheim and Jacob Lagler. In 1895 he sold the mines to Henry Florscheim and opened the Rowgalley Mine at Finleyville, which he operated until 1898, then disposed of it to the Pittsburg Coal Company and has since been identified with the Finleyville Planing Mill Company, of which he is president. Mr. Fritchman is a stockholder and was one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Finleyville, and served as the first vice-president of that concern. In 1906 the Finleyville Floral Company was established with Christopher Fritchman, president; A. T. Lynn, secretary and treasurer; E. W. Garland, manager. Mr. Fritchman is also extensively engaged in the production of caol, gas and oil, and owns considerable real estate at Finleyville, including a number of dwellings, and the tract of ninety acres on which he makes his home. He is one of the progressive and enterprising citizens of Washington County, and had traveled extensively over the United States and Canada. In politics he takes an active interest in the affairs of the Republican party, and is fraternally affiliated with the Masonic order of Greensburg, Pa.
Source: 20th Century History of the city of Washington and Washington County Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens, by John McFarland. Published by Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., F. J. Richmond, Pres.; C. R. Arnold, Sec’y and Treas.; Chicago, Illinois, 1910. (Page 955)