MEET THE FOUNDERS
Robert Bruce Ricketts (1839-1918) On April 29, 1839, Robert Bruce Ricketts was born near Orangeville, Columbia County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Elijah and Marjorie Lockhart Ricketts. His grandfather, Edward Ricketts, was a veteran of the Revolutionary War, serving as a Lieutenant in the Pennsylvania Militia. Having been educated at Wyoming Seminary, Ricketts was studying law in Wilkes-Barre and preparing for Yale when the Civil War broke out in 1861. In June, 1861, he enlisted in Battery F, 1 Pennsylvania Artillery (43 Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers) for three years. By August, 1861, Ricketts has been commissioned First Lieutenant. st rd Originally attached to the 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac, Battery F was transferred to the 1st Corps in early 1862, and Lieutenant Ricketts was named commander. Thereafter, Battery F would be known as “Ricketts Battery.” Small in stature, Lieutenant Ricketts was known by the nickname “Runt Ricketts.”
Promoted to Captain in May, 1863, he led Battery F and a two gun section of Battery G into the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863. A part of the Reserve Artillery Corps under Chief of Artillery, Brigadier General Henry Hunt, combined Battery F & G was posted to East Cemetery Hill in relief of Cooper’s Battery B about 4 PM on July 2. In this position east of the Baltimore Pike, the Battery was attacked by the Louisiana Tigers of Brigadier General Harry Hays Confederate Brigade around 7 PM. With its infantry support and Weidrich’s New York Battery on his left overrun, Ricketts men fought the charging Tigers in hand to hand combat until relieves by the counterattack of Colonel Samuel Carrol’s 2 Corps Brigade. The stubborn defense of East Cemetery Hill by Battery F & G until relief arrived prevented the Confederates from capturing the Baltimore Pike and splitting the Federal line in two. nd Mustered out of service as colonel and commander of the First Pennsylvania Artillery June 5, 1865, Ricketts returned to Wilkes-Barre where on October 1, 1868 he married Elizabeth Reynolds, daughter of William C. Reynolds, an early coal operator in the Wyoming Valley. They resided in half of a double house on South River Street (now Rifkin Hall of Wilkes University). Having inherited large tracts of timber land from his father, Colonel Ricketts continued to amass large holdings leading to the successful timber business he established and operated until his death. Part of these large holdings have evolved into the State Park bearing the Ricketts name today. During his tenure of ownership, he converted an old stone stagecoach stop at Lake Ganoga on the Tioga Turnpike at North Mountain into a summer residence. After celebrating his 50 wedding anniversary at their beloved Ganoga on October 1, 1918, Robert Bruce Ricketts unexpectedly died on November 13. Stricken with grief, Elizabeth Ricketts returned to Wilkes-Barre where she died on November 19, 1918. Colonel and Mrs. Ricketts were buried in a private family cemetery at the Ganoga estate. th Colonel Ricketts was active in veterans affairs with Conyngham Post Grand Army of the Republic and the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States as well as the Pennsylvania Gettsburg Military Commission. A member of the Wyoming Historical & Geological Society, Robert Bruce Ricketts was the first vice-president of the Board of the Westmoreland Club.
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