Orrin Henry Ingram

Orrin Henry Ingram (May 13, 1830 – October 16, 1918) was an American lumber baron and philanthropist from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Orphaned at age 11, he established sawmills in Ontario, Canada, and the Chippewa Valley of Wisconsin. He was a banker and philanthropist in Eau Claire.

Early life Ingram was born on May 13, 1830, in Westfield, Massachusetts. His paternal grandfather, David Ingram, had immigrated from Leeds, England, in 1780. He grew up in Saratoga, New York, and he was orphaned at eleven, as his father died in 1841. Their systematic deforestation led to the establishment of new towns across the valley. Meanwhile, the lumber yard in Wabasha became the Wabasha Lumber Company and the one in Dubuque became known as the Standard Lumber Company. Additionally, he was an early investor in Friedrich Weyerhäuser's timber investments, later known as the Weyerhaeuser corporation.

Ingram published his autobiography.

Philanthropy Ingram was an active philanthropist in Eau Claire, where he was a member of YMCA locally and paid for the construction of its headquarters. Its foundation stone was laid by President William Howard Taft, when he was joined by Senator Robert M. La Follette and Congressman John J. Esch.

After he was widowed, Ingram established the Cornelia Pierce Ingram Memorial Community House in honor of his wife. He was buried at the Lake View Cemetery in Eau Claire.

Secondary source Charles Twining. Downriver: Orrin H. Ingram and the Empire Lumber Company. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Historical Society. 1975.