Shep's Place Family Tree

The information was given by Lem to the Clerk, R.E. Mitchell.

On the Minister's Return or Endorsement: I, J.S. Thornberg, a Minister of the Gospel of the Methodist Episcopal Church do certify, that on the 19th day of October 1913, at Mason City in Mason County, State of West Virginia, I united in Marriage the above named and described parties, under authority of the foregoing License.

1930: Lem and Maggie owned their home, which was worth $2,000. Lem was then 39 and Magdalene 40. The children were Paul, 14, Lila, 8, and Harry, 6. Lem's father William E. Ruttencutter, 71, was either visiting or living with them because he is included in their household.

Mason Again Has Orchard
by Gloria Cross, Messenger Staff Writer
MASON-- Mason County's early 20th century heritage as part of a highly productive fruit belt is being kept alive by one of her native sons, Bill Camp.
Some of what is now pasture or fallow land along Route 33 from West Columbia to Longdale once produced one of the largest crops of peaches and apples in West Virginia. That was some 40 to 50 years ago.

Today, the only remaining evidence of that era is a stand of old peach trees called the Mason Orchard. Camp, a power plant employe recovering from a serious back injury, is restoring the orchard and hoping to make it productive again.

From 1917 until two years ago the only trade Lem Ruttencutter knew was that of a fruit grower.

Anyone in Mason County will associate the name Ruttencutter with orchards, and with good reason. Lem, now an octogenarian, was owner and operator of the Mason orchard until two years ago when he suffered a heart attack and could no longer meet what was demanded of him. For 52 years fruit growing was his livlihood; his source of income.

This spring could mark a turning point for the pair. Although Camp's line of work is a far cry from agriculture and tree farming, he was coached and assisted by Ruttencutter in setting 700 new peach trees on the hillsides in Mason.....
At one time the Mason Orchard brought thousands of dollars after fall harvest, but only a $1,500 crop could be gathered at the best last year. Once the hillsides were fragrant with bloom of 5,000 apple and peach trees. They could even be seen from the Ohio side of the river in Pomeroy. Camp estimated that now only about 400 trees survive to bear this year.

Ruttencutter was associated with all four main orchards in the fruit belt. There were also fruit trees at Hartford, New Haven and Longdale, all of which have been cut at least 10 years ago.

The few trees at Mason, weakened by 30 years of aging, are the only survivors of the four orchards....

Alfred and Freemond Gold headed corporations who owned the orchards and two nurseries located at Graham Station and Clifton. Nearly 150,000 bushels of apples and peaches were harvested each year from the 600 acres of trees; enough to fill 50 train car loads. The Kroger Co. was the biggest buyer of the goods and by train the previous Mason County cargo was shipped to all parts of West Virginia and Ohio.

Before the invasion of industry in the 1950's, labor was easily obtained when harvest time rolled around and Ruttencutter said that sometimes as many as 275 or 300 workers picked, packed and sorted the fruit; working 10 hours a day for the large sum of 15 cents an hour.

Following the arrival of the power plant, steel mill and other satellite industries to the flat lands along the river, the orchards were neglected....

Ruttencutter, born and reared in Mason County, attributed his interest in the fruit business to the fact that he married a daughter of Alfred Gold. The Gold Brothers were early orchard owners. Mrs. Magdalene Gold Ruttencutter is now deceased.

Before his marriage ‎(and few people are aware of this)‎ Lem was a professional baseball player for Lancaster. For five years he excelled in the playing field immediately following his high school graduation, but settled to fruit growing when he married....

Date of Birth April 3, 1891
Date of Death July 27, 1972
Date and Hour of Services Saturday, July 29, 1972--1:30 pm
Place of Services Foglesong Funeral Home Mason W.Va.
Clergyman Officiating Rev. Clarence McCloud
Place of Interment New Lone Oak Cemetery Pt. Pleasant, W.Va.