Nathan Harvey — Credit: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain
In the early morning hours of June 9, 1911, four members of the Hill family were killed with an axe in their cottage in Ardenwald, Oregon, then a rural community south of Portland. The victims were William Hill, his wife Ruth (née Cowing), and Ruth's two children from a previous marriage, Philip Rintoul, age 8, and Dorothy Rintoul, age 5. The family had moved into the home, which William had built himself, in early May 1911. The bodies were discovered around 8:00 a.m. on June 9 by a neighbor, Mrs. C. W. Matthews, after her husband noticed William had not left for his usual commute to his job at the Portland Natural Gas Company. Investigators estimated the murders occurred around 12:45 a.m., based on a stopped clock and a neighbor's report of dogs barking. William was killed first, followed by Ruth, then Philip, with Dorothy killed last. Both female victims had been sexually assaulted, leading Clackamas County Sheriff Ernest Mass to believe the killings were sexually motivated rather than committed for robbery, since valuables including money were left at the scene, though some jewelry was missing. The axe used in the murders had been stolen from a neighboring property and was left at the scene, and windows in the home had been covered with cloth and clothing.
Several suspects were investigated. Edward Ramsey, a vagrant found near the scene on the morning the bodies were discovered, was initially suspected but ultimately cleared. Nathan Harvey, a 55-year-old nursery owner and neighbor of the Hills who had been in a land dispute with William Hill, was charged with all four murders on December 20, 1911. Harvey had prior loose connections to other violent deaths within his family and a murder that occurred decades earlier on his property. Sheriff Mass stated he had evidence placing Harvey near Ardenwald on the night of the murders via witnesses who saw him disembark from a train. Despite this, Harvey had substantial community support, with mass meetings and hundreds of signatures gathered calling for the charges to be dropped. The charges against Harvey were dropped on December 27, 1911, and in February 1912 a Clackamas County judge formally closed the investigation into him.
In 1917, William Riggin, while confessing to an unrelated killing, claimed to have participated in or witnessed the Hill murders, but he gave two significantly differing accounts naming different alleged accomplices, and his statements contained inconsistencies regarding the crime scene and other details.
The case has been described by historians as among the most brutal in Oregon's history and has remained a topic of local historical interest. No one has ever been convicted in connection with the murders, and the case remains officially unsolved.
Dorothy Rintoul, William Hill, Philip Rintoul, Ruth Hill
Date
1911
Location
Ardenwald, Oregon (now part of Milwaukie/Portland area), United States
Case status
unsolved
Case timeline
1911-06
William Hill, his wife Ruth, and her children Philip and Dorothy Rintoul move into a newly built cottage in Ardenwald, Oregon.
1911-06-08
Ruth Hill visits her brother and father's law offices in Portland, appearing 'disturbed about something' she did not disclose.
1911-06-09
William, Ruth, Philip, and Dorothy Hill are bludgeoned to death with an axe in their home in Ardenwald, Oregon; bodies discovered around 8:00 a.m. by a neighbor.
1911-12-20
Nathan Harvey, a neighboring landowner, is charged with the murders of all four victims.
1911-12-23
A mass meeting is held in Milwaukie in support of Nathan Harvey.
1911-12-26
A mass meeting is held in Sellwood in support of Nathan Harvey, with over 500 signatures gathered calling for charges to be dropped.
1911-12-27
Charges against Nathan Harvey are dropped pending further investigation; he is released during a preliminary hearing.
1912-02
A Clackamas County judge formally closes further investigation into Nathan Harvey.
1917-05
William Riggin, while confessing to the shooting of William Booth in Willamina, claims to have witnessed or participated in the Hill murders.
1917-07-21
Riggin gives a formal statement with a differing account of his alleged role in the Hill murders, naming Edward Ramsey as an accomplice.
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People
Ernest Mass
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Clackamas County Sheriff who led the investigation into the Hill murders.
Dorothy Rintoul
VICTIM
Five-year-old child killed and sexually assaulted in the June 9, 1911 axe murders.
William Hill
VICTIM
Killed in the June 9, 1911 axe murders in Ardenwald, Oregon.
Philip Rintoul
VICTIM
Eight-year-old child killed in the June 9, 1911 axe murders.
Edward Ramsey
CHARGED
Vagrant arrested near the crime scene and initially considered a suspect; ultimately cleared of suspicion.
William Riggin
CHARGED
In 1917 confessed to an unrelated killing and claimed involvement in or witnessing of the Hill murders, giving inconsistent accounts.
Nathan Harvey
CHARGED
Charged on December 20, 1911 with all four murders; charges dropped December 27, 1911, and investigation into him formally closed in February 1912.
Ruth Hill
VICTIM
Killed and sexually assaulted in the June 9, 1911 axe murders.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Archival records
newspaper
Nathan Harvey
Credit: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · Source
mugshot
William Riggin
Credit: Thacher, George A. · Public domain · Source
In the early morning of June 9, 1911, William Hill, his wife Ruth, and her two children, Philip and Dorothy Rintoul, were bludgeoned to death with an axe in their home in Ardenwald, Oregon. The case remains unsolved despite the charging and later release of a suspect and a later inconsistent confession.
Where did the murders happen?
Ardenwald, Oregon (now part of Milwaukie/Portland area), United States.
