The Richardson Families of Story County, Iowa

Robert Richardson, farmer and stock-raiser, Elwell, Iowa. Story County is acknowledged by all to be one of the best agricultural portions of the State, and as such its citizens are men of advanced ideas and considerable prominence. A worthy man among this class is found in the person of Mr. Richardson, who was born in Vermont on July 31, 1827, and is the second of twelve children, only four of whom are now living: John (is engaged in farming in Custer County, Neb., and was married to Miss Eliza Duudas), Harvey, is an agriculturist of Cambridge, Iowa, and was married to Miss Margaret Eggleson), Levi (is a farmer and stock-raiser of Nebraska, and was married to Miss Emma Armstrong). Four of those deceased were between the ages of twenty-four and thirty-eight years. The father and mother were natives of Vermont, and both are now deceased. Robert Richardson obtained his early education in the old subscription schools of Ohio, and commenced life for himself at the age of twenty-two years. He was married on November 11, 1854, to Miss Mary E. Armstrong, a native of Illinois, born in 1836, and to this union were born ten

Tv* children — five sons and five daughters: Alice (died at the age of twenty-two years, was the wife of Charles Tillotson ), Ella ( married Smith Payne, a merchant, and resides in Elwell, Iowa), Frank B. (resides in Story County, and is the husband of Miss Jane Gamble), Hattie (married Ned Perry, a merchant of Indianola, Iowa, where she now resides), William (single and is a merchant of Elwell, Iowa), Edgar G. (who died at the age of twenty-one years, three months and twenty-one days, while on his way to college; he was a very bright and intelligent young man, and would have taken a finished course of education had he been spared), Charles R. (is a farmer and stock-raiser and resides on the homestead), Bessie (resides at home, and is fitting herself for a school teacher), Erne (is attending the home school), and Vevie (is the baby of the house). Mr. Richardson has always been a stalwart Republican, and his first presidential vote was cast for John P. Hale, of the old Abolition party. He has been justice of the peace of this township about six years, and has held the position of school director for a number of years. He and wife are members of the Evangelical Church, and he has been active in Sunday-school work for thirty-five years, a record of which Mr. Richardson may well be proud. He and wife emigrated direct from Rock Island County, Ill., to Story County in 1861, and settled on their present homestead, where they have witnessed the rapid development of the country. Mr. Richardson is the owner of 1,170 acres of well-improved land, and is the largest real estate owner in the township, if not in the county. He and wife have enough of this world's goods to make them comfortable and happy the remainder of their days, and can reflect with satisfaction that it is their own hard work and labor which have placed them in their comfortable position.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

Edward G. Richardson is a stock-buyer and shipper of Zearing, Iowa, but was born in LaSalle County, Ill., in 1849, the second of three children born to the marriage of George R. Richardson and Susan Anthony Hoxie, of Massachusetts. The names of their other children are: Azelia (wife of Henry Hammond, of Southern Illinois), and Susan (Mrs. William Radley, of Sandwich, Ill. Edward's paternal grandfather, David Richardson, was born in Gloucester, R. I, April 26, 1780, and died October 6, 1861. His grandmother, Chloe Wilbur Richardson, was born in Adams, Mass., August 13, 1793, and died March 30, 1870. His grandfather on his mother's side, Isaac Upton Hoxie, was born in Adams, Mass., April 1797. The maternal grandmother, Hannah Anthony Hoxie, was born in Adams, Mass., June 18, 1797. George Reed Richardson was born in Adams, Mass., May 1, 1818, and his wife, Susan A. Hoxie, in the same place, March 10, 1822. Edward G. Richardson grew to manhood in Illinois, receiving a good common-school education, and in 1867 was married to Miss Sarah Burton, a native of Ohio, by whom he has had a family of seven children: Nellie (wife of Arthur Lewis, of Zearing), George, Edward, Lena, Grace, Burton and Chester. Mr. Richardson came with his family to Story County, Iowa, in 1875, and was an honest miller of the soil until 1883, when a railroad was surveyed through his farm and a town was laid out on his land. Since that time he has been engaged in buying and shipping stock, but has also managed a farm, which he purchased one and a half miles from town, with excellent results. He is enterprising and industrious, and the fine property of which he is now the owner has been earned through his own unaided efforts. His land is a fertile and valuable tract, well adapted to the purposes of general farming. He has always supported the principles of the Democrat party, and is a member of the following social orders: A. F. & A. M. and the I. O. O. F. His wife is a consistent and worthy member of the Christian Church.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.