Tulare County Biographies

Gustavus A. Richardson

Transcribed by: Craig A Hahn

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm


     In San Jose, Santa Clara county, Cal., Gustavus A. Richardson was born 
January 12, 1856, a son of Roswell and Louisa (Rodgers) Richardson. His father 
was a native of Plymouth, N. H., born June 24, 1797, a grandson of Samuel 
Richardson, who with his brothers, Ezekiel and Thomas, founded the town of 
Woburn, Mass., in 1641. Louisa Rodgers became his wife in 1849, in Clark county, 
Mo. In 1855 they came to California across the plains. After living in Santa 
Clara county three years, they moved to Tulare county, where Mr. Richardson 
died, July 4, 1877. His widow married George W. Hayden and died June 4, 1881, 
and was buried in the North Tule cemetery. There were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Richardson four children: Martha Matilda, born September 15, 1850, died in 1863; 
Georgiana, born August 8, 1862, died July 5, 1888; Benjamin Franklin, born 
October 30, 1854, died November 2, 1880; and Gustavus A. is the immediate 
subject of this article. 
 
     A common school education was all that was afforded Gustavus A. Richardson 
in the days of his youth and he was only a small lad when he began to assist his 
father in the work of the ranch. When he was sixteen years old he took a bunch 
of horses to Salt Lake City and sold them and came back to Tulare county, being 
the only one to make the entire trip of the eight who started. In 1875 he went 
to Arizona and remained there until 1881, when he returned to Tulare county, 
where he controlled ranches until 1884. Then he homesteaded one hundred and 
sixty acres of land on the North Tule river, where he farmed about twenty years, 
during which period he added to his acreage by various purchases. At this time 
his ranch is one of the best and most productive in its vicinity. The family 
home has been in Porterville since 1911. 
 
     October 1, 1888, Mr. Richardson was appointed postmaster at Milo, Cal., and 
held the office until January 1, 1908, when he was succeeded by F. M. Ainsworth, 
in whose interest he had resigned October 1, 1907, Politically he is a 
Republican. Fraternally he affiliates with the Knights of Pythias, and is a 
charter member of Porterville lodge, No. 93, of that order. He married at 
Visalia, June 2, 1884, Mary Agnes (Braden) Ainsworth, daughter of John Braden, 
and widow of Andrew E. Ainsworth. Mrs. Ainsworth, who was a native of Kansas, 
had a son (A. E. Ainsworth) by her first marriage. He was born January 16, 1877, 
was graduated at the Stockton Business College and when he was only eighteen 
years old was awarded a teachers� diploma. He taught successfully in public 
schools until his death, which occurred December 9, 1899. Four children were 
born to Mr. and Mrs. Richardson, all natives of Tulare county: Roswell Guy, born 
at Milo February 22, 1886, was educated in the public schools and at the Oakland 
Polytechnic. Gustavus Alvah, born at Milo, February 5, 1888, was graduated from 
public schools at fourteen, and from the Porterville high school at nineteen and 
was a student at the Potts Business College in 1909-10, and has since been 
employed by the Pasadena Ice Company. Eunice Marguerite, born at Milo, June 21, 
1890, was graduated from public schools at thirteen and from the Porterville 
high school in her eighteenth year. She married Wilko Cutler Knupp at 
Porterville, September 22, 1908. Her child, Benora Knupp was born May 31, 1909; 
Mrs. Knupp later entered the State Normal school at Los Angeles and was 
graduated therefrom June 23, 1911, and is now teaching in Tulare county. Roscoe 
Vinton Richardson, born at Milo, April 11, 1896, had two terms in the high 
school at Pasadena and is now attending the Porterville high school. While the 
children were attending schools in Southern California, Mr. Richardson purchased 
and maintained a home in Pasadena, which he still owns. 
 
SOURCE:  History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical 
Sketches - Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913, Pp 510, 511