California Genealogy and History Archives
Biographies
of
Sacramento County
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WILLIAM
F. RICHARDS, D. D. S. The
history of the Richards family extends back through many generations of
English history and indicates their long identification with the mining
industry in Cornwall. A century or more has passed away since Charles
Richards began to work as a miner, and throughout all of his industrious
existence he followed that occupation, together with the occupancy and
cultivation of a small farm in his native shire. After him came his son,
John, born at the old homestead August 20, 1826, and early trained to a
knowledge of farming as well as to familiarity with work in the mines of
lead, tin, copper and silver that to this day abound in Cornwall,
bringing large profits to their owners. During 1845 he left the old home
for the unknown possibilities of the new world, and while fortune came
to him later in unstinted measure it was not his happy fate to again
behold the land of his birth. His father, Charles, however, continued
there until death, as did his mother, who bore the maiden name of Honor
Warner and was a member of an ancient Cornish family. Upon
landing in the new world and seeking a place of employment, John
Richards went to the lead mines of Southern Wisconsin, at Shullsburg,
seventeen miles from Galena, Ill., and there he earned a livelihood by
the most arduous of labor. When news came of the discovery of gold in
California he immediately determined to come to the west. With three
fellow-miners and six ox-teams he started for the Eldorado of his hopes.
At St. Joseph, Mo., they were joined by three other young men, each of
whom owned one team of oxen. The party left St. Joseph April 7, 1849, on
their long journey, which came to a safe conclusion at Dutch Flat on the
9th of September. The young men at once began to prospect and mine.
Within six weeks Mr. Richards had taken out $5000 in gold, one single
nugget having brought him $252. During 1851 he returned east, and
November 17 of the same year he married Miss Elizabeth Mitchell, who was
born January 31, 18.30, being the daughter of Joseph Mitchell, a farmer
of Lafayette county. Wis. During this trip he invested considerable
money in cattle and these he drove across the plains in 1853, with the
assistance of seven men. Shortly
after his second arrival in the west Mr. Richards purchased the
squatter's right of a Mr. McHenry for $1500, but afterward he
relinquished the claim upon the advice of John P. Rhodes. The land was
included in the Mexican grant to the Sheldon ranch, and Mr. Gunn, the
administrator of the Sheldon estate, obtained judgments against other
claimants, so that Mr. Richards preferred to relinquish rather than
contest the matter in expensive litigation. In 1855 he bought about five
hundred acres of the same estate, which he held for many years. In
addition he took up about one thousand acres of government land. About
two hundred and fifty acres of his ranch was bottom land on the
Cosumnes, peculiarly rich in its soil, but subject to the disasters of
occasional overflows. Not only did he raise general farm crops and large
herds of stock, but he also made a specialty of the fruit business and
on his land planted trees of almost every variety of fruit. For years he
retained large mining interests, including profitable quartz mines in
Amador county. On two occasions he and his wife returned east for
protracted visits, the first trip occurring in 1869 and the second
during the World's Columbian exposition at Chicago in 1893. His death
occurred in October of 1896, and two years later his wife also passed
away. There
were ten children in the Richards family, but two died in infancy, and
Lizzie Viola was also taken from the home when still young. The eldest
child, Ellen Alfrena, married Lafayette Miller, but died in 1910. The
second child, Emily Jane, is the wife of Alexander Milne, a rancher and
dairyman in Sacramento county. The third daughter, Annie Sophia, became
the wife of Henry Band of San Francisco, now deceased. The two sons are
Charles Joseph and John Lincoln. Mary Hattie is the wife of E. A. Piatt.
William Freeman Richards, born December 22, 1870, on the home farm in
Sacramento county near the village of Sheldon, is the youngest member of
the family circle. After he had completed the studies of the common
schools he entered the revenue service, but later re- signed the
position in order that he might take up the study of dentistry in
Northwestern university, Chicago, Ill. When he had completed the regular
course and had received the degree of D. D. S., he returned to
Sacramento, where he at once bought one-half interest in the business of
Dr. T. B. Reid. Early in 1904 he took over the remaining interest held
by Dr. Reid, and since then he has continued alone. The political views of Dr. Richards bring him into active sympathy with the Republican party. Fraternally he is a Mason of the Scottish Rite degree and is also a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. In the line of his profession he is a member of the Sacramento Valley Dental association and the State Dental association. His family comprises his wife and their only child, Leland Jerome, born September 16, 1903. Prior to her marriage November 1, 1902, Mrs. Richards was Miss Clara Kruttschnitt, a native daughter of Sacramento. Possessing excellent educational qualifications and the highest culture, she naturally occupies a prominent position in the most select society of Sacramento. The family of which she is a member has been prominent in many lines of business enterprise, and her first cousin, Julius Kruttschnitt, is director of maintenance and means with the Harriman (Southern Pacific) railroad system. |
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Source: Transcribed by Peggy Hooper 2011 |