Butte County
Biographies
JOHN C. RICHARDSON
JOHN C. RICHARDSON.--A pioneer who
really roughed it in early days and, at personal risk and no little
inconvenience, helped make straight the paths of society, and who today, as a
citizen, still longing for the most improved conditions, favors total
prohibition and other radical reforms, is John C. Richardson, a native of
Hancock County, Ill., where he was born on August 2, 1842, the son of Henry S.
and Elizabeth (Lumly) Richardson. The former came
from
In
1857, however, Mr. Richardson sold out and located in Oroville, and in the fall
of 1860 he took up one hundred sixty acres on Dry Creek, near what is now
Nelson. He bought land adjoining, both government and railroad land, until he
owned seven hundred sixty acres. He farmed the same until 1872, when he sold
out and moved to Oroville. In 1878, with his wife and some of his children, he
drove a team across the plains to
John
C. Richardson attended the Marysville public school and as a boy sold candy and
newspapers on the streets. He also soon worked for his father at teaming, and
when sixteen years old drove a six-mule team to Downieville.
In 1867 he hauled a load of freight from Oroville to
back home over the mountains on foot, carrying twenty-one hundred eighty dollars, mostly greenbacks, and making the trip safely in nine and one-half days. Mr. Richardson, in his freighting experiences, was held up three different times by highwaymen. In one instance hew was relieved of three dollars; at another, the highwaymen took one hundred sixty-five dollars, but the last time, hearing horsemen approaching, the holdup left without getting his money. The Indians were always friendly to Mr. Richardson and he always treated them kindly and had no trouble with them. He was a member of Yuba Fire Company, No. 2, of Marysville, and he and a boy friend received a reward of fine uniforms for the best and most continuous attendance and service.
When
twenty-one years of age Mr. Richardson left home and began work on
The next year he bought a home in
Gridley, and also purchased two hundred forty acres west of the town at Green
Plains, owned by Darius Hulbert. He was unfortunate in this investment, for the
land became flooded with water, and again he disposed of what he had. Since that time he has been renting land west of Gridley, and
farming the same on a large scale to grain. He also does contract work
on ranch lands, and has three six-horse-and-a-mule teams with which he puts the
soil in good condition for planting. For seven years he farmed the Spence Ranch
of twelve hundred eighty acres, and in the spring of 1917, on rented land three
miles northwest of Gridley, he had seventy-five acres planted to wheat, ninety
acres planted to barley, and a hundred fifty acres planted to rice. As a result
he had a big crop all around; the rice yielding over forty sacks to the acres.
For his wheat he received $3.90 1/2 per cental, the
highest he ever obtained for wheat. In 1918 a still larger acreage was in crop.
Since 1910 he has been farming in partnership with his son-in-law, Patrick
Nugent. They are also engaged in general contracting, and on different
contracts he has driven the supply-wagon when over seventy years of age. They
own the home ranch where they make their headquarters. They have also done
highway contract-grading, working for the highway construction in
In
1875, Mr. Richardson married Nancy Adams, a native of
Mr.
Richardson has served as school trustee and road overseer. He is one of the few
remaining forty-niners in
Transcribed by Sande Beach.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 475-477, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2007 Sande Beach.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies