JOHN W. RICHMOND

Sacramento County

Biographies

JOHN W. RICHMOND

John W. Richmond, a pioneer dairyman, and the proprietor of Richmond Grove, one of the pleasantest resorts of Sacramento, was born at Churchville, about fourteen miles from Rochester, New York, August 24, 1818. His father, Billings Richmond, was a native of Woodstock, Connecticut, and when a young man went to Monroe County New York, for the purpose of teaching school. There he bought fifty acres of land. Returning home the following year, he married Miss Susan Willey, a native of Massachusetts, and became one of the first settlers of the village of Churchville, Monroe County. He was a stock and wheat raiser, and dealer in cattle, and also a woolen-mill owner. John W., the subject of this sketch, learned the trade of wool-carding and cloth-dressing; and when he became of age his father gave him and his older brother an interest in the mill. He afterward ran a woolen mill at Bloomfield, a half interest in which was owned by his uncle. This mill was burned in 1847; and in 1848 he went to Illinois for a drove of cattle, and took them to Boston for sale. In the spring of 1850, in company with his brother Henry, he started for California, by the way of the Isthmus, in the steamer Ohio. At Panama they were compelled to wait four weeks for the arrival of the steamer Northerner, Captain Bob Waterman, who had come around Cape Horn; and upon board of that vessel they arrived at San Francisco, August 16, 1850. The brother, who was a blacksmith by trade, remained in San Francisco, while he, John, came on to Sacramento and obtained employment in a livery stable at $5 a day. He and his brother had brought eighty pairs of kip boots with them to California, and the latter made a trip to the Shasta mines, where he worked at mining during the week, and selling out the stock during Sundays at $16 a pair. He returned to Sacramento, bringing $600 as the proceeds. In the meantime he had saved up some money and he and his brother concluded to invest their means in a dairy. Buying three poor “immigrant” cows at $100 apiece, they furnished hotels, etc. with milk, for which they received $3 per gallon. Their stock increased, as did also the price of the milk, for which they at one time received not less than $1 a quart. They sold eggs at the rate of $3 per dozen. In 1851 Mr. Richmond, the subject of this sketch, bought a pre-emption claim and fourteen cows, of Smith & Bradley. This land was within what is now the city limits, and included the Richmond Grove property. In the fall of 1853 he went East, and during the month of May following married Miss Julia A., daughter of Merritt Moore, a merchant, and the next spring came with his wife to California. Purchasing his brother’s interest in the pre-emption claim, and in the stock, etc., he continued in the dairy business. His present fine residence at 1818 P street was built in the summer of 1884. Mr. Richmond was a Democrat up to the day that Fort Sumter was fired upon, since which time he has been an ardent Republican. In his society relations he has helped to build several churches; been both a Freemason and an Odd Fellow, but he has not affiliated with these orders since coming to the coast. His only living child, a daughter, is now the wife of A. K. Tower, of Buffalo, New York. His first wife died in 1857; and in 1864 H married Elizabeth A. Cornwell, of Warsaw, New York. They had one child, Hattie, who died when only two years old.

Transcribed by Karen Pratt.

Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated History of Sacramento County, California. Pages 528-529. Lewis Publishing Company. 1890.

Sacramento County Biographies