- HON. HAMILTON RICHARDSON, a prominent business man and early
settler of Janesville,
- Wis., was born in the town of Le Roy, Genesee County, N.Y.,
on the 17th day of October, 1820, and is a son of William and
Mary (PIERSON) RICHARDSON. His father, who was of Scotch and
English descent was born in Johnstown, N.Y., and the name of
HAMILTON, which our subject bears, was the maiden name of his
mother, who was of Scotch ancestry. Mr. RICHARDSON's mother was
also born at Johnstown and on her father's side was of English
descent, while her mother, who was a VAN VALKENBURG was of the
old Mohawk Holland ancestry.
- Our subject was reared on his father's farm and received
his education in the district schools which
- he attended until fifteen years of age, when he left the
farm and entered the service of a mercantile firm and became
a member of the family of one of its partners, a personal friend
of his father's, and a most accomplished business man, with whom
he emigrated to Michigan when that State had just been admitted
to the Union. The entire State, except along the southern border,
was almost an unbroken wilderness. The firm with which young
RICHARDSON was employed, located in Genesee County, at what is
now the thriving city of Flint. They laid out a large part of
that town and built the first dam across the Flint River at that
point, erected the first saw-mill and established the first mercantile
house in the city and county. Their business included banking
and for a time was prosperous, but when the great commercial
and financial panic of 1837 occurred, they, like thousands of
other business men, were forced into bankruptcy. Through his
entire connection with the firm, Mr. RICHARDSON participated
in the management of their extensive business and had the varied
experience of opening, conducting and closing an extensive enterprise.
In the financial history of the country, the panic of 1837, marks
a disastrous epoch of which but few of the business men of the
present day have any personal knowledge. Mr. RICHARDSON is one
of the few, and to the experience acquired at that early day
may be attributed the caution and forethought that has marked
his course through life, and to which he is largely indebted
for his uniform success in the various business enterprises in
which he has been engaged. In 1840, he returned to New York and
renewed his studies in the academy of his native town, but he
was too much imbued with the Western spirit to long content himself
in the East, consequently, in the spring of 1842, he again wended
his way Westward and located at Milwaukee, Wis., where he secured
employment as bookkeeper in one of the large commercial houses
of that city. In the year 1844, he engaged in the hardware business
at Racine, but not realizing his expectations in that line, he
sold out in the spring of 1846, and removed to Janesville, where
he again engaged in the hardware business.
- In 1850, Mr. RICHARDSON, in connection with Mr. TUESDELL
[TRUESDELL?], erected the
- Excelsior Mills, later known as the HODSON Mills. The venture
proved an unfortunate one as the property was at first nearly
destroyed by fire and later by flood. A succession of poor crops
had produced dull times which still farther embarrassed matters,
and Mr. RICHARDSON, to make a change of base, in the fall of
1851, removed to California, where the gold excitement of that
day had caused a great rush of emigration. He selected Marysville,
at the head of navigation on Feather River, as the site of future
operations, and there established a mercantile house through
which he furnished supplies to mountain traders and miners. At
that time Marysville was an important commercial center and for
four years he carried on the business above mentioned with marked
success. In the course of his operations, he was obliged to make
long trips over the mountains, visiting various miner's camps
and new hamlets. While on one of these expeditions he was attacked
and robbed by a portion of Joaquin's noted band of highwaymen
and narrowly escaped with his life.
- While a resident of California, Mr. RICHARDSON helped to
organize a company which
- operated a line of steamers on the inland waters of the State
in opposition to a giant monopoly that was robbing the public
by their extortionate charges. He was one of the largest stockholders
in the enterprise and served as Secretary and Treasurer of the
company. The new line proved a great success and broke up the
monopoly as its projectors and managers intended. After five
years spent on the Pacific Slope, he returned to Janesville and
again entered into business at that place. Although just on the
eve of the great commercial crisis of 1857, he made successful
investments in real estate and has since acquired extensive property
interests here. He is a stockholder in the various manufacturing
establishments, included the New Doty Manufacturing Company,
and the Janesville Cotton Mills, and is a stockholder and director
in the First National Bank. He owns two store buildings on South
Main street and three on West Milwaukee street.
- On the 9th day of August, 1858, Mr. RICHARDSON was married
at Janesville, to Miss Caroline
- A. PEASE, the daughter of the late Judge Lorrain T. PEASE,
of Hartford, Conn. She was born at Enfield, Conn., but was reared
and educated at Hartford. Her father was in Government employ
and in discharge of his duty visited Green Bay, Wis. and Fort
Snelling, Minn. during the early settlement of the Northwest.
His son, the Hon. John J. R. PEASE, a pioneer settler of Janesville,
came to Green Bay, Wis. with his father in 1840, as did the daughter,
Mrs. RICHARDSON.
- On the consummation of their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. RICHARDSON
went abroad, spending the
- remainder of that and the following year in a tour of Europe.
On returning to Janesville, the husband erected the elegant mansion
now their home. He also bought into the Doty Manufacturing Company
and is now the largest stockholder in the New Doty Manufacturing
Company. Prior to the late war, he was a Democrat in politics,
but on the commencement of that great struggle he joined the
party of the administration and gave the government a patriotic
and hearty support. He contributed largely both in time and means
to raising troops for the war. He was one of the committee of
three which raised the 13th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry and
was an active member of nearly every committee that was organized
for war purposes in the city of Janesville. In 1864, he was elected
to the Legislature by the united Republican and war Democrat
vote, and in 1868, was elected County Commissioner and appointed
a member of the committee on Public Buildings which had the charge
of the erection of the Rock County Court House, an edifice, which
for beauty, stability and convenience is unrivaled in the State.
He was subsequently twice elected a member of the County Board
of Supervisors, and in 1876, was elected to the State Senate
and served from January, 1877 until 1882. During the session
of 1877, Mr. RICHARDSON introduced and managed the passage of
a bill which provided that all charitable and reformatory State
institutions should be under the management of one Board of Control;
a law that has tended to produce a more uniform and satisfactory
operation of these institutions. In the session of 1881, he introduced
a bill to provide for the humane care of the chronic insane,
not otherwise provided for, which established the present system
of combined State and county control. He was chairman of the
committee on Charitable and Penal Institutions of Wisconsin,
and in March, 1881, presented an exhaustive and comprehensive
report on the subject of the investigation of the State Hospital
for the Insane. On the 30th day of March of that year, he delivered
a very elegant and touching eulogy on the character of the late
Hon. Matthew Hale CARPENTER. In all his relations with the Senate,
Mr. RICHARDSON was recognized as a useful and influential legislator.
His connection with important committees was marked by energetic
and prompt action and his views and opinions were always respected
and valued by his fellow senators. In July, 1883, he was appointed
by President Arthur to the position of Postmaster of Janesville
and served in that capacity until February, 1888. Mr. RICHARDSON
is a Mason, belonging to West Star Lodge, No. 14, A.F. &
A.M.; Janesville Chapter, No. 5, R.A.M., and Janesville Commandery,
No. 2, K.T.
- Mr. and Mrs. RICHARDSON are the parents of six children,
five sons and one daughter. Victor
- P., born at Janesville in 1859, graduated from the Janesville
High School, was admitted to West Point, where he spent three
years as a student, is the present President of the New Doty
Manufacturing Company, and wedded Miss Mary DIMOCK of this city;
Sarah M. is the second child; Hamilton P., who was educated at
Amherst College, is an attorney by profession; John was educated
at Janesville; Marshall is a student of the State University;
and Lorrain T. is attending school in this city.
- In 1873, Mr. RICHARDSON again visited Europe and made an
extensive tour of the old world.
- Among the most enterprising and successful business men of
Janesville, he is, without question, accorded the foremost place.
He possesses that quick perception and sound judgment, cool nerve
and indomitable will which are so essential to the successful
prosecution of all business enterprises.
- As a financier, he is conservative, yet progressive and his
opinions are valued and respected by
- those with whom he is associated. In politics, he has been
universally successful and has won his point in many a contest
when opposed by the most powerful manipulators of the machine.
Integrity of character, steadfastness of purpose, liberality
and broad views on the great principles and affairs of the world
have characterized his life and won for him the unqualified respect
and esteem of neighbor, friend and fellow citizen. Mr. RICHARDSON
and her daughter are members of Christ Episcopal Church of Janesville.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 948-950.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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