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WHO WAS WHO in PLUM TOWNSHIP
~ Titusville Herald
By H. W. Strawbridge ~ 1950s - 60s

John Richey

The early Richey family was a prominent family in the northern part of Ireland. William Richey took part in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Being proscribed in common with others of his rank, he sought refuge in the mountains where he was obliged to fast for days and weeks. He was finally pardoned by the Crown, but this experience broke down his health and he died in 1806.
His widow, Margaret, and fire children emigrated to America in 1812. One of these children was John Richey, our subject here, who was born June 3, 1805. Consequently he was seven years old when the family came to this country.
They first located in a part of Mifflin County which is now Juniata County, Pa. About 1820 they moved to Butler County and lived for a few years at Saxonburg. It is evident too, that John may have lived in Pittsburgh awhile.
In 1827 John married Elizabeth Job who was born in 1805 and was a daughter of Robert Job of Mercer County. In 1832 John, Elizabeth and their first born children came to Plum Township, settling on a tract of 200 acres which he bargained for $400 from the Biddle and Dunlap families, through their attorney in Meadville. This tract is southwest of Sunville with John’s log house having been little over half a mile from the village. This tract is owned today by Hunter Wright.
The tract was entirely in its primitive state. By hard work John developed it into cultivation. At that time there were many deer in the country. Quite often John noticed deer in his clearings nibbling at his crops. This annoyed him, so he bought a rifle, thought he had never been a hunter. One day he shot a deer and wounded it. He trailed it the entire day without success. He came home quite tired and discouraged. He said to himself: “John Richey, you’ve bought a farm and this will never pay for it.” So he put his rifle up and never used it again.
John and Elizabeth had ten children of whom nine arrived at maturity: Mrs. Julia Ann Welsh, Mrs. Margaret Thomas (a twin), Mrs. Isabella Brown, Mrs. Tabitha Peebles, John Calvin Richey, Andrew Washington Richey, Dr. Cyrus Diskson Richey, Mrs. Martha Maria Dight, and Mrs. Alice E. MacWilliams. Of these nine, John survived five of his children.
Some facts about some of John’s children follow: (in seven paragraphs):
Julia Ann died Sept. 12, 1855, leaving four children: William, John, James and Sidney, who were raised by their grandparents. The father, Daniel Welsh, went to Michigan. Young John Welsh was operated for an ingrown toenail on his big toe at Cooperstown. However, the doctor applied too much anesthetic and John died while under it. William Welsh was the father-in-law to Mrs. Blanche Welsh, now of South Troy.
John Richey’s daughter, Mrs. Margaret Thomas, received 25 acres, more or less, north of Sunville. This is the place that Ira Thomas now owns. He is the only one of many descendents of John Richey that lives today in Sunville. His sister, Mrs. Elsie Kough, lives today in Titusville and she knows many facts of the Richey family.
Mrs. Tabitha Peebles died April 2, 1875. One of her granddaughters is Mrs. Nellie Jennings, wife of Clifford Jennings of Titusville. Her parents were Edwin M. and Callie Peebles Thomas. This photograph of Mrs. John Richey is owned by Mrs. Jennings. A photograph of John Richey could not be located.
John’s son, Calvin, was deeded the farm north of Sunville now owned by Clyde Spangler.
A.W. (Wash) Richey, a Civil War veteran, inherited the old home farm from his father.
Dr. C.D. (Dick) Richey went to Springfield, O., to practice. He died there when rather young.
Mrs. Martha Dight married a United Presbyterian minister, Rev. J. M. Dight, who was pastor of the Mt. Pleasant Church near Warrendale, Pa., for 33 years. This is on the northern edge of Allegheny County. One of their sons, Howard W. Dight, lived today at Cloverdale, near Bethel. Mr. Dight remembers much history connected with his grandparents Richey.
The Richey family in Ireland had been members of the Covenanter Church. After John and Elizabeth came to Sunville, they went on horseback twice a year to the old Covenanter Church located above Titusville to take communion. This church is now that Rometown United Presbyterian Church. John and Elizabeth thus had a distance of 27 miles to travel.
Eventually they became members of the regular Presbyterian Church. While he was before the elders for examination at the time of joining, he was asked if he would conform to the doctrines of the Presbyterian Church. He replied in his proud Irish way: “Naw, I don’t like their himes (hymns).” Naturally this didn’t retard his joining in any way.
He always remained a good churchman. He was an elder for many years, and the Bible was read in his home a good portion of every Sunday.
He eventually built a frame house near the log one. Remarkably enough, he laid out the sum of $5 in building this house. This sum he used for the purchase of nails and hinges which he got in Pittsburgh. He traded labor or foodstuff for the lumber, carpenter labor, etc. This is the same house that Mr. and Mrs. Wright and family live in today. John also built the present barn.
Incidentally, Hunter Wright still has the old sheepskin deed of this farm dating back to Oct. 16, 1787, then in Westmoreland County. John Richey’s deed in the 1830s mentions white oak trees bounding on three of the four corners. Mr. Wright says one of these large oaks still stands on the southwest corner. This is the only 200-acre tract in the township remaining whole. All others have been divided or cut up.
Mr. Wright also says there is what the old-timers called a bear wallow in one of the fields across the road. It is swampy and many arrowheads have been found there, attesting to the fact that Indians used to shoot at the bears lounging in the wallow.
Just above John Richey’s house there stood another smaller house where lived Samuel Richey, and older bachelor brother of John. He ate his meals with John’s family. Samuel died Oct. 7, 1870, aged 72. He willed that two-thirds of the money from his estate be given to the Covenanter Church, and that the remaining one-third be tuned over to the Presbyterian Sabbath School at Sunville for use in a library.
In politics John Richey was formerly a Democrat. However, during his later years, he was a strong supporter of the Prohibition party. For many years he was a road commissioner and path master of Plum Township.
He kept a daybook which started about 1846. Very interesting items were written in it. It had mention of a gold pocket watch for which he traded two teams of oxen about 1850. The watch, owned by Howard Dight, is a wonderful timepiece and about as solid gold as the watchmaker could make it.
John was an excellent gardener. He would allow no one to go into his garden to pull beets, but lettuce, etc. He had to do it himself. He also kept a fine stallion horse on the farm. It is said that John also owned a lot of the Sunville village.
Mrs. Richey was a very industrious woman. She raised flax, spun and wove it. From this she made shirts with the needle and thread. Then she sold these shirts to neighbors for 50c apiece. Twice a year she and John went shopping to either the towns of Meadville, Oil City or Franklin. On these shopping trips Mrs. Richey bought calico by the web. Then she made dresses from it for the girls. Therefore all the girls had identical dresses.
Even John, himself, knew how to knit socks. When the grandson, Mr. Dight, was there on a visit with his family at the age of seven, he saw his grandfather knitting socks. Mr. Dight , thinking this unusual for a man to do, asked him about it. The old gentleman replied, “If you bought 200 acres and raised nine kids, you’d know how to knit, too.”
Mrs. Richey also helped to milk the cows and do other chores. One day she was carrying a pail of milk through the shed of the barn and tripped over a pig, throwing her and the pail of milk.
In that area at that time there lived a woman whom people labeled as a “witch woman.” They claimed she could do many weird feats such as spitting fire, etc. People in general then were much more superstitious than now. Mrs. Richey took no stock in this witchcraft, and she was a good friend of the slighted woman. When the woman died in 1869, Mrs. Richey came and laid out her body for the funeral. Some of the superstitious people whispered around that the reason Mrs. Richey did the preparation was because “she didn’t want any of the neighbors to see the body which was all scarred up where the witches had bitten her.” Such fables there were in those days.
Around 1870 Mrs. Richey had a stroke. She eventually recovered enough that she was able to walk again. Twelve years later she had a second stroke which proved fatal. She died on March 6, 1882.
Mr. Richey continued living on the old farm. He was always quite active and enjoyed good health. He died at the age of 89-then his death was not due to infirmities of old age.
Between his garden and orchard there stood a green gage plum tree. One day he walked up to this tree, picked three plums and ate them. They weren’t quite ripe yet and the old fellow got dysentery and lived only three days, dying on Sept. 4, 1894. The family is buried at Sunville.

Transcribed by Chrissy Wolfgong

Disclaimer:there may be errors due to transcription of information from both early and late (current contributors) work.