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WHO WAS - James Richey
in Plum Township
Venango County, Pennsylvania
By Howard Strawbridge January 3, 1957

James Richey was born in the beautiful Tuscarora Valley in Juniata County, Pa, on Nov. 14, 1820. He was of Scotch-Irish descent, and his parents were William and Eleanor Duggan Richey who set sail from Ireland to America in the spring of 1812. For days their ship was pursued by a British war vessel, but they landed safely at Philadelphia. They settled in the Tuscarora Valley where James spent his childhood and received his education.

The family moved to Venango County in 1836, settling on a large estate in Oakland Township.

James married Mary Jane Cowen of Plum Township on July 10, 1845. In 1851 they settled in Plum Township on one-half of a 350 -acre tract located less than a mile north of Wallaceville. James' brother-in-law, James Cowen, settled on the other half of the tract. It is said that they tossed a coin to see which half each would get. Richey got the western half. John Bigham of Slippery Rock Twp. had owned the tract.

James built a house beside the best one of the six or seven springs on the place and, being a good axeman, commenced to clear his 175 - acre farm. There was a certain family who lived nearby, and James hired this man and his sons to help him clear his farm, paying them in flour and foodstuffs instead of cash. By ten years James had 100 acres cleared. Approximately 120 acres were cleared altogether. He finished paying the $875 for his farm and received his deed dated on Dec. 27, 1864.

He had a large new house commenced in 1867 and finished in 1868. Israel Mark and George Beers, partners, were the carpenters. The interior was finished in chestnut with a cherry stair banister. Most of this house was worked out and dressed by hand. Two fireplaces were built in it. It was one of the finest farm homes in the county. A wood-cut picture of the house appears in the Venango County History volume of 1879. It just happened that on the day the photographer took the picture, Mr. Richey's grandson, James W. Beers, was there and remembers as a lad of watching the group build a high scaffold for the photographer to stand on to get a desirable view. Mr. Beers, now 87, still lives at Gaithersburg, Md.

Either during the latter 1860s or early 1870s, both James and his brother-in-law built a public road through their properties past their homes. They had the township take over this road, thus making it possible for the two of them to work out their road tax on that strip. A public watering trough was placed along this road near the Richey springhouse. Below the road there was a goose pond.

During this same period Mr. Richey was instrumental in having two-fifth of a mile stretch of the Wallaceville - Plum Center road moved over much nearer to his buildings. Where there was formerly one curve in this road, there were afterwards three curves and there still are.

In the northeast portion of the woods on his farm there were some large artificially-dug pits. some surmised that possibly Indians dug them for silver. William Minnigh made a lease with Mr. Richey for the purpose of digging further in these pits. Minnigh spent a lot of time digging there but with no results.

Mr. and Mrs. Richey joined the Presbyterian Church of Sunville in April, 1860. On Jan. 21, 1866, he was ordained a ruling elder in this church. While he remained a loyal Presbyterian, he took part in every revival in his community area under the management of whatever church or society. Many times after working hard all day, he would walk two miles to attend religious meetings.

They had the following children: Mrs. Catherine DeWoody, Mrs. Henrietta Prather, Mrs. Nancy Ellen Beers, Mrs. Edna Echnoz, Mrs. Ruhama Hawthorne, John C. Richey, Dr. W.J. Richey, Thomas H. Richey, Miss Jessie V. Richey, E. Clyde Richey, and an infant son that died in 1873.

James Richey was tall and thin. He had no beard. He was of genial nature, a hail-fellow-well-met. Plain-spoken in manner, he often indulged in playful censure when talking to those whom he loved the most. His frankness never wounded anyone. Many interesting discussions were held in his parlor when the participants were himself, a minister and two men engaged in educational work. When he made a bargain, it was never with an eye single to his own good.

He was a philanthropist and gave his utmost to every reform which sought to better mankind. He was also a firm Prohibitionist and was a zealous worker in the cause of temperance.

He was serving his third term as justice of the peace at the time of his death, and had also served a term as township auditor.

In May, 1881, Mr. Richey took sick with what was thought to be typhoid fever. On the evening of May 20, after being sick probably two weeks, he was sitting up in bed and feeling pretty good. The attending physician came and changed the medicine. After Mr. Richey took the different medicine he grew worse and lapsed into unconsciousness. He died the next morning.

On the day of his burial the large spreading yard, which was nearly a field, in the rear of the house, was covered with horse-drawn conveyances with an enormous number of people present. Then all loaded up and the long procession journeyed to the Sunville Presbyterian Church for the big funeral.

Mrs. Richey stayed on the old homestead for many years. However she spent her last three years or so at the home of her son, Dr. Richey, at Chapmanville where she died on Nov. 19, 1914, aged 88.

The old James Richey farm has been owned by the State Game Commission for several years now and the Game Reserve is within its environs. Nothing remains of the buildings except foundations. Ira Stoke of near Dempseytown razed the house around 1930. The walled-up spring and pond are still there. The fields are grownup with spruce trees and brush.

Added note to this column:

In last week's Diamond news there appeared an inquiry by Howard Strawbridge as to what became of the James Richey barn near Wallaceville. The first clue came when Bud Herb of Diamond said that he thought Ernest Green of Titusville got the barn. When Bud was a boy visiting his grandmother at Diamond, he remembered of jumping on Mr. Green's wagon and riding down to the Richey place. Mr. Green said that the Hammermill Paper Company torn down the Richey barn and piled the lumber. In 1929 Mr. Green and the late A. C. Foust purchased the A. C. Miles barn, located below the Richey place, and tore it down to rebuild it at their place (present McElhaney farm) at Diamond. Some of the lumber in the Miles barn was bad so Mr. Green asked for and got permission from the Hammermill officials to take some of the Richey barn lumber, which he did. The rest of the lumber likely rotted.

Transcribed by Penny Kulbacki Minnick
minnick862@verizon.net

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