HON. JOHN M. RICHARDSON was for many years prominent in Missouri state
affairs, commencing at an early date, as well as in the affairs of his home
county of Jasper. He was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, September 8,
1820. In the year 1837, with the others of his father’s family, he came to
Jasper county, Missouri. His parents were Joseph and Susannah Richardson. At
first, with his father, he settled on a farm, then in Barry county, two
miles east of Bowers’ Mill, on Spring river. Having received a good
education in Virginia aside from farm work his first employment was teaching
district school. He studied law at Sarcoxie and was admitted to the bar soon
after the organization of Jasper county, and was elected to the legislature
as the representative of Jasper and Newton counties in the fall of 1844,
being the second representative that Jasper county had in that body. He
secured an addition of territory to Jasper county, taking the same from
Newton county, which had the effect of placing the town of Sarcoxie in
Jasper county, and taking it from Newton. After some years he moved to
Springfield, Missouri, and practiced his profession, and while there, in the
fall of 1852, he was elected to the office of secretary of state for the
state of Missouri, which office he held till the beginning of the year 1857,
when he again took up his residence in Springfield, and for a time edited a
newspaper. Even in that early day, in Missouri, being in sympathy with the
anti-slavery movement, he supported and voted for Abraham Lincoln for
president at the election of 1860. He was a strong supporter of the Union
cause in Missouri. After the breaking out of the war and when a federal
force came to Springfield he attached himself to General Sigel’s command and
participated with him in the battle of Carthage. Afterwards obtaining a
commission as colonel from the Union governor, Gamble, he raised a regiment
of the Missouri state militia in the southwestern part of the state, and saw
further service during the war as its commander, his regiment taking part in
several battles, and also in suppressing the bushwhacking bands that were
devastating the country. Colonel Richardson was one of the purchasers of the
large body of swamp lands from Jasper county in the year 1858. Selling his
interest in most of these lands in 1866 to William Frazier, continuing to
own, however, four sections of land in one body, and having other landed
interests in this county. In 1875 he moved back to Jasper county, locating
at Carthage, where he made his home up to the date of his death, which
occurred on the 1st day of May, 1889.
On the 2nd day of November,
1843, Colonel Richardson married Malinda Stewart, of Jasper county, who died
a few years previous to his death. Their children were Mrs. Kenyon L.
Wilber, deceased; Mrs. Dolly Wyeth, a resident of Chicago, Illinois; and
John M. Richardson, Jr., who continues to reside in Jasper county. His
grandchildren, Mrs. Sella (Wilber) Blackeney and Mrs. Ruby (Wilber) Sloan,
are residents of Carthage.
Contributed 2022 Oct 24 by Aimee Edgeworth, extracted from The Biographical Record of Jasper County, Missouri, by Malcolm G. McGregor, published in 1901, pages 350-351.
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