Source: The Biographical Record of Whiteside County, Illinois, Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1900
Transcribed by: Denise McLoughlin, Tampico Historical Society www.tampicohistoricalsociety.citymax.com

Page 200

GEORGE P. RICHMOND. The subject of this biography, one of the honored sons of Massachusetts, and a most distingquished farmer and stock dealer residing on section 35, Prophetstown township, is pre-eminently a self-made man. He began life with a definite purpose in view, has worked faithfully, honestly, and with a will for its accomplishment, and is now one of the wealthiest, as well as one of the most highly respected citizens of his community.

Mr. RICHMOND was born in Berskshire county, Massachusetts, October 24, 1827. amd there grew to manhood, his education being acquired in the district schools near his early home. Thinking to better his financial condition in the west, he came to Illinois in 1849, traveling by rairoad to Buffalo, by the Great Lakes to Chicago, and overland to Whiteside county, where he arrived in April, of that year. He spent some time in prospecting in this state and Wisconsin, but finally returned to his county in August and entered one hundred and sixty acres of land in Prophetstown township, upon which not a furrow had been turned nor an improvement made. During his entire residence here he has devoted considerable attention to stock raising, his first purchase consisting of sixty head of cattle. He soon bough another farm adjoinging the first, upon which a log homehad been erected, and into it he moved. The firs season spent here, he himself mowed with a scythe enough hay to fee sixty head of cattle during the winter. He also split the rails to fence his stock yard. His first home here later gave place to a good frame residence, which was completed in 1860.

For the first few years of his residence here Mr. RICHMOND boarded with a family who lived in his house, but on the 22d of February, 1860, he was united in marriage with Miss Cevilla GAGE, a daughter of Edward S. GAGE, one of the pioneers of the county, who located here in 1835.Mrs. RICHMOND was born and reared in Whietside county, and died in June, 1879, her remains being interred in Prophetstown cemetary, where a monument now marks her last resting place. Three children were born of that union, namely: Mary, wife of Charles PASSMORE, a business man of Fulton, Illinois; John, who with his wife and two children, reside on the home farm, and Harry, who is married and engaged in farming in this county.

A thorough and skillful farmer and an excellent business man, Mr. RICHMOND'S efforts have been crowned with success, and he is now the owner of about eighteen hundred acres of valuable and well improved land, divided into three farms, one of which consists of four hundred and eighty acres lying south of the railroad in Prophetstown township. Of late years he has fattened for the market as high as three hundred head of cattle per year. In 1877 he began breeding and dealing in standard bred horses in a small way, having previous to this time raised roadsters and draft horses, and he is now one of the largest breeders and dealers of high class stock in this section of the state, keeping on hand almost one hundred head of horses, and selling each year from twenty to forty head. He has raised some very valuable horses, having sold some of his young stock as high as five and six hundred dollors. To his own well-directed efforts may be attributed his success in life, for on coming to the county his capital was limited, but he has made themost of his advantages and has been uniformly successful in his business ventures. Politically he is a stanch Republican, and as every true American citizen should, he takes a deep and commendable interest in publicc affairs, supporting all measures which he believes will prove of public benefit. For some years he was an efficient member of the school board. He has never cared for political onors, preferring to give his undivided attention to his exttensive business interest.