September 12, 1973 (12 pages)

6 The Nevada County Nugget Wed., Sept. 12 1973 _ Prominent people OLIVE PERRY RICHARDSON Oliver Perry Richardson, familiarly known as Perry Richardson, was born in Franklin County, Mo., February 11, 1822. His father, Nathan Richardson, was a native of Kentucky, of an old Virginia family, and emigrated to Missouri in 1800, where he had a large plantation and a large number of slaves. Perry Richardson was served through the war and received an honorable discharge. He was married in Independence, Mo., in 1849, to Sally A. Woodland, who was born in Louisville, Ky., her parents being old Virginians. In the early spring of 1850, a train of covered wagons drawn by mules and oxen left Independence, Mo., bound for the gold fields of California, helping to blaze the trail ‘‘out where the west begins.”’ In this party were Perry Richardson, twenty-eight years of age; his wife, nineteen; his brother, Straud Richardson; Robert Woodland, his brother-in-law, and Henry Beatty, his nephew, the latter two ~ being boys sixteen years of age. They started with a covered wagon, extra mules, and a full equipment of their own. What courage, patience and endurance it called for in those young people to brave this perilous and venturesome trip across the wild plains, Steep,mountains and rushing rivers! Fording the Platte and Green Rivers was hazardous. They had many narrow escapes from their encounters with the Indians. As was customary, they formed a circle with the covered wagons at night and some one stood guard to protect the stock. One evening, just as they were going into camp, after the circle was formed, they had a most blood-curdling experience. The Indians and several Squaws came like a stampede upon them. By offering them food, peace was soon made. One of the young boys in the camp held his gun in his hand, not knowing it was loaded and pointed it in a playful way at one of the squaws; the gun discharged, killing her instantly. An awful tragedy followed, almost too terrible to relate. The Indians grabbed the boy; and in spite of all the pleadings of the family and the whole train, punishment was meted out to him in Indian fashion. Great consternation prevailed; and the life of everyone was in danger. They suffered many privations before reaching their goal. Though amply equipped in Independence for the entire ‘rip, they were forced to unload and leave great stacks of provisions on the wayside, to lighten the burden of the poor animals, in order to rush through a fatal epidemic of cholera, their fear of which was greatly magnified by seeing the fresh graves along the trail. However, there was not a single death in the whole train. The train broke up in Utah, going in different directions. Richardson’s party headed straight for California. They had long felt the need of the bacon and flour left behind them, as they were now feeling the pangs of hunger; but the hope of soon approaching a trading station kept up their courage. Imagine the awful disappointment and desperate feeling, when, at the very point of starvation, they found the station (now Dayton) had been abandoned. There was an old slaughterhouse there, where they found some barley and corn. They scraped old hides and made soup and parched the barley for coffee, a fare that but poorly sustained them. Sally A. Richardson was a Christian woman, and her prayers were answered; for they soon came upon comrades in a covered wagon and were able to secure enough food to sustain them while crossing the summit of the Sierras, where they let their wagons down the mountain-side *by ropes. After all the adventures of that historical trip they arrived in Hangtown, now Placerville, with a great deal to be thankful for. Near Hangtown they stopped at a small hotel. Here an amusing little incident occurred: The proprietor offered Mrs. Richardson $200 to act in the capacity of what would now be termed a hostess, young women being almost a curiosity in mining camps in California in 1850, and $100 a month to her husband to do the chores. They had no money, and she was crazy to take up the proposition, being very homesick and wishing to go straight home; but he very proudly told the man he did not bring his wife to California to hire her out. She always had the joke on him. He rather boasted of the fact that he never worked a day for anyone in his life, nor did he M.J. Brock Publishe want his children to—an old Soy arrived in Sacramento “broke,” tent at what is now known as & That evening he took a walk dow door he saw a young fellow soldie faro. He owed Richardson $120. 5 was a warm greeting. All kinds ¢ him if he would let him have $60] back to camp he purchased a few apiece, for instance. On the list y small piece; but being in an ext the awful privations, she was m from across the street; his fee 4 his last dollar in the balance. He another man who owed him, wh that day his funds were never . Before leaving Sacramento . offer, and always said he turned man who owned all of the Livern of heads of cattle offered him half and manage them; but he was be turn him. They struck out for th camp at Rose’s Bar on the Yub soon found he was not a min Richardson, conducted a store ai gold-dust, making a good stake. The Richardson brothers wer of Yuba, Sutter and Nevada Coun’ at Kemptons Crossing on Bea Wheatland, called a garden spot. in the cattle business. In 1856 he Timbuctoo, near Smartsville, Yul where they ran a dairy, selling m and making good money, besides out at a good price and bought ar Sutter County, but always remain In 1862 Mr. Richardson and hi in Mexico. He took his small fam took the steamer for Mazatlan, . men went out to the mine. They work there, but were forced to at great Mexican disturbance, mak They came back to the ranch in Si debris from the hydraulic mines sold out at the psycological mome Quinn Ranch on Coon Creek, Pla family in July, 1864. This was his] place, being the finest in this part Stage station for Marysville, Sacramento. Lotta Crabtree sang threw all kinds of gold pieces at known for its hospitality. The ra when he bought it, but he acct

6 The Nevada County Nugget Wed., Sept. 12 1973 _ Prominent people OLIVE PERRY RICHARDSON Oliver Perry Richardson, familiarly known as Perry Richardson, was born in Franklin County, Mo., February 11, 1822. His father, Nathan Richardson, was a native of Kentucky, of an old Virginia family, and emigrated to Missouri in 1800, where he had a large plantation and a large number of slaves. Perry Richardson was served through the war and received an honorable discharge. He was married in Independence, Mo., in 1849, to Sally A. Woodland, who was born in Louisville, Ky., her parents being old Virginians. In the early spring of 1850, a train of covered wagons drawn by mules and oxen left Independence, Mo., bound for the gold fields of California, helping to blaze the trail ‘‘out where the west begins.”’ In this party were Perry Richardson, twenty-eight years of age; his wife, nineteen; his brother, Straud Richardson; Robert Woodland, his brother-in-law, and Henry Beatty, his nephew, the latter two ~ being boys sixteen years of age. They started with a covered wagon, extra mules, and a full equipment of their own. What courage, patience and endurance it called for in those young people to brave this perilous and venturesome trip across the wild plains, Steep,mountains and rushing rivers! Fording the Platte and Green Rivers was hazardous. They had many narrow escapes from their encounters with the Indians. As was customary, they formed a circle with the covered wagons at night and some one stood guard to protect the stock. One evening, just as they were going into camp, after the circle was formed, they had a most blood-curdling experience. The Indians and several Squaws came like a stampede upon them. By offering them food, peace was soon made. One of the young boys in the camp held his gun in his hand, not knowing it was loaded and pointed it in a playful way at one of the squaws; the gun discharged, killing her instantly. An awful tragedy followed, almost too terrible to relate. The Indians grabbed the boy; and in spite of all the pleadings of the family and the whole train, punishment was meted out to him in Indian fashion. Great consternation prevailed; and the life of everyone was in danger. They suffered many privations before reaching their goal. Though amply equipped in Independence for the entire ‘rip, they were forced to unload and leave great stacks of provisions on the wayside, to lighten the burden of the poor animals, in order to rush through a fatal epidemic of cholera, their fear of which was greatly magnified by seeing the fresh graves along the trail. However, there was not a single death in the whole train. The train broke up in Utah, going in different directions. Richardson’s party headed straight for California. They had long felt the need of the bacon and flour left behind them, as they were now feeling the pangs of hunger; but the hope of soon approaching a trading station kept up their courage. Imagine the awful disappointment and desperate feeling, when, at the very point of starvation, they found the station (now Dayton) had been abandoned. There was an old slaughterhouse there, where they found some barley and corn. They scraped old hides and made soup and parched the barley for coffee, a fare that but poorly sustained them. Sally A. Richardson was a Christian woman, and her prayers were answered; for they soon came upon comrades in a covered wagon and were able to secure enough food to sustain them while crossing the summit of the Sierras, where they let their wagons down the mountain-side *by ropes. After all the adventures of that historical trip they arrived in Hangtown, now Placerville, with a great deal to be thankful for. Near Hangtown they stopped at a small hotel. Here an amusing little incident occurred: The proprietor offered Mrs. Richardson $200 to act in the capacity of what would now be termed a hostess,

young women being almost a curiosity in mining camps in California in 1850, and $100 a month to her husband to do the chores. They had no money, and she was crazy to take up the proposition, being very homesick and wishing to go straight home; but he very proudly told the man he did not bring his wife to California to hire her out. She always had the joke on him. He rather boasted of the fact that he never worked a day for anyone in his life, nor did he M.J. Brock Publishe want his children to—an old Soy arrived in Sacramento “broke,” tent at what is now known as & That evening he took a walk dow door he saw a young fellow soldie faro. He owed Richardson $120. 5 was a warm greeting. All kinds ¢ him if he would let him have $60] back to camp he purchased a few apiece, for instance. On the list y small piece; but being in an ext the awful privations, she was m from across the street; his fee 4 his last dollar in the balance. He another man who owed him, wh that day his funds were never . Before leaving Sacramento . offer, and always said he turned man who owned all of the Livern of heads of cattle offered him half and manage them; but he was be turn him. They struck out for th camp at Rose’s Bar on the Yub soon found he was not a min Richardson, conducted a store ai gold-dust, making a good stake. The Richardson brothers wer of Yuba, Sutter and Nevada Coun’ at Kemptons Crossing on Bea Wheatland, called a garden spot. in the cattle business. In 1856 he Timbuctoo, near Smartsville, Yul where they ran a dairy, selling m and making good money, besides out at a good price and bought ar Sutter County, but always remain In 1862 Mr. Richardson and hi in Mexico. He took his small fam took the steamer for Mazatlan, . men went out to the mine. They work there, but were forced to at great Mexican disturbance, mak They came back to the ranch in Si debris from the hydraulic mines sold out at the psycological mome Quinn Ranch on Coon Creek, Pla family in July, 1864. This was his] place, being the finest in this part Stage station for Marysville, Sacramento. Lotta Crabtree sang threw all kinds of gold pieces at known for its hospitality. The ra when he bought it, but he acct