JOSEPH RICHARDS, a representative and honored agriculturist of West Bethlehem township, is a son of Joseph Richards, whose father, James, and early ancestry lived and died in Pennsylvania, east of the mountains. Joseph Richards (father of subject) was born in Bridgeport, Penn., and early in life began business as a boatman on the Monongahela river. He married Mary, daughter of Joseph Horner, a native of Fayette county, Penn., and to them was born one child, Joseph. The father lost his life while plying his vocation as boatman on the river. He was stooping to get water, when he lost his balance, fell into the river, and before assistance arrived was drowned. Joseph Richards, son of Joseph and Mary (Horner) Richards, was born in Bridgeport, Fayette Co., Penn., in June, 1829, and early in his boyhood he began the vocation at which he is still employed, that of farming. When about fifteen years of age he came to Washington county, at which time he possessed nothing in the world save a stout heart and a strong will. He began life here, working at whatever presented itself, and by saving his earnings, was, in 1852, enabled to buy a share in a threshing-machine. Continuing to toil and save, he finally invested in fifty-five acres of land, adjoining the property he now owns, which later comprises 340 acres of finely cultivated land, on which are a number of commodious buildings, all in good repair, and having an air of prosperity and thrift. In 1862 Mr. Richards married Maria, daughter of Peter Shidler, whose parents were of German descent, and among the early settlers of Washington county. To Mr. and Mrs. Richards have been born children as follows: Nora, Addi, Effa, Harry H. (attending Duff's Business College, Pittsburgh), Mary and Walter, all of whom are living at home. In political preferments Mr. Richards is a stanch Republican, and has been elected to the office of school director, which he has filled with credit to himself and the satisfaction of his constituents. He and his family are members of the Methodist Church. He is one of the typical self-made men of the county, his present prosperity being entirely due to thrift, proper ambition and sterling honesty, and he well merits the esteem and respect of all who know him.

Text taken from page 1462 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed January 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project. Published January 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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