Richardson, James A., M.D.

The following data is extracted from History of the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and Washington, 1889.

JAMES A. RICHARDSON, M.D. - Doctor Richardson was born in Adams county, Illinois, November 15, 1840. His grandfather, George Richardson, was born in Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, serving in the war of the Revolution, and after its close taking an active part under Generals St. Clair and Wayne in the war against the Indians of now West Virginia and Ohio. After the suppression of the hostility of those tribes, he, with one companion, in a canoe, floated down the Ohio river to its confluence with the Mississippi, and thence passed up that river to Kaskaskia, then a French post for trading with the Indians. There a few years afterwards, he married Miss Sarah Griffin, niece of General B. Whitesides, by whom he raised five sons and four daughters, all of whom lived to raise families. John G. Richardson, the eldest and the father of the subject of this sketch, was born on the American Bottom, five miles above St. Louis, where he lived until 1812, when the United States declared war against Great Britain, and called for volunteers to protect the rights of American and her people. Again for the third time the grandfather shouldered his musket, and this time led his eldest son, then a lad of sixteen years to the defense of his country.

In 18__ John G. Richardson married Miss Orphia Thompson, and moved up to Green county, and finally to Adams county, Illinois, where they raised nine boys and one girl. In 1851 he crossed the plains to Oregon, and, being well prepared for the great journey, he succeeded in reaching the far West without unusual hardships, and with only one battle with the Indians, which took place on Goose creek, where it empties into Snake river. The Indians attacked the train while in camp at about five o'clock P.M., but at sundown withdrew to a high hill in plain view of the camp, and held a war dance for the entertainment of the train. At daylight next morning they renewed the attack, but finding the train too strong for them again withdrew about nine o'clock, and gave no further trouble. On reaching the Willamette valley, he went directly to Linn county, where he located a Donation land claim, upon which he resided until his death, May 2, 1872.

He was a quiet citizen and a true friend, avoiding notoriety, and caring nothing for office or public honors; yet he was esteemed by an extensive acquaintance as a man of sterling worth and honor.

Doctor J.A. Richardson graduated in medicine in San Francisco in October, 1866, and from Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York, in March, 1870, taking meanwhile a special course in practical surgery under Professor Frank H. Hamilton. He then returned to Salem, Oregon, where he is now practicing his profession, and where the Doctor has been called to various positions of trust and honor, serving in numerous useful positions in the Third Judicial District Medical Society and the Oregon State Medical Society. He was one of the organizers of the latter, and filled for several years a chair in the Medical Department of the Willamette University. He also occupied the positions of physician to the Oregon State Penitentiary, of visiting physician to the Oregon State Insane Asylum, of physician to the state institutions for the deaf mutes and the state school for the blind. He also for four years represented Marion county in the state senate.

In May, 1871, he was married to Miss Fannie Boyd, who was born in Yamhill county, Oregon, in 1852, and was educated at Willamette University, by whom he has two children, Frankie and Boyd.

Source: History of the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and Washington, 1889

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