Aaron McLaughlin Richey (1837 - 1912)

Born 19 Jan 1837 in McConnelsville, Morgan, Ohio, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 5 Apr 1912 at age 75 in Tarpon Springs, Pinellas, Florida, United States

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Biography

Dec. 1883. Aaron McLaughlin Richey and his wife and daughter settle near the mouth of the Pithlachascotee River.

July 9, 1884. The Port Richey post office is established. Aaron Richey was the first postmaster. [A Dec. 13, 1914, newspaper article written by Mrs. Gerben DeVries has: “On an island in the river near the Gulf of Mexico is a dilapidated wooden building in which, years ago, Captain Richey, from whom the settlement is named, conducted a store for the convenience of fishermen and a few scattering settlers. A small slot in one side of the building indicates where letters were posted in the early days, the store also serving as a post office.”]

The City of Port Richey is named after Captain Richey. He was the first postmaster

• Aaron M Richey in the U.S., Appointments of U. S. Postmasters, 1832-1971

Name: Aaron M Richey Post Office Location: Port Richey, Pasco, Florida Appointment Date: 9 Jul 1884 Volume #: 42 Volume Year Range: 1876-1889

History of Port Richey (1949) This article is from a 1949 Port Richey Chamber of Commerce publication.

Aaron McLaughlin Richey was born on a farm near McConnellsville, Ohio, on January 19, 1837. He attended the public schools and later went to the Ohio University at Athens, Ohio. In 1860 he went west and spent some time at St. Joseph, Mo., and while there had the opportunity to go to California as “boss” of a wagon train. It took three months to make the trip and after he reached San Francisco did not like it and returned east by way of the Isthmus of Panama. After a short visit with his parents in Ohio he again went to St. Joseph where he later married a young widow with four children and lived there until forced by a severe throat trouble to seek a warmer climate. He decided to try Florida. He thought best to go if that would agree with his family so spent the spring of 1883 in Brooksville. His family was a wife with four children and he selected Brooksville because a friend of his in St. Joseph had just returned home from there and gave such a wonderful name to the town. The railroad only came as far south as Wildwood so the family had to finish the trip to Brooksville by hack. They secured room and board there with Mr. and Mrs. James W. Clark who during their stay with them invited them to go on a camping trip to their grove on the Cotee River. The Clark family had a small house on the river and also one in the grove and it was there this family saw the beautiful groves of Mr. Clark, Mr. M. N. Hill and Mr. H. W. Howse. They also saw a small grove owned by Mr. Felix Sowers which was for sale and which Mr. Richey bought. He also bought the Point, also owned by Mr. Sowers, May 1, 1883, and the family returned to St. Joseph.

The December following found the family on their way to Florida to live. As the railroad only went as far as Wildwood Mr. Richey chartered a freight car to bring their household goods to Cedar Keys where he chartered a schooner, the Eugene Battey, a flat bottom 18-ton boat, to bring their goods to the Point. A small two room house was there so the best things were piled in the house, the rest left in the yard to the mercy of the weather. This was in December, 1883.

Mr. Richey later built on to the small house and also built a house for a store which he ran for some time. He had a small schooner built in Cedar Keys to run from the Cotee to that town which he named the “Cootie.” This boat had to have a home port so Mr. Richey named the Point “Port Richey.” He also had a post office established there by the same name which he ran until he moved to Tarpon in 1891. The post office was moved to the home of Mr. Clark who was postmaster as long as he lived. The small grove Mr. Richey bought was enlarged to 15 acres. It was located at what is now New Port Richey. The 1895 freeze killed this grove.

In the spring of 1891 Mr. Richey had a severe heart attack and moved to Tarpon to be near a drug store as that town only had a doctor during the winter season. Mr. Richey died at the home of his daughter in Jacksonville April 5, 1912. Mrs. Richey died in Tarpon in September, 1899. The four families who lived on the Cotee, Mr. and Mrs. Hill, Mr. and Mrs. Clark, Mr. and Mrs. Howse, and the Richey family are together again in the cemetery at Tarpon Springs. The children who survive are Mrs. Alice Hill Nicks, S. O. Howse, Mrs. Ruby Herms, Mrs. Frances Liles, D. H. Clark, Victor Clark, Will Richey, and Mrs. Margaret Brown. The 1880’s were primitive days in that country. After settling there in 1883 it was three months before the family saw a woman other than the family. The only means of travel were by boat or horse and cart over winding roads through heavy sand.

Census

• 1850 United States Federal Census

Name: Aaron Richey Gender: Male Age: 13 Birth Year: abt 1837 Birthplace: Ohio Home in 1850: Marion, Morgan, Ohio, USA Attended School: Y Line Number: 22 Dwelling Number: 730 Family Number: 730 Household Members Age Moses Richey 45 Margaret Richey 39 John Richey 17 Sarah Richey 15 Aaron Richey 13 William Richey 12 Llewellin Richey 10 James Richey 8 Peter Richey 5

• 1860 United States Federal Census

Name: A M Richie Age: 23 Birth Year: abt 1837 Gender: Male Birth Place: Ohio Home in 1860: Davis, Caldwell, Missouri Dwelling Number: 515 Family Number: 515 Occupation: Schoolteacher Household Members Age David George 60 A George 32 S E George 22 J T George 20 Thos D George 17 H N George 16 L E George 15 A R T George 13 A M Richie 23

• 1870 United States Federal Census

Name: A M Rickey [Alexander M Richey] [Aaron M Richey] Age in 1870: 32 Birth Date: abt 1838 Birthplace: Ohio Dwelling Number: 464 Home in 1870: Washington, Buchanan, Missouri Race: White Gender: Male Post Office: Easton Occupation: Furniture Dealer Male Citizen Over 21: Yes Personal Estate Value: 5330 Real Estate Value: 35000 Inferred Spouse: Mary L Rickey Inferred Children: Mary M Rickey Household Members Age A M Rickey 32 Mary L Rickey 37 Mary M Rickey Allice Baldwin 17 Lelia Baldwin 11 Charles Baldwin 9 Joseph Baldwin 7

• 1880 United States Federal Census

Name: A. M. Richey Age: 43 Birth Date: Abt 1837 Birthplace: Ohio Home in 1880: Saint Joseph, Buchanan, Missouri, USA Street: 17th St Dwelling Number: 250 Race: White Gender: Male Relation to Head of House: Self (Head) Marital Status: Married Spouse's Name: Mary L. Richey Father's Birthplace: Virginia Mother's Birthplace: Ohio Occupation: Horticulturist Household Members Age Relationship A. M. Richey 43 Self (Head) Mary L. Richey 47 Wife Mary M. Richey 11 Daughter William A. M. Richey 9 Son Annie Richey 3 Daughter Lelia M. Baldwin 22 Stepdaughter (Step Daughter)

• 1885 Florida, U.S., State Census, 1867-1945

Name: A M Richy Age: 50 Gender: Male Race: White Birth Place: Ohio Est. Birth Year: abt 1835 Relationship to Head: Head Family Number: 840 Marital status: Married Spouse Name: Mary Richy Father's Birth Place: Ohio Mother's Birth Place: Ohio Census Year: 1885 County: Hernando Page: 98 Line: 26 Archive Series #: M845, Roll 4 Household Members: Name Age A M Richy 50 Mary Richy 50 Margeret Richy 16 Wm Richy 14 Amelia Richy 8

• 1900 United States Federal Census

Name: Aaron W Richey Age: 63 Birth Date: Jan 1837 Birthplace: Ohio, USA Home in 1900: Tarpon Springs, Hillsborough, Florida Sheet Number: 1 Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation: 1 Family Number: 1 Race: White Gender: Male Relation to Head of House: Head Marital Status: Widowed Father's Birthplace: Virginia, USA Mother's Birthplace: Ohio, USA Can Read: Yes Can Write: Yes Can Speak English: Yes House Owned or Rented: Own Home Free or Mortgaged: F Farm or House: H Household Members Age Relationship Aaron W Richey 63 Head William A M Richey 29 Son Maggie B Brown 31 Daughter

• 1910 United States Federal Census

Name: Aaron M Richee [Aaron M Richie] Age in 1910: 73 Birth Date: 1837 [1837] Birthplace: Ohio Home in 1910: Tarpon Springs, Hillsborough, Florida, USA Street: Court Street Race: White Gender: Male Relation to Head of House: Head Marital Status: Widowed Father's Birthplace: West Virginia Mother's Birthplace: Ohio Native Tongue: English Occupation: Real Estate Industry: Agent Employer, Employee or Other: Own Account Home Owned or Rented: Own Home Free or Mortgaged: Free Farm or House: House Able to read: Yes Able to Write: Yes Years Married: 4 Household Members Age Relationship Aaron M Richee 73 Head

Military

• U.S., Register of Civil, Military, and Naval Service, 1863-1959

Name: Aaron M. Richey Residence Date: 1 Jul 1887 Station or Residence Place: Hernando, Florida, USA Year: 1887 Title: Official Register of the United States, Containing a List of the Officers and Employees in the Civil, Military, and Naval Service Together with a List of Vessels Belonging to the United States Volume: Volume 2

Will

• Florida, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1827-1950

Name: Aaron M Richey Residence Place: Duval, Florida Will Date: 15 Mar 1912 Probate Date: 5 Apr 1912 Probate Place: Duval, Florida, USA Inferred Death Year: 1912 Inferred Death Place: Florida, USA Others Listed Relationship Aaron M Richey W. A. M. Richey Son Brown Daughter Annie Richie Polk Daughter

Burial

Cycadia Cemetery Tarpon Springs, Pinellas County, Florida, USA

Sources

• http://www.fivay.org/port_richey.html

• https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/r/i/c/James-r-Richey-WA/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0067.html

• https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/r/i/c/James-r-Richey-WA/index.html

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/30970394/aaron-m.-richey

• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Port_Richey%2C_Pasco_County%2C_Florida