************************~ooOoo~************************
"My Grandfather, SAMUEL PAUL RIKER refused to be drafted into the Union Army during the Civil War, as I understand it. He didn't want to fight against relatives on the opposite side so he took off and assumed his Grandmother's maiden name (I can't vouch for these details) but the assumed name was RICHARDSON, I think, and over the years it got simmered down to RIKER.
SAMUEL JOSHUA PAUL RIKER was probably born in Pa. He probably married in MI - because my father DAVID was born in Hastings, MI. SAMUEL PAUL had one brother, DANIEL, and a sister HANNAH PAUL BRANDS."
~~Excerpts of a LETTER from IVA (RIKER) WEBB to ELLEN L. (SKELTON) HATHAWAY, 1 July 1983
*****
I, however; found a record where Samuel was either drafted or enlisted into what I believe to be the 16th infantry division of the regular U.S. Army....this is off of an enlistment record that is very complicated to read. This record supports his age of 25 at the date of enlistment. From there, your guess is as good as mine. My thought is he had to do something to cause him to take flight and change his name. The theory in my head is two fold. He either never showed for duty or fought some engagements and didn't like what he saw....in any event he joined for a 5 year term and served less than half of his term if I am reading this correctly. He joined in July of 1863 in NY, then by January of 1865 was married in Michigan to Marinda.... Through some study my Uncle Donald did, he had found that the federal government had chased him as far west as Colorado? But the last name was definitely PAUL. His mothers name however was REICHARD. The census records show that there were three changes. PAUL to REICHARD, REICHARD to RIKESON and RIKESON to RIKER....this change was reflected on the children and Marinda's name in addition.
~~Excerpt of email from WESLEY RIKER, 29 October 2011
*****
1850 U.S. CENSUS, UPPER MT. BETHEL TWP., NORTHAMPTON CO., PA, 30 October 1850
Paul, David, 44, Cooper, b. PA
Paul, Christina, 48, b. PA
Paul, Elizabeth, 17, b. PA
Paul, Hannah, 15, b. PA
PAUL, SAMUEL, 12, b. PA
Paul, Daniel, 10, b. PA
Paul, Maria, 8, b. PA
Paul, William, 7, b. PA
Paul, Sally, 5, b. PA
1860 U.S. CENSUS, UPPER MT. BETHEL TWP., NORTHAMPTON CO., PA, 15 June 1860
Paul, David, 53, Laborer, b. PA
Paul, Christeen, 58, b. PA
Paul, Sarah A., 15, b. PA
Paul, Sufena, 28, Domestic, b. PA
Paul, Maria, 17, Domestic, b. PA
PAUL, SAMUEL, 22, Laborer, b. PA
Paul, William 15, b. PA
NOTE: The above entries from the 1850 & 1860 Censuses of Upper Mt. Bethel Twp., Northampton Co., PA, are offered as evidence of Samuel Paul Riker's origins, given the family legend about his last name originally being PAUL. Samuel Paul disappears after the 1860 Census. Also, in Samuel Riker's son David's 1868 birth record, it states that Samuel was b. in NORTHAMPTON CO., PA. Furthermore, Samuel's eldest daughter, RUFENA, got married in Michigan in 1885 using the surname of 'PAUL' instead of 'RIKER'.
Samuel's parents, DAVID & CHRISTINA PAUL, are buried in Old Union Cemetery, located in the village of Stone Church in Upper Mt. Bethel Twp., Northampton Co., PA.
*****
According to a family register of Riker Birth, Marriage & Death dates sent to me by ELLEN (SKELTON) HATHAWAY, the marriage of SAMUEL PAUL RIKER & MARINDA LEWIS occurred 29 January 1865 (A copy of this colorful register can be found as one of the photo images in SAMUEL RIKER's 'Find A Grave' Memorial - Select the 'Photo' tab at the top of this memorial).
*****
1870 U.S. CENSUS, CASTLETON, BARRY CO., MI, 1 August 1870
RIKER, SAMUEL, 41, Blacksmith, b. NJ
Riker, Marinda, 22, Keeps House, b. OH
Riker, Agens, 5, b. OH
Riker, David O., 1, b.MI
1880 U.S. CENSUS, HASTINGS TWP., BARRY CO., MI, 4 June 1880
REICHARD, SAM, 48, Farmer, b. PA (Parents b. PA)
Reichard, Marinda (Wife), 33, Keeping House, b. OH (Father b. VT / Mother b. NY)
Reichard, Ruffena A. (Daughter), 15, At Home, b. MI (Father b. PA / Mother b. OH)
Reichard, David O. (Son), 13, Works on Farm, b. MI (Father b. PA / Mother b. OH)
Reichard, Lemuel (Son), 4, b. MI (Father b. PA / Mother b. OH)
Reichard, Friend D. (Son), 2, b. MI (Father b. PA / Mother b. OH)
Burton, William (Farm Hand), 44, Farm Laborer, b. NY (Father b. MA / Mother b. NY)
1900 U.S. CENSUS, LUCKIAMUTE PRECINCT, POLK CO., OR, 14 June 1900
RIKER, SAMUAL (Head), 62, b. Feb. 1838, PA (Father b. PA / Mother b. Germany), Married 38 Yrs., Farmer
Riker, Marinda (Wife), 52, b. July 1847, OH (Father b. VT / Mother b. NY), Married 38 Yrs., Mother of 9 Children - 7 Living
Riker, Lemuel A (Son), 24, b. Apr. 1876, MI (Father b. PA / Mother b. OH), Married 6/12 Mos., Farm Laborer
Riker, Friend __ (Son), 22, b. Apr. 1878, MI (Father b. PA / Mother b. OH), Logger
Riker, Lizzie L. (Daughter), 13, b. June 1886, MI (Father b. PA / Mother b. OH), At School
1910 U.S. CENSUS, LUCKIAMUTE, POLK CO., OR, 13 May 1910
RIKER, SAMUEL (Head), 73, b. PA (Father b. PA / Mother b. Germany), Married 44 Yrs., Farmer - General Farm
Riker, Merinda (Wife), 62, b. OH (Father b. VT / Mother b. OH), Married 44 Yrs., Mother of 6 Children - 4 Living
************************~ooOoo~************************
"My Grandfather, SAMUEL PAUL RIKER refused to be drafted into the Union Army during the Civil War, as I understand it. He didn't want to fight against relatives on the opposite side so he took off and assumed his Grandmother's maiden name (I can't vouch for these details) but the assumed name was RICHARDSON, I think, and over the years it got simmered down to RIKER.
SAMUEL JOSHUA PAUL RIKER was probably born in Pa. He probably married in MI - because my father DAVID was born in Hastings, MI. SAMUEL PAUL had one brother, DANIEL, and a sister HANNAH PAUL BRANDS."
~~Excerpts of a LETTER from IVA (RIKER) WEBB to ELLEN L. (SKELTON) HATHAWAY, 1 July 1983
*****
I, however; found a record where Samuel was either drafted or enlisted into what I believe to be the 16th infantry division of the regular U.S. Army....this is off of an enlistment record that is very complicated to read. This record supports his age of 25 at the date of enlistment. From there, your guess is as good as mine. My thought is he had to do something to cause him to take flight and change his name. The theory in my head is two fold. He either never showed for duty or fought some engagements and didn't like what he saw....in any event he joined for a 5 year term and served less than half of his term if I am reading this correctly. He joined in July of 1863 in NY, then by January of 1865 was married in Michigan to Marinda.... Through some study my Uncle Donald did, he had found that the federal government had chased him as far west as Colorado? But the last name was definitely PAUL. His mothers name however was REICHARD. The census records show that there were three changes. PAUL to REICHARD, REICHARD to RIKESON and RIKESON to RIKER....this change was reflected on the children and Marinda's name in addition.
~~Excerpt of email from WESLEY RIKER, 29 October 2011
*****
1850 U.S. CENSUS, UPPER MT. BETHEL TWP., NORTHAMPTON CO., PA, 30 October 1850
Paul, David, 44, Cooper, b. PA
Paul, Christina, 48, b. PA
Paul, Elizabeth, 17, b. PA
Paul, Hannah, 15, b. PA
PAUL, SAMUEL, 12, b. PA
Paul, Daniel, 10, b. PA
Paul, Maria, 8, b. PA
Paul, William, 7, b. PA
Paul, Sally, 5, b. PA
1860 U.S. CENSUS, UPPER MT. BETHEL TWP., NORTHAMPTON CO., PA, 15 June 1860
Paul, David, 53, Laborer, b. PA
Paul, Christeen, 58, b. PA
Paul, Sarah A., 15, b. PA
Paul, Sufena, 28, Domestic, b. PA
Paul, Maria, 17, Domestic, b. PA
PAUL, SAMUEL, 22, Laborer, b. PA
Paul, William 15, b. PA
NOTE: The above entries from the 1850 & 1860 Censuses of Upper Mt. Bethel Twp., Northampton Co., PA, are offered as evidence of Samuel Paul Riker's origins, given the family legend about his last name originally being PAUL. Samuel Paul disappears after the 1860 Census. Also, in Samuel Riker's son David's 1868 birth record, it states that Samuel was b. in NORTHAMPTON CO., PA. Furthermore, Samuel's eldest daughter, RUFENA, got married in Michigan in 1885 using the surname of 'PAUL' instead of 'RIKER'.
Samuel's parents, DAVID & CHRISTINA PAUL, are buried in Old Union Cemetery, located in the village of Stone Church in Upper Mt. Bethel Twp., Northampton Co., PA.
*****
According to a family register of Riker Birth, Marriage & Death dates sent to me by ELLEN (SKELTON) HATHAWAY, the marriage of SAMUEL PAUL RIKER & MARINDA LEWIS occurred 29 January 1865 (A copy of this colorful register can be found as one of the photo images in SAMUEL RIKER's 'Find A Grave' Memorial - Select the 'Photo' tab at the top of this memorial).
*****
1870 U.S. CENSUS, CASTLETON, BARRY CO., MI, 1 August 1870
RIKER, SAMUEL, 41, Blacksmith, b. NJ
Riker, Marinda, 22, Keeps House, b. OH
Riker, Agens, 5, b. OH
Riker, David O., 1, b.MI
1880 U.S. CENSUS, HASTINGS TWP., BARRY CO., MI, 4 June 1880
REICHARD, SAM, 48, Farmer, b. PA (Parents b. PA)
Reichard, Marinda (Wife), 33, Keeping House, b. OH (Father b. VT / Mother b. NY)
Reichard, Ruffena A. (Daughter), 15, At Home, b. MI (Father b. PA / Mother b. OH)
Reichard, David O. (Son), 13, Works on Farm, b. MI (Father b. PA / Mother b. OH)
Reichard, Lemuel (Son), 4, b. MI (Father b. PA / Mother b. OH)
Reichard, Friend D. (Son), 2, b. MI (Father b. PA / Mother b. OH)
Burton, William (Farm Hand), 44, Farm Laborer, b. NY (Father b. MA / Mother b. NY)
1900 U.S. CENSUS, LUCKIAMUTE PRECINCT, POLK CO., OR, 14 June 1900
RIKER, SAMUAL (Head), 62, b. Feb. 1838, PA (Father b. PA / Mother b. Germany), Married 38 Yrs., Farmer
Riker, Marinda (Wife), 52, b. July 1847, OH (Father b. VT / Mother b. NY), Married 38 Yrs., Mother of 9 Children - 7 Living
Riker, Lemuel A (Son), 24, b. Apr. 1876, MI (Father b. PA / Mother b. OH), Married 6/12 Mos., Farm Laborer
Riker, Friend __ (Son), 22, b. Apr. 1878, MI (Father b. PA / Mother b. OH), Logger
Riker, Lizzie L. (Daughter), 13, b. June 1886, MI (Father b. PA / Mother b. OH), At School
1910 U.S. CENSUS, LUCKIAMUTE, POLK CO., OR, 13 May 1910
RIKER, SAMUEL (Head), 73, b. PA (Father b. PA / Mother b. Germany), Married 44 Yrs., Farmer - General Farm
Riker, Merinda (Wife), 62, b. OH (Father b. VT / Mother b. OH), Married 44 Yrs., Mother of 6 Children - 4 Living
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