Husband of Ellen Brady Thurston Cresswell (1844-1917)

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Father of Anna B. Cresswell (1876-1967), Harry Edward Cresswell (1878-1969),

Nellie Cresswell (Holst) (1881-1964), and Mittie Cresswell (Lane) (1869-1935)

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The following is from notes Anna Cresswell, his daughter, had on file.

These notes were compiled and typed by Anita Lane Kaiser, great-granddaughter of Richard William Cresswell's, in January of 1968:

"The family (Richard Lowe Cresswell) lived on the farm near Madison, Ind. and young Richard (Richard William Cresswell) took over the working of it when he was old enough.

Young Richard worked in the mills at times, but preferred farming and eventually made that his life work. He was a very good farmer - very particular and painstaking.

He served in the Home Guards during the Civil War. His vote was for Abraham Lincoln.

After he and Ellen Thurston were married, they lived for a number of years on a farm owned by Reuben Strickler. Here all their children were born (near Boggstown).

Richard and Ellen worked hard and saved their money in view of buying a home of their own and this thought materialized when they bought a 40 acre farm in Tipton Co. The family moved there in Oct. 1883.

Joseph Cresswell and his wife had gone to Tipton Co. two years before. They lived seven miles west of Richard.

The house on the 40 acres was of logs and weather boarding over it.

There were two lard rooms- a fireplace in one, an attic above.

There was a frame lean-to at the back, a bedroom and kitchen.

The family lived in this house until 1886 when it was replaced by a new story and half house with a fine cellar.

Most of the 40 acres were tillable- a few acres in woodlot.

There was a fine orchard with many apples such as Northern Spy, Rambo, Greening, Sweet Bough, Snow Sheep-Nose, Vandiver, and others.

There was also a cherry and pear orchard and the family had an abundance of fruit in season, also sweet cider used to drink or in making apple butter.

The farm was not on a highway but had to be reached by a lane.

Across on the east was a farm owned by Harry Goar- our dear "Uncle Henry". His daughter Emma was our teacher for several years.

Another dear teacher was Manas (or Hanas? First letter was not clear) Mullarkey, also son of a near neighbor.

The Cresswells moved to an 80 acre farm in Tippecanoe Co. where the older members lived all their lives.

They erected a 4 room house. In later years, more rooms were added.

The Cresswell children attended Clarks Hill school. There was a fine group of teachers there."

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Anita Lane Kaiser then concluded with the following in her own words:

"I vaguely remember my great- grandfather, Richard (William) Cresswell, as I was but three years old when he died.

My clearest recollection was of the stern scolding he gave me for not cleaning mud off of my shoes and tracking up the kitchen floor in their home in Clarks Hill.

Last summer (1967), I rode past the Cresswell home on several occasions and was pleased to see that it had been well cared for; the original barn still stands, as does a tool shed.

I was delighted to view the fine oak trees (under which I many times took my summer naps as a child) still reaching to the skies.

Many of my happiest childhood memories centered about this farm; trips to the "little woods" in search of violets, playing in the hayloft, baking my first cake, and even learning to milk "Sprinkle", our gentle cow."