TENNESSEE
Zachariah was the son of Edmund Hendley Richards Sr. [1783] VA and Sarah Ann Warren. He was born in Robertson Co TN [just north of Nashville]. Zachariah's grandfather, Edward, died in 1812 in Franklin County VA. Zachariah's father, Edmund Hendley Richards Sr., moved with his family, aunts, uncles, and sisters in 1814 into Tennessee where they settled and farmed.

ON TO ILLINOIS
Sixteen years later, in 1830, the same families migrated north into Macoupin Co IL [25 miles southwest of Springfield] where they purchased land on the upper borderline of North Otter and North Palmyra townships, built homes, and worked the soil.

MARRIAGE
When not quite 17 years old, Zachariah married Mary "Polly" Field on March 11 1832 in Macoupin County IL.

MISSOURI
Following his father's death in 1840, Zachariah, brother Caleb D. Richards, his widowed mother Sarah, and the Henry Carter family [Henry had married Zachariah and Caleb's brother Enoch's widow] packed up and traveled the 260+ miles to Andrew County in north west Missouri.

TIME PERIOD
1803 - what would become the state was a part of the Louisiana Purchase.
1820 - Missouri became a state.
1821 - Lewis and Clark began their explorations of the area.
1837 February - local tribes signed a treaty giving up their rights to land east of the Missouri River in what is now northwestern Missouri. This was called the Platte Purchase.
1841 January 29 - Andrew County was formally organized from part of this "Platte Purchase".
1844 - the Mormon pioneers were in process of moving to Utah.
1849 - The California gold rush saw even faster westward expansion.
The Richards family troupe arrived in north-west Missouri on May 10 of 1841. There were no towns, no roads, and few white people. The federally sponsored Platte Purchase from the Cherokee Indians had opened up farmland to new settlers from the east. Once there, each family chose land, cleared, improved, built their own homes and farmed a little over a mile south-east of present-day Rea MO.

The great western migration following the Oregon Trail would not occur until 1845. There were fewer than 20,000 white people west of the Mississippi at the time Zachariah settled there. Tens of thousands of settlers passed near the Richards' home and "jumped off" in wagon trains onto the great plains at places like Independence MO and Council Bluffs IA. Their destinations were Oregon or California.

FARM LAND
Missouri Land Records show on May 21 1845 Zachariah received title to 168 acres north west quarter of section 8 of Empire Township of Andrew County. Then on December 25 1846 he purchased 130 acres in the north west portion of section 18 of Andrew County [section 18 is the section directly south of section 8]. Brother Caleb's property was the north east quarter of section 18. Their land adjoined.

CHILDREN
Zachariah and Polly were parents of 10 children.
1. Davidson (1833) IL
2. Louisa D. (1834) IL +Marcellus D. Dean
3. Francis Decalb (1837) IL
4. Sarah Elizabeth (1838) IL +Francis Wells
5. George W. (1840) IL
6. Nancy Jane (1843) MO +J.P. Roberts
7. Martha (1846) MO
8. Zachariah Franklin (1848) MO +Mary E. Graham
9. Mary Ellen (1850) MO +Isaac McCormick
10. Mariah (1853) MO

In the 1850 census of Andrew County MO, Zachariah's family is shown, along with his widowed mother Sarah "Sally", age 69, with neighbors Caleb Richards, Peter Cartwright Stewart [cousin of Zachariah and Caleb], and James Harvey McPeters [who was married to Peter Stewart's sister Charity]. Zachariah's property valued at $1500.

He and brother Caleb cared for their mother Sarah Ann in her declining years. She passed away at Zachariah's home in 1854.

CIVIL WAR
During Civil War years, Zachariah's son, Zachariah Franklin Richards, enlisted at age 15 in the Missouri militia for the Confederacy. In Provost Records Francis D., his brother George W., and their father Zachariah W. were arrested for "aiding the enemy" in June of 1862. Bond was set for $1000, and they were confined to Andrew and Buchanan Counties. On the same day, each took an "oath of loyalty" to the Union, and the issue was resolved.

Zachariah's brother Caleb & family eventually moved in 1859 to Nodaway county, just north of Andrew county. Caleb had a son, Hugh Gibson Richards, who enlisted in Iowa and fought for the Union.

1850 census Platte Twsp, Andrew Co, MO
Zachariah Richardson [sic] M 35 Tennessee
Polly Richardson F 37 Alabama
Davidson Richardson M 17 Illinois
Louisa Richardson F 16 Illinois
Decalb Richardson M 13 Illinois
Elizabeth Richardson F 12 Illinois
George Richardson M 10 Illinois
Jane Richardson F 7 Missouri
Martha Richardson F 4 Missouri
Z Richardson M 2 Missouri
Mary E Richardson F 0 Missouri
Sally Richardson [sic] F 69 Virginia

1860 census Platte Twsp, Andrew County MO
Z W Richards M 45 Tennessee
Mary Richards F 47 Tennessee
George Richards M 20 Missouri
Jane Richards F 16 Missouri
Martha Richards F 14 Missouri
Franklin Richards M 11 Missouri
Mary Richards F 9 Missouri
Mariah Richards F 7 Missouri

A 2ND MARRIAGE
After wife Mary passed on in 1863, Zachariah married a widow named America Tanner-Luke in Gentry County MO on May 18 1871. She passed away before 1900, but I do not know when. America and three of her four sons lived with her sister Kate [Catherine A. Tanner], and the rest of the David Moran family as shown below.

1870 census Platte Twnsp, Whitesville, Andrew Co MO
David Moran M 51 Kentucky
Kate A Moran F 51 Kentucky
Robert Moran M 23 Missouri
Samuel Moran M 21 Missouri
Elizabeth Moran F 84 Kentucky
America Luke F 49 Kentucky
Thomas Luke M 18 Kentucky
Albert Luke M 13 Indiana
George Luke M 12 Indiana
Mary Wood F 50 Tennessee
William Tanner M 75 Kentucky
Rachel Brumfield F 40 Kentucky

1900 census Empire Township, Andrew Co MO:
Zachariah Richards 84 [widowed]
Andrew J. Vanfasson [servant] 47

LINEAGE:
Edmund Hendley RICHARDS Sr. [1783] Franklin Co VA/TN/IL
Edward RICHARDS [1731] MD/old Lunenburg/Franklin Co VA
Benjamin RICHARDS [1710] MD/old Lunenburg/Franklin Co VA
Edward RICHARDS [1678] Manchester, Lancashire England/MD