HENRY C. RICHARDS

HENRY RICHARDS DIES SUDDENLY
RICHARDS IRON WORKS HEAD IS DEAD, AGE 70
Stricken Sunday Morning He Survives But Few Hours
Henry C. Richards, head of the Richards Iron Works and for many years identified
with the industrial and business life of the city, died at his home on N. Ninth
street at 10:30 Sunday night after an illness of but few hours. Mr. Richards
suffered a sudden attack of heart trouble Sunday morning and failed to rally from
it, the end coming as the day closed.
News of the death came as a shock to the community in which Mr. Richards has a wide
acquaintance. He was about town Saturday and at his offices on North Ninth street
up to closing time and had not complained of illness although friends for some time
had feared that his health was in decline. At 4 o’clock Sunday morning members of
the family heard Mr. Richards in apparent distress and found him seriously ill.
Physicians who were summoned made every effort to relieve him but the effort was
futile.
Native of New York
Mr. Richards, who came here more than fifty years ago with his parents, was a native
of Troy, New York, having been born there June 9, 1854, a son of Jonah and Mary Ann
Richards, who were natives of Wales and England. The family located in Virginia and
later came to Wisconsin, residing first at Milwaukee and later coming to this city
where Mr. Richards’ father established a blacksmith business in years before the civil
war. In 1876 he removed from York and Eighth street and erected a machine shop at Ninth
and Commercial street, the present location of the Richards Iron Works. The elder
Richards engaged in building boats having built the vessels Jonah Richards, Alice
Richards, S. A. Wood, William Richards and later the City of Manitowoc. With the late
H.C. Burger he built the H.C. Burger and was associated with Mr. Burger in the founding
of the Manitowoc Shipyards.
Son succeeds Father
Following the death of his father, Henry Richards took up the business with his brother
William D. Richards and for forty years has been engaged in management of the Iron Works,
enlarging and extending the plant and its operations. During the world war the Richards
plant enjoyed an unusual busy period and Mr. Richards’ health is believed to have broken
under the strain at that time although he never gave up. Although nearly 70 years of age,
Mr. Richards belied his years and was active as a man of 50 and little more than that in
appearance. He was a hard worker and gave personal attention to details of the business
and shops.
Leaves Family of Ten
Mr. Richards was married in 1880 to Adah Turner who, with ten children, four sons and six
daughters, survive him. The children are Harry, Reuben, Robert, Archie, Mary Bess, Helen,
Mrs. Jon Barnes, all of this city; Mrs. Watson of Fond du Lac; Mrs. Horace Whitaker and
Mrs. Charles Bugg, of Glendale, Calif. One brother, W. D. Richards, of Monrovia, Calif.,
also survives him.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday afternoon at 2 from St. James church, the Rev.
F. P. Keicher officiating. Mr. Richards was a member of the Elks and of the Knights of
Phythias and had been active in the work of the latter order in particular.
The death of Mr. Richards is a sad shock to family and friends and calls forth sympathy
from the community.
Manitowoc Herald News, February 18, 1924
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(Henry Richards/d. Mar. 1924/from record of St. James Epis. ch., Manitowoc)
[bur. 02-20-1924/cause: chronic interstitial nephritis/bur. on Adah Richards lot]
*******
news article:
HARRY RICHARDS IN FATAL WRECK
Local Man Loses Grip in Wreck in Which Eight Met Death
TRAINS MEET HEAD-ON NEAR ATTICA, O.
A passenger on passenger train No. 15 on the Penn Railway Co., out of Attica,
Ohio, enroute to Chicago on his way home Saturday, Harry Richards of the Richards
Iron Works Co., of this city had a close call to injury and death in a wreck in
which eight people lost their lives near Attica. Mr. Richards lost his traveling
case with a supply of clothing, the case being crushed and buried in the debris
of the wrecked train.
Eight people were killed outright and twelve others were seriously injured in the
wreck which resulted from a collision of the passenger train with a fast express
train eight miles south of Attica. The wreck occurred on a curve in the track, the
two trains crashing head-on, the cars being tumbled over a steep embankment and
that the death list is not larger is a marvel. Two of the eight died are members
of the train crew of the two trains. Mr. Richards was on his way to this city after
a trip in the interest of the Richards Iron Co. and was enroute from Attica to
Chicago. The accident happened at 2 o'clock in the morning and Mr. Richards and
other passengers of the train were exposed to the cold and weather while waiting
the arrival of relief trains. Mr. Richards reached home Sunday night uninjured.
Manitowoc Daily Herald, Tues., Dec. 27, 1910