HUMPHREY, Richard, b 1834; 1905 Bio, Delta County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/delta/bios/humphreyr.txt --------------------------------------- Donated October 3, 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- Richard Humphrey Born to a destiny of toil, hardship, danger and privation, and obliged almost from childhood to make his own way in the world, Richard Humphrey, of Delta county, the owner and manager of a fine ranch of two hundred and forty acres lying on Ash Mesa eight miles from Delta, has bravely confronted every difficulty and successfully overcome every obstacle. He was born July 25, 1834, in the state of Kentucky and is the son of James and Angeline (Tanner) Humphrey, both natives of Kentucky. The father died when the son was but one year old, leaving a family of three children, all of whom are living. Richard was reared on the farm and owing to the conditions of the family and the need of every available hand in getting through with the farm work, he had but few and short opportunities for attending school. yet such was the natural force and aptitude of his mind that he acquired a fair degree of knowledge of the elementary branches of school learning and because of the very difficulties of his situation gained self-reliance and resourcefulness--qualities of great service in every emergency of his subsequent life. He remained at home assisting his mother in managing the homestead until October 22, 1861, when he enlisted in the Union army as a member of the Twenty-sixth Kentucky Infantry. In this regiment he served to the close of the Civil war, being discharged on July 29, 1865. His command was always at the front and he was never absent, passing through the terrible conflict without receiving a wound, being taken prisoner or spending a day in the hospital. He participated in the battles of Shiloh, Brentwood Hills and Nashville, went through numerous skirmishes in which danger was ever present, as the fighting was fast and furious, and took part in many other engagements of note. After his discharge he returned to his old Kentucky home, and remained there until 1887, when he came to Colorado. He was at that time fifty-three years of age, with all his powers of body and mind in full vigor and his wisdom matured by an extensive and varied experience. He has applied his knowledge and ripened judgment to his business and the general improvement of his sections in this state, and the result is that he has gained a competency here for himself and been of signal service to others and his community in general in pushing forward the progress and development of every material and moral interest around him. On his arrival in Delta county, in the spring of 1888, he bought a portion of the place on which he now lives, and he has since bought an addition of one hundred and sixty acres, so that he has at this time two hundred and forty acres of good land, on which he raises excellent crops of hay and grain. In 1903 he produced on nineteen acres about twelve hundred bushels of oats, and on his sixty acres of grass large and valuable yields of first-class hay. It is his present intention to devote his land principally to hay hereafter, as this seems to be its best and most profitable crop. Mr. Humphrey was first married on May 10, 1860, to Miss Mary Asher, a native of Kentucky. She died on May 16, 1870, leaving three children, Matilda A., Allen J. and Arrie C., all of whom are living. On March 20, 1876, he was married to Miss Mary Granger, who bore him one son, Carl H., who was killed in February, 1897, at the age of twenty years, in a coal mine in Kentucky. The second wife died on May 16, 1877, and on May 30, 1883, he married a third, Narcissa Ficklin, who was born in Davis county, Kentucky, on April 17, 1851. They had one child, which died when it was only four days old. Although taking an active part in local affairs involving the welfare of his section of the county and state, Mr. Humphrey is independent of party control in politics. In church relations he is a Baptist. He is a good citizen, a progressive business man, an earnest promoter of every public interest, and is well esteemed wherever he is known. =================================================== Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Archive Project (http://www.usgenweb.org) and by the COGenWeb Archive Project USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.