WI BIO - Sheboygan Co - RICHARDSON, Egbert & William H.

History of Northern Wisconsin. Chicago: Western Historical, 1881, vol II, p 
1005

Biography of Egbert RICHARDSON (brother of William H.)

Egbert RICHARDSON, of Richardson Brothers, custom saw mill, planing mill and 
cheese box factory; manufacturers of patent farm gates, moldings, brackets, 
etc., and dealers in pine lumber, lath, pickets and shingles, Sheboygan Falls 
[Sheboygan County, Wisconsin], was born 22 March 1842 at Roscoe [Winnebago 
County], Illinois.

The firm of Richardson Brothers is composed of William H. RICHARDSON and 
Egbert EICHARDSON. They came to Wisconsin and located at Sheboygan Falls 
with their father, Joseph RICHARDSON, in 1845. The mill property is owned 
and was formerly operated by J. Richardson & Sons, but since 1876 has been 
conducted under the firm name of Richardson Brothers.

The enterprise was originally begun over thirty years ago, consisting at that 
time of only a saw mill. In 1857 a lath mill was attached, and in 1864 a 
circular saw with cutting capacity of 1,000 feet per hour was added. Four 
years later the planing mill was added, and in 1870 the saw mill department 
was entirely rebuilt.

Richardson Brothers employs some fifteen to twenty men, manufactures some 
60,000 cheese boxes annually, do general custom work (such as sawing, 
planing, turning, etc.), and manufacture wood work of every description (such 
as water tanks, hay racks, and farm gates).

On 29 April 1879 at Shell Rock, Butler County, Iowa, Egbert RICHARDSON was 
married to Sarah FAIRWEATHER [a maiden name?], who was born in England. They 
[Egbert and Sarah RICHARDSON] have one child.



Biography of William H. RICHARDSON (brother of Egbert) 

William H. RICHARDSON, of Richardson Brothers, custom saw mill, planing mill 
and cheese box factory; manufacturers of patent farm gates, moldings, 
brackets, etc., and dealers in pine lumber, lath, pickets and shingles, 
Sheboygan Falls [Sheboygan County, Wisconsin], was born 01 January 1841 at 
Roscoe, Winnebago County, Illinois. He and his brother, Egbert RICHARDSON, 
compose the firm of Richardson Brothers. 

On 08 October 1861 William H. RICHARDSON enlisted in the First Wisconsin 
Volunteer Infantry. He was wounded at the battle of Chickamauga in the left 
heel and disabled four months. [The battle of Chickamauga, Georgia, was 
fought on 19 and 20 September 1863, fought on the border between Tennessee 
and Georgia, near Ringgold, Georgia, and Chattanooga, Tennessee.] William H. 
RICHARDSON served in all some three years. [The Civil War officially ended 
in April 1865.]

Submitted by Cathy Kubly