John R. Ritchie

    John R. Ritchie, farmer, Creswell P.O., Smyrna Township, Jefferson County, was born May 27, 1832; was raised on a farm; attended the common schools of the county, and went to Hanover College for one year. After leaving school he taught a district school in this county for three sessions. At that time teachers were elected by vote.

    In 1856, October 23, Mr. Ritchie was married to Miss Mary A. Dean, of this county, daughter of John Dean, a native of New York. He has three living children, two girls and one boy: Walter, Lucy and Bertha. Walter married Miss Sarah A. Amsden, of this county; Lucy and Bertha are both living at home. Mr. Ritchie is a member of the Grange Insurance Company, and helped to organize the company.

    He has a farm of 247 acres of good land, well improved. He is now making a specialty of thoroughbred Jersey cattle. He started his herd with "Miss Fannie," of well known her of Mr. John B. Poyntz, of Maysville, Kentucky, and has now a very fine herd, which he is always pleased to show to anyone. Mr. Ritchie was among the first who ran a steam thresher in Jefferson County, and was the first to take a steam thresher on the hill in Trimble County, Kentucky. His parents were John and Sophia (Branham) Ritchie. John Ritchie was born in Ohio in the year 1807, and came to Jefferson County, with his parents, when only two years old, and lived in this county till his death in 1877, July 9. In 1829 he was married, and in the spring of 1830 located on Harbert's creek, near the present post office of Creswell, Smyrna Township, where he and Robert Branham built a grist and saw-mill that was run by water; this was one of the first water-mills in the township. They continued to run this mill for a few years, when they put in a steam engine, making the first steam grist and saw-mill in the township. The same engine is still at work in the saw-mill t this day, having used up four boilers. At the time of starting the steam mill, Mr. Ritchie formed a partnership with Mr. Smiley Sample, the firm name being Ritchie & Sample, for running the mill and a store. This firm continued about two years, when Ritchie bought out Sample's interest in the whole concern, and continued in the milling business till he died.

    Mr. Ritchie was 69 years old at the time of his death, at which time he owned 500 acres of land, and some houses and lots in Madison, making him worth in all about $30,000. He was the largest tax-payer in the township. He was a good manager. He was one of the first members of Smyrna Presbyterian Church, and was a deacon in the church for many years, and gave liberally to the church, and was foremost in assisting all deserving persons and enterprises. He gave $500 to Hanover College. He was the largest stock-holder in the Smyrna and Graham Turnpike Road.

Source: Biographical and Historical Souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott and Washington, Indiana. By John M. Gresham & Co., 1889.