The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 306
A portrait of James Richey appears in this publication.

C. H. RICHEY.

C. H. Richey is the owner of a beautiful home, Sunnycrest, situated on Nob Hill,
and is accounted one of the representative and leading business men of Yakima.
He was born in Tonica, Lasalle county, Illinois, on the 3d of September, 1870, a
son of James and Anna (Hamilton) Richey, both of whom were natives of the same
state. The father was a farmer and stock raiser in Illinois and in 1900 came to
the northwest, settling in Yakima county. Here he entered into business
relations as a member of the firm of Richey & Gilbert, prominent fruit growers,
packers and shippers, in which he became senior partner. He made his home at No.
206 North Naches avenue in the city of Yakima, where he passed away on the 13th
of December, 1903.

His widow survived him for about five and a half years, her death occurring
April 30, 1909. In his political views Mr. Richey was a republican and while
residing in Tonica, Illinois, served as mayor of that city. He was a loyal
adherent of the Masonic fraternity and an equally faithful member of the
Congregational church, these associations indicating the nature of his interests
and the rules which governed his conduct. To him and his wife were born three
children: Marion, the wife of H. M. Gilbert; Luella, the deceased wife of Fred
A. Hall; and C. H., of this review.

The last named supplemented his public school training by a course in a business
college at Dixon, Illinois, and was thus well qualified for life's practical and
responsible duties. He came to Yakima with his father and they were associated
in business until the father's death. He is now the vice-president of the firm
of the Richey & Gilbert Company, which was organized in 1900 for the conduct of
fruit farming interests and which was incorporated in 1904. They are now
extensively engaged in the wholesale fruit trade as dealers, packers and
shippers. Something of the extent and importance of their business is indicated
by the fact that while their main office is in Toppenish, they also have
warehouses at Zillah, Buena, Wapato, Donald, Yakima and Selah. They ship over
one thousand carloads of fruit annually, their interests in this line placing
them among the prominent fruit growers and dealers of the northwest.

On the 24th of May, 1908, Mr. Richey was united in marriage to Miss Effie A.
Stewart, a daughter of John and Annie C. (Johnson) Stewart, both of whom were
natives of Scotland and in childhood days came to America, crossing the Atlantic
in the '30s. They first settled in Canada and afterward removed to Illinois,
where the father of Mrs. Richey followed agricultural pursuits. In 1908 he
removed with his family to Yakima and passed away in February, 1917, at the age
of eighty-eight years. The mother is still living at the age of eighty-five.
Their family numbered eleven children. Mrs. Richey was the eighth in order of
birth and is one of six of the family now residing in Yakima county. By her
marriage she became the mother of two children, but the little daughter, Ruth,
died in infancy. The son, James A., is now eight years of age.

Mr. and Mrs. Richey hold membership in the Congregational church and his
attitude upon the temperance question is indicated by the stanch support which
he gives to the prohibition party. His life has ever been actuated by high and
honorable principles and his entire business career has been characterized by
unfaltering integrity as well as enterprise.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.