Edwards, Rev. Jonathan. "An Illustrated History of Spokane County, State of Washington." San Francisco: W. H. Lever, 1900. p. 384. RICHARD ASHTON HUTCHINSON a pioneer of 1879, farmer, miner and dealer in real estate, 514 South Arthur street, is a native of Mississippi, born at Grand Gulf February 14, 1853. His father was a cousin of Andrew Jackson, a veteran of the Mexican war and a strong anti-slavery man. He came north to assist John Brown and located in Kansas, then resided in Colorado and again in Kansas. In 1863 Richard, then ten years old, made his start in the world by being elected as page in the territorial house the last time the legislature met in Golden City. After the legislature adjourned George Lane appointed him a messenger in the Denver mint, which position he resigned to accept a place with W. H. Loveland. He later went to Topeka, Kansas, and spent a year in school there. Leaving school, he proceeded to his father's place on the plains at Hays City. Here he entered the office of the Hays City Advance, a lively sheet. The editor being compelled to leave town in a hurry the paper suspended, Mr. Hutchinson then entered the service of the United States government against the Cheyenne Indians and spent over four years in that service and in hunting buffalo and driving Texas cattle. In 1872 the family located in Seattle, where Richard A. was interested in mining. On May 20, 1879, he arrived in Spokane, accompanied by his brother, William H., and on June 3d he and his brother located homesteads near Mondovi, Lincoln county, upon which they lived for seventeen years. When Spokane county was cut off from Stevens county he and Colonel L. B. Nash, of Spokane, and C. S. Toby, of Spangle, met at Marshall's mill (now Marshall Junction) and organized the Democratic party by appointing a central committee, of which Hon. J. T. Browne was elected chairman and Mr. Hutchinson secretary. Mr. Hutchinson assisted in founding the town of Cheney. He was elected the first county assessor of Spokane county, running six hundred and eleven votes ahead of his ticket, but before his term of office expired Lincoln county was created from a portion of Spokane and his residence fell in Lincoln county, so he resigned the assessor's office in preference to leaving his homestead. He was then appointed the first assessor of Lincoln county. In 1884 he was elected sheriff by a large majority, but on account of a hot county-seat fight he was illegally counted out. In 1886 he was appointed by the general government to take charge of the mills and general stores at Nespilum and manage Chief Joseph and his band of Nez Perces, then prisoners of war. He made an efficient official, remaining there until July 1, 1889. In 1886 he, with others, grub staked the prospectors that discovered and located the first quartz mines in Okanogan county and he has since been interested in mining. He had charge of the 1890 census in Lincoln county, and was elected that year a member of the house in the state legislature, running six hundred ahead of his ticket. While a member of the legislature he took an active part in working for the reduction of freight rates, he being a member of the railroad committee. In 1892 he was elected to the state senate, running one thousand ahead of his ticket and winning the distinction of being the only member of the preceding house promted to the senate. He held the office until 1896, when he moved to Spokane. He is now engaged as a mining and real estate broker. Mr. Hutchinson has a wife and five children : Bessie, Ida, Marita, Rachel and Richard A., Jr. They are members of the Episcopal church. Mr. Hutchinson is a member of the K. P., being first past chancellor of the oldest lodge in the state. He is also a member of the A. O. U. W. and W. of W. Transcriber's additional notes: p. 249 (from the same book) member of the Spokane Society of Pioneers, R. A. Hutchinson ************************ Transcribed for the Washington Biographies Project in August 2007 by Diana Smith. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the individuals featured in the biographies.