An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, pages 379-380 WILLIAM E. RICHARDSON, of the firm of Richardson & Gallagher, attorneys at law, Spokane, Washington, was born near Monroe, Lane county, Oregon, and is the son of W. C. Richardson, a native of Quincy, Illinois, and Hester A. (Craig) Richardson, of Arkansas. His father was one of the early settlers of Oregon, having removed from Illinois in 1852. Mr. Richardson was educated in Christian College, Monmouth, Oregon, now the State Normal School of Oregon, one of the leading educational institutions of the State. He graduated there with the degree of A.B., and after his graduation began teaching in the public schools and academies in Polk county, Oregon. He came to the State of Washington in 1883, and in 1885 began reading law at Spokane, Washington, in the office of Hyde & Turner. While reading law he continued teaching school at odd times, as well as engaging in other lines of business. After being admitted to the bar in the Superior Court of Spokane county, Mr. Richardson started at once to practice, and when the firm of Crow & Richardson was organized in January, 1891, had built up a large and lucrative practice. His previous residence in different portions of the State proved extremely useful to him in his business, as many of his cases came from, outside of Spokane county. The firm of Crow & Richardson was dissolved in May, 1893, Mr. Crow having retired from the firm, when the firm of Richardson & Gallagher was at once formed, and all the business of Crow & Richardson passed into their hands. The new firm continue to make a specialty of commercial, real estate and probate law, and give especial attention to collections. Mr. Richardson, having devoted a great deal of time to this line of practice, has a large and increasing clientage among holders of first mortgage and other real-estate securities, and is regarded as a safe and reliable counselor in all such matters. Among the important legal propositions that Mr. Richardson has succeeded in establishing in the State of Washington are the direct liability of school districts for material furnished and labor performed in the erection of school houses in certain cases, and the fact that the boards of county commissioners are without authority under the Constitution of the State of Washington to condemn land for highway purposes. Politically, Mr. Richardson is a Republican, and was always a great admirer of James G. Blaine. He is a member of the Central Christian Church of Spokane, and a prominent member of the Odd Fellows, a society which has, comparatively, a large membership in Spokane. Mr. Richardson was married in February, 1889, to Miss Viola Miller, then a resident of Albany, Oregon, but a native of Wisconsin. Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in September 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer * * * * Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the individual featured in the biographies.