History of Michigan, / by Charles Moore. [Vol. 3]

1348

HISTORY OF MICHIGAN

one of the important concerns in Jackson's commercial circle. Mr. Richardson has been president of the company since its organization, and
still owns one-half of the stock.
A successful business man, his public service has been on the same
plane with his commercial prominence. With honor to himself and value
to the community, he has served in many responsible capacities. During
1881-82 he was a member of the city council, was on the board of public
works for seven years, was president of the city council and mayor of
the city in I896-97. Since April 6, I906, he has been postmaster at Jackson, having gone into office under appointment from President Roosevelt, and being now near the close of his second term. In whatever
capacity he has served the public, he always served it well, and has held
the confidence and esteem of the entire citizenship.
For the past ten years he has been president of the Jackson County
Humane Society, and for the past two years he has been president of the
Michigan State Humane Society; for one year he held the position of
president of the Michigan State Postmasters Association, and for several
years past he has been president of the Citizens Telephone Company of
Jackson, and he is still serving in that capacity.
When Mr. Richardson came to Jackson it was a small city of ten
thousand people, and he has not been without considerable participation
in the growth and development which now make it a metropolis of forty
thousand people.
As already mentioned, Mr. Richardson's home in Jackson, which
he has owned for the past four years, is distinguished as a place where
the Republican party was born. Under seven towering oaks which
stand in his yard, in the month of July, 1854, a meeting was held, the
result of which was the first formal movement in American politics as
the nucleus of what is now the Grand Old Party.
Mr. Richardson married Isabella J. Chamberlain, of Keene, New
Hampshire. They have two sons. Leon J. Richardson is a distinguished
scholar, and for the past twenty years has been professor of Greek and
Latin in the University of California. He received his later education
abroad in the city of Berlin, and is master of seven languages. The
younger son, Arthur Howard Richardson, has reached a successful position in his profession of electrical and mechanical engineer, and is in the
employ of the General Electric Company at Schenectady, New York. Mr.
Richardson is well known in Masonic circles, being a Knight Templar
and Shriner, and past eminent commander of Jackson Commandery No.
9. He is also affiliated with the Elks arid his church is the Unitarian.
DWIGHT T. STONE, a native son of Flint, Michigan, where he has
spent his entire career, is today one of the prominent representatives of
realty interests in the city and in business affairs has been energetic,
prompt and notably reliable. He is today the directing head of a large
real estate and fire insurance business, which is operating extensively
throughout Genesee county; nor have his efforts been confined alone to
one line but have reached out to various fields of activity where the
business development of the city has been promoted, while individual
success has also been accomplished thereby. Mr. Stone was born June 6,
1863, in Flint, and is a son of Oren and Susan C. (Thompson) Stone,
the former of New York state and the latter of Grand Blanc, Michigan.
The family is an old one of New England, of English descent, and there
are a number bearing the name in this part of Michigan, notably an
uncle of Dwight T. Stone, D. Hulbert Stone, of Chase, Michigan, who
was a merchant, farmer, merino wool grower and stock expert, who is
at present living a retired life.