Riley Bartholomew facts for kids
Riley Lucas Bartholomew (born May 30, 1807 – died September 23, 1894) was an important early settler and leader in Minnesota. He was a politician who served as a state senator from 1859 to 1860.
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Riley's Early Life in Ohio
Riley Bartholomew married Fanny A. Watkins in 1829. He started as a merchant in Geneva, Ohio, selling clocks. Later, he ran a hotel. His family then moved to Jefferson, Ohio, which was the main town of Ashtabula County, Ohio. In 1848, he was elected sheriff, a law enforcement officer. While living in Ohio, Riley also joined the state's volunteer army, called the militia. He worked his way up and became a general.
Moving to Minnesota
The Bartholomew family was among the first people to settle in Richfield, Minnesota, in 1852. They decided to move their family and start a new life in the Northwest. Riley and Fanny were in their mid-forties. Riley came from a family that was not afraid of challenges. His grandfather fought in the American Revolutionary War. His father was a soldier in the War of 1812. Riley's parents, Benjamin and Susannah, had settled in Ohio in 1807, the year Riley was born.
Building a Home and Community
When Riley arrived in Minnesota, he claimed a piece of land. This land was on the east side of Wood Lake. It was also near the edge of the original Fort Snelling reservation. He built a two-story wooden house there. This house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Today, it is known as the Riley Lucas Bartholomew House Museum. The Richfield Historical Society now runs it.
After settling his land, Riley quickly helped build the new community. He helped construct the first school and church in 1854. He became a justice of the peace for Hennepin County, Minnesota. This meant he could handle minor legal cases. He held this job from 1854 to 1863. His neighbors also chose him to represent them at the state's 1857 constitutional convention. This meeting helped create Minnesota's constitution. Later, Riley became a state senator for District Four. He served from 1859 to 1860. During the Dakota War of 1862, Riley joined a group of volunteers. They helped soldiers at Fort Ridgely.
Riley's Family Life
Riley and Fanny had four children. They were between eleven and twenty years old when the family arrived in Richfield. The two oldest daughters, America and Virginia, got married in 1855. They moved out to start their own homes. Their youngest son, Rollin, married and left home in 1863. The oldest son, Winfield, farmed in Richfield. He later took over the family homestead from his parents. Virginia's husband, Edgar Nash, also served in the Minnesota Legislature.
