Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 526-527; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Richard E. Griffith, Postmaster of Lewistown, has long been
closely connected with the business interests of the city and county
and is numbered among the foremost citizens of the community. He
is a native of this State, born in Peru, January 28, 1853, and a son of
Michael and Margaret (McClaren) Griffith. The father of our
subject was a man of much learning and was a pioneer teacher in the
public schools of Peru, where he died in 1853. The mother
subsequently married Thomas Bowen, who established a wagon shop in
Lewistown, this county, and carried on business as a wheelwright here
until his death in 1872. The mother passed away in 1865.
He of whom we write received a substantial education in the city
schools and when but a boy commenced to work with his step-father and
learned of him the trade of a wagon-maker. After the latter’s
death he and his brother C. V. engaged in the business and carried it
on until 1880 and then began to deal in agricultural implements, and
also dealt in railroad ties, etc. Mr. Griffith continued in that
business until his appointment as Postmaster in 1889, a position for
which he is amply qualified in every respect and whose duties he is
discharging very satisfactorily.
December 31, 1876, the marriage of our subject with Miss Calista
E. Guernsey was duly solemnized. She was born in Illinois, in Lee
Township, this county. They have here a very pleasant home and
the gracious cordiality of the hostess and the courteous hospitality of
the host often attract to it friends from a large circle of
acquaintances.
In his career as a man of business and a civic official, our
subject has displayed an excellent capacity for the management of
affairs with tact, promptness and discretion, and the possession of
these qualities pointed to him as a man well fitted for the
responsibilities of the federal position he is so ably filling.
He has always been a Republican and has given his party his most
earnest support. He has served eight years as Deputy Sheriff and
for two years was a member of the City Council. He was identified
with that honorable body at the time the water-works were projected,
and as a member of the water-works committee was very active in
securing their establishment. He was also one of the committee of
ways and means and of streets and alleys, and was chairman of the
committee on police and fire. He has served as a delegate to
numerous county, Senatorial and Congressional conventions, and his wise
counsels are valued by his party. He is a member of Lewistown
Camp, No 228. M. W. A.
