HON. RICHARD FERRIS, who is engaged in general farming on section 17, Cheshire Township, is one of the prominent citizens of Allegan County. He has a wide acquaintance in this community, also throughout the surrounding counties, and his friends will notice with especial interest his life sketch and portrait. He was born in the town of Butler, Wayne County, N. Y., August 7, 1822, and is the seventh in a family of nine children, whose parents were Leonard and Elizabeth (Ryan) Ferris. His father was a native of the Highlands of New York and a farmer by occupation. For a few years after his marriage he resided in Cayuga County, N. Y., and then removed to Wayne County, where he hewed out a farm in the midst of the forest. His wife died at the age of eighty-three years and he reached the advanced age of ninety-three. Mrs. Ferris was a member of the Catholic Church. Of their six sons and three daughters, six are now living. The family was represented in the late war by John A., who served in an Indiana regiment.

Upon his father's farm our subject was reared to manhood, and in the district schools of New York partially received his education. Empty-handed he began life for himself at the age of eighteen and two years later sought a home in the west. In Mishawaka, Ind., he worked in a sawmill yard and afterward was employed at harvesting. Subsequently he spent eight months as a farm hand in Cass County, then returned to Mishawaka, where he attended a select school during the winter. In the spring he again went to work in the mill-yard, for $20 per month and boarded himself. He did the work of two men and his employer, William Milburn, seeing his usefulness, made him a sawyer and he was afterwards given entire charge of the mill, being there employed from the spring of 1845 until 1851, with the exception of ten months in 1848-49, when he was a student at Notre Dame (Ind.) University. The year 1850 witnessed his arrival in Michigan, and for one summer he was employed in a mill in Lawrence, Van Buren County, after which he taught school in the winter 1850-51. The following spring he returned to Mishawaka and bought a one-eighth interest in a new steam sawmill, having charge of the saw department.

About this time, on the 19th of April, 1851, Mr. Ferris wedded Hannah Milburn, sister of his former employer. She was born in England, January 1, 1826, and in 1848 came to America with her brother William, making her home in Mishawaka. In August, succeeding their marriage, Mr. Ferris sold out and removed to Lawrence, Mich., where he bought a third interest in a mill, helped to rebuild it and followed that business until 1854. He then again sold, and removed to his present farm in December of that year, having here resided since. The home has been blessed by the presence of four children: William M., who married Minnie Wood, and is now living in Waldo, Kan.; Mary E., wife of Robert C. O'Brien, of Cheshire Township, by whom she has four children; Marcus A., a farmer of the same township, who married Florence Motter, by whom he has one child; and Joseph G., who died at the age of nineteen years.

Mr. Ferris settled upon a four hundred and eighty-acre tract of wild land, eleven miles from Allegan, and built a double log cabin. Indians were still frequent visitors in the neighborhood, few roads had been cut through and the work of development and progress seemed scarcely begun. In May, 1855, Mr. Ferris began building a saw mill, which he operated for a number of years, when it was totally destroyed by fire. He then built about eighty rods from the old sight, but the water afterward failed and he discontinued its operation and began improving his farm. Since then he has given his entire attention to agricultural pursuits and now has three hundred and eighteen acres of valuable land, two hundred and forty of which are highly cultivated. He has cleared and fenced his farm himself, and added greatly to its value and attractive appearance by many improvements. He pays considerable attention to the raising of fine grades of sheep and draft and coach horses. His home, which was erected in 1860, is the finest residence in the township and is the abode of hospitality. The members of the family hold a high position in the social world and their friends throughout the community are many.

Mr. Ferris is a member of the Catholic Church. His wife belonged to the Congregational Church in England, but of late years has been an active worker in the Methodist Church. With school interests he has been actively identified, has given his children good advantages, and two have been teachers. So efficient was he as member of the Board, that those who first opposed him were afterward vociferous in their entreaties for him to continue in office. He cast his first Presidential vote for Henry Clay and supported the Whig party until the organization of the Republican party, with which he has since been identified. He is one of the prominent Republicans in this community and has fought many hard practical battles, especially in trying to get the party to embody temperance principals. He served as Clerk in Lawrence Township, Van Buren County, was also School Inspector, and in 1855 was elected Clerk of Cheshire Township. He held the office of School Inspector here until the organization of the school districts.

Elected as Representative from his district, Mr. Ferris served in the Legislature in 1871 and 1872, when he declined re-nomination. During that time he helped elect Thomas W. Ferry to the United States Senate, was Chairman of the Lumber Committee, a member of the Committee on State Prisons and also if the joint committee to visit the penal and reformatory institutions of the State. The cause of temperance ever found in him a staunch advocate, and all social, educational and moral interests received his hearty support. His public and private life are above reproach. He has been a faithful public officer and a valued citizen of the community, who has done much for the upbuilding of the county during his many years of residence here. He has the respect of his many acquaintances and the warm regard of a large circle of friends.