W. D. F. Richards

        W. D. F. Richards, founder of the town of Saticoy, was born in Fairfield, Herkimer County, New York, March 8, 1838. His father, Benjamin Richards, was a native of the same State, born June 30, 1800. Mr. Richard's grandfather, Joseph Richards, was born in Connecticut, and was a soldier all through the Revolution. His mother, Hepsey (DeForest) Richards, is a native of the State of Connecticut, was born June 20, 1800, and is still living in Oneida County, New York. She was the granddaughter of Joseph DeForest, a Huguenot, who fled to America to escape persecution in France, his native land. He bequeathed the DeForest fund to Yale College for the education of any of the DeForest name. Mr. Richards, our subject, was the sixth in a family of nine children, only four of whom are living, and was educated at Fairfield Academy, one of the oldest institutions of the kind in New York. He came to California in 1868, and bought 650 acres of land, where he now resides. He was one of the first to raise flax-seed, of which he raised over 100 tons on 200 acres of his land; he was also a pioneer in the raising of canary seed, raising 3,000 bushels in one year, and selling it at from three to five cents per pound. He is now farming a portion of his land to Lima beans and 100 acres has been set the present year to English walnuts. Mr. Richards had the town plat of Saticoy recorded March 25, 1887. He has since sold many lots, and there are many pleasant homes in the town. The station is within half a mile of the town, and they have an abundance of good water and a handsome Presbyterian Church edifice, of which Rev. J. M. Crawford was the first pastor, and the Rev. Dr. Bowman present pastor. Mr. George R. Walden is the obliging postmaster and druggist, and they have two hotels and a blacksmith shop, three general stores, one dentist and two physicians. The town is in the center of the Santa Clara Valley, surrounded by a wide stretch of rich level land, as choice as any in the State; it is located about half-way between Ventura and Santa Paula. The name Saticoy in the Indian language is equivalent to Eureke (Greek for "I have found it") in the English language, and is a very appropriate name for the town.

    Mr. Richards was married October 4, 1877, to Miss Carrie Leavens, a native of Trenton Falls, Oneida County, New York, and a daughter of Hamilton Leavens of that State. Mr. Richards is a Republican and a prominent citizen of Ventura County.

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