Town of Richmond

by Herman A. Mueller

     The first town platted that afterwards became obsolete was the Town of Richmond. Dr. Emanuel J. Henkel, a brother of John Henkel, and Mrs. O. M. Archer of Truro, came to Madison County about 1848, and took a claim on Jones’ Creek about where the N. P. Pomeroy farm is located. Later he took a claim in the southeast quarter of Section 12, Scott Township, and on July 25, 1849 had A.D. Jones to lay out the Town of Richmond in the SW Qtr of the SE Qtr of Section 12, Scott Township which land is now owned by Francis Granger. This is west of the Hogan Queen stone house and across the road from William Carney. The plat consisted of four blocks of eight lots each. The streets were sixty feet wide except Broadway which was 82 !/2 feet wide. The streets running east and west were called High, Broadway and Grove; those running north and south, Line, Center Avenue, and Spring Street. He gave to Alfred D. Jones, the surveyor, all the lots in Blocks one and three. The streets and alleys were dedicated and donated to the public so long as the Town shall exist. This was done July 30th, 1849, and the plat was recorded by Enos Berger, Recorder, August 27, 1849. Mr. Henkel then built a double log cabin for a store building.

       A post office was established here July 16, 1850 with Emanuel J. Henkel as Postmaster. The Post Office was called Amazon. The Doctor attended to the Post Office and practiced medicine, while he had a man to operate his store. The Post Office was discontinued October 31, 1851, the store removed, and this was the end of Richmond. The Doctor  moved to Union County, Iowa, and before the War of 1861 went to Arkansas, and after the beginning of the War, was never heard from. His relatives think that he was foully dealt with for his being a northern sympathizer.

Transcribed by Kent Transier