Origen Drew Richardson (July 20, 1795 – November 29, 1876) was an American lawyer and politician in the U.S. state of Michigan and in the Nebraska Territory. He served in the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2010 ...

and was the fourth

lieutenant governor of Michigan The lieutenant governor of Michigan is the second-ranking official in U.S. state of Michigan, behind the governor. The current lieutenant governor by default is Garlin Gilchrist, a Democrat, who has held the office since January 1, 2019. Proce ...

Biography

Richardson was born in

Woodstock, Vermont Woodstock is the shire town (county seat) of Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 3,005. It includes the villages of Woodstock, South Woodstock, Taftsville, and West Woodstock. History Chart ...

, the son of Mason Richardson and Mary (Powers) Richardson. He studied and practiced law in Woodstock. While a student in the law offices of a relative, Israel Putnam Richardson (the father of Civil War General

Israel Bush Richardson Israel Bush Richardson (December 26, 1815 – November 3, 1862) was a United States Army officer during the Mexican–American War and American Civil War, where he was a major general in the Union Army. Nicknamed "Fighting Dick" for his prowess on ...

), Origen joined the Army and participated in the

Battle of Plattsburgh The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final British invasion of the northern states of the United States during the War of 1812. An army under Lieutenant General Sir George Prévost and a naval squadro ...

during the War of 1812. He remained in Vermont and practiced law until 1826, when he moved to

Pontiac, Michigan Pontiac ( ') is a city in and the county seat of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 61,606. A northern suburb of Metro Detroit, Pontiac is about northwest of Detroit. Founde ...

. He was admitted to the bar of

Oakland County Oakland County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Metro Detroit, metropolitan Detroit area, located northwest of the city. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 Census, its population was 1, ...

in July 1826 and began a law practice. In 1830, he was a part of a three-member commission appointed to locate a seat of government for

Saginaw County Saginaw County, officially the County of Saginaw, is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 190,124. The county seat is Saginaw. The county was created by September 10, 1822, and was fully orga ...

, which at the time was not yet organized.

Michigan politics

He was a member of the first convention of assent held in

Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...

in September 1836 that rejected the conditions placed by the U.S. Congress on the admission of Michigan as a State of the Union (see the Frostbitten Convention and the end of the Toledo War). From 1830 to 1836, he was the

prosecutor and served as a member of the

in the first legislature, which convened at Detroit in November 1835 and of the sixth legislature, which convened in Detroit in January 1841. In 1841, he was elected the fourth Lieutenant Governor of Michigan and was re-elected in 1843, serving during the first four years of Governor

John S. Barry John Stewart Barry (January 29, 1802– January 14, 1870) was the fourth and eighth governor of Michigan. He was Michigan's only three-term governor in the 19th century. His main accomplishment was to rationalize state finances after the state's ...

's governorship. He continued the practice of law in Pontiac until 1854.

Nebraska Territory politics

In the fall of 1854, he moved to Omaha, Nebraska, which was had been organized as the Nebraska Territory in May of that year. He served as a member of the Legislative Council in the first and second sessions of the Territorial Nebraska Legislature. He took a prominent part in framing the laws of Nebraska and was one of the three commissioners to codify those laws.

Family life

Richardson and his wife Sarah P. (Hill) Richardson had two children, Lyman Richardson and Cornelia Richardson. Although Richardson nominally resided in Nebraska, his wife and family remained in Pontiac until moving there in 1874. He died only two years later of apoplexy. His wife died three days afterwards. Both were buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery in Omaha.

References

External links

* * * * * *
The Nebraska Blue Book Online
Members of Nebraska Territorial Legislature, 1855–1867. p. 333. 47th edition, 2004–2005. *
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, Origen D. 1795 births 1876 deaths Lieutenant Governors of Michigan Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Members of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature People from Woodstock, Vermont Politicians from Omaha, Nebraska Michigan lawyers Burials at Prospect Hill Cemetery (North Omaha, Nebraska) Nebraska Democrats Lawyers from Omaha, Nebraska Nebraska lawyers 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers