Richard was the youngest son of John and Mary Bickell and he was born in Northwood, Iowa. It was on his father's farm, surrounded by cousins and other families that had moved from Canada to the United States that he grew to manhood. After their marriages, Richards brothers, William and John removed to Dakota Territory, Mellete, Spink Co., and Richard decided to follow them for the free homestead land that was available.
We are not sure whether he met Mary Bessinger in Albert Lea, which is just a short distance from his home in Iowa, or in So. Dakota as she was teaching school there. He took his homestead in 1880 and by 1884 married Mary Bessinger at the home of her brother, John Bessinger in Mellette, Spink Co., So. Dakota. The October 15, 1884 edition of The Freeborn Standard reported the marriage of Mr. Richard Bickell, late of Northwood, and Miss. Mary Bessinger of Albert Lea, who were recently married at the residence of Mrs. John Bickell.
Then the promise of green fertile land available in the state of Washington drew the Bickell family to the West Coast in the year 1889. Richard spent a short time in Puyallup Valley where they picked hops and then moved to Tacoma where he fell trees for the new Park. He was the one the fell the first tree for the Park. In late 1889 they moved to Limestone Point, on San Juan Island where he worked in the Limestone quarry. By 1900 he had taken his young family to the beautiful Orcas Island where they lived in East Sound where he worked in the lime kilns, sandstone quarry's and a small goldmines. It was here that John was born in 1891 and Mary Maude in 1893. Then tragedy struck the young family when a month after the birth of Frank B. in 1897, Mary passed away from complications due the his birth. Richards niece, Mary Bolton came from Iowa by train to take Myrtle and Maude back to Iowa to be cared for my her mother, Dinah Bickell Bolton. Myrtle and Maude stayed with the Boltons for 3 years and in 1899, Richard brought his family back together as Gertrude and Laura were old enough to keep house for them all. Frank has been staying with a neighbor who was his wet nurse as well as caring for him.
In 1927, Richard made a trip to visit them. He returned home, amazed to have seen fields of oats as tall as his shoulder. He was so impressed with the possibilities of the farmland that he had chosen a homestead for himself and one for his son John. He also made arrangements to be notified when adjacent land was offered for say by sealed bids. John was not favorably impressed with the idea of his father's plan to try homesteading again at the age of 65, and so far north in Canada, especially since he had married Nettie Marie Allison, the niece of his neighbor, Charles Allison and they had started a family. Toward the spring of 1928 John had not been able to dissuade his father from this new venture and due to the closure of many of the sawmills in the area, John began to change his mind about moving north and so he decided to join his father on his Peace River Country venture for a trial period of 5 years. Richard built a house and a blacksmith shop on his homestead in 1931. He made and repaired harnesses, sharpened plowshares and did general blacksmithing and grew a fine garden. He spent his "spare" time reading.
Richard was a tall man with beautiful white hair and beard. He had to stoop to walk through doorways to the delight of his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was a very gentle man and enjoyed spending time with his Gt. Grandchildren.
Richard lived the remainder of his life on his homestead in Canada and died in 1944, bringing full circle the immigration of the Bickells from Canada to the US and back to Canada. He has descendents in both Canada and the US.
We are not sure whether he met Mary Bessinger in Albert Lea, which is just a short distance from his home in Iowa, or in So. Dakota as she was teaching school there. He took his homestead in 1880 and by 1884 married Mary Bessinger at the home of her brother, John Bessinger in Mellette, Spink Co., So. Dakota. The October 15, 1884 edition of The Freeborn Standard reported the marriage of Mr. Richard Bickell, late of Northwood, and Miss. Mary Bessinger of Albert Lea, who were recently married at the residence of Mrs. John Bickell.
Then the promise of green fertile land available in the state of Washington drew the Bickell family to the West Coast in the year 1889. Richard spent a short time in Puyallup Valley where they picked hops and then moved to Tacoma where he fell trees for the new Park. He was the one the fell the first tree for the Park. In late 1889 they moved to Limestone Point, on San Juan Island where he worked in the Limestone quarry. By 1900 he had taken his young family to the beautiful Orcas Island where they lived in East Sound where he worked in the lime kilns, sandstone quarry's and a small goldmines. It was here that John was born in 1891 and Mary Maude in 1893. Then tragedy struck the young family when a month after the birth of Frank B. in 1897, Mary passed away from complications due the his birth. Richards niece, Mary Bolton came from Iowa by train to take Myrtle and Maude back to Iowa to be cared for my her mother, Dinah Bickell Bolton. Myrtle and Maude stayed with the Boltons for 3 years and in 1899, Richard brought his family back together as Gertrude and Laura were old enough to keep house for them all. Frank has been staying with a neighbor who was his wet nurse as well as caring for him.
In 1927, Richard made a trip to visit them. He returned home, amazed to have seen fields of oats as tall as his shoulder. He was so impressed with the possibilities of the farmland that he had chosen a homestead for himself and one for his son John. He also made arrangements to be notified when adjacent land was offered for say by sealed bids. John was not favorably impressed with the idea of his father's plan to try homesteading again at the age of 65, and so far north in Canada, especially since he had married Nettie Marie Allison, the niece of his neighbor, Charles Allison and they had started a family. Toward the spring of 1928 John had not been able to dissuade his father from this new venture and due to the closure of many of the sawmills in the area, John began to change his mind about moving north and so he decided to join his father on his Peace River Country venture for a trial period of 5 years. Richard built a house and a blacksmith shop on his homestead in 1931. He made and repaired harnesses, sharpened plowshares and did general blacksmithing and grew a fine garden. He spent his "spare" time reading.
Richard was a tall man with beautiful white hair and beard. He had to stoop to walk through doorways to the delight of his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was a very gentle man and enjoyed spending time with his Gt. Grandchildren.
Richard lived the remainder of his life on his homestead in Canada and died in 1944, bringing full circle the immigration of the Bickells from Canada to the US and back to Canada. He has descendents in both Canada and the US.
Richard was the youngest son of John and Mary Bickell and he was born in Northwood, Iowa. It was on his father's farm, surrounded by cousins and other families that had moved from Canada to the United States that he grew to manhood. After their marriages, Richards brothers, William and John removed to Dakota Territory, Mellete, Spink Co., and Richard decided to follow them for the free homestead land that was available.
We are not sure whether he met Mary Bessinger in Albert Lea, which is just a short distance from his home in Iowa, or in So. Dakota as she was teaching school there. He took his homestead in 1880 and by 1884 married Mary Bessinger at the home of her brother, John Bessinger in Mellette, Spink Co., So. Dakota. The October 15, 1884 edition of The Freeborn Standard reported the marriage of Mr. Richard Bickell, late of Northwood, and Miss. Mary Bessinger of Albert Lea, who were recently married at the residence of Mrs. John Bickell.
Then the promise of green fertile land available in the state of Washington drew the Bickell family to the West Coast in the year 1889. Richard spent a short time in Puyallup Valley where they picked hops and then moved to Tacoma where he fell trees for the new Park. He was the one the fell the first tree for the Park. In late 1889 they moved to Limestone Point, on San Juan Island where he worked in the Limestone quarry. By 1900 he had taken his young family to the beautiful Orcas Island where they lived in East Sound where he worked in the lime kilns, sandstone quarry's and a small goldmines. It was here that John was born in 1891 and Mary Maude in 1893. Then tragedy struck the young family when a month after the birth of Frank B. in 1897, Mary passed away from complications due the his birth. Richards niece, Mary Bolton came from Iowa by train to take Myrtle and Maude back to Iowa to be cared for my her mother, Dinah Bickell Bolton. Myrtle and Maude stayed with the Boltons for 3 years and in 1899, Richard brought his family back together as Gertrude and Laura were old enough to keep house for them all. Frank has been staying with a neighbor who was his wet nurse as well as caring for him.
In 1927, Richard made a trip to visit them. He returned home, amazed to have seen fields of oats as tall as his shoulder. He was so impressed with the possibilities of the farmland that he had chosen a homestead for himself and one for his son John. He also made arrangements to be notified when adjacent land was offered for say by sealed bids. John was not favorably impressed with the idea of his father's plan to try homesteading again at the age of 65, and so far north in Canada, especially since he had married Nettie Marie Allison, the niece of his neighbor, Charles Allison and they had started a family. Toward the spring of 1928 John had not been able to dissuade his father from this new venture and due to the closure of many of the sawmills in the area, John began to change his mind about moving north and so he decided to join his father on his Peace River Country venture for a trial period of 5 years. Richard built a house and a blacksmith shop on his homestead in 1931. He made and repaired harnesses, sharpened plowshares and did general blacksmithing and grew a fine garden. He spent his "spare" time reading.
Richard was a tall man with beautiful white hair and beard. He had to stoop to walk through doorways to the delight of his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was a very gentle man and enjoyed spending time with his Gt. Grandchildren.
Richard lived the remainder of his life on his homestead in Canada and died in 1944, bringing full circle the immigration of the Bickells from Canada to the US and back to Canada. He has descendents in both Canada and the US.
We are not sure whether he met Mary Bessinger in Albert Lea, which is just a short distance from his home in Iowa, or in So. Dakota as she was teaching school there. He took his homestead in 1880 and by 1884 married Mary Bessinger at the home of her brother, John Bessinger in Mellette, Spink Co., So. Dakota. The October 15, 1884 edition of The Freeborn Standard reported the marriage of Mr. Richard Bickell, late of Northwood, and Miss. Mary Bessinger of Albert Lea, who were recently married at the residence of Mrs. John Bickell.
Then the promise of green fertile land available in the state of Washington drew the Bickell family to the West Coast in the year 1889. Richard spent a short time in Puyallup Valley where they picked hops and then moved to Tacoma where he fell trees for the new Park. He was the one the fell the first tree for the Park. In late 1889 they moved to Limestone Point, on San Juan Island where he worked in the Limestone quarry. By 1900 he had taken his young family to the beautiful Orcas Island where they lived in East Sound where he worked in the lime kilns, sandstone quarry's and a small goldmines. It was here that John was born in 1891 and Mary Maude in 1893. Then tragedy struck the young family when a month after the birth of Frank B. in 1897, Mary passed away from complications due the his birth. Richards niece, Mary Bolton came from Iowa by train to take Myrtle and Maude back to Iowa to be cared for my her mother, Dinah Bickell Bolton. Myrtle and Maude stayed with the Boltons for 3 years and in 1899, Richard brought his family back together as Gertrude and Laura were old enough to keep house for them all. Frank has been staying with a neighbor who was his wet nurse as well as caring for him.
In 1927, Richard made a trip to visit them. He returned home, amazed to have seen fields of oats as tall as his shoulder. He was so impressed with the possibilities of the farmland that he had chosen a homestead for himself and one for his son John. He also made arrangements to be notified when adjacent land was offered for say by sealed bids. John was not favorably impressed with the idea of his father's plan to try homesteading again at the age of 65, and so far north in Canada, especially since he had married Nettie Marie Allison, the niece of his neighbor, Charles Allison and they had started a family. Toward the spring of 1928 John had not been able to dissuade his father from this new venture and due to the closure of many of the sawmills in the area, John began to change his mind about moving north and so he decided to join his father on his Peace River Country venture for a trial period of 5 years. Richard built a house and a blacksmith shop on his homestead in 1931. He made and repaired harnesses, sharpened plowshares and did general blacksmithing and grew a fine garden. He spent his "spare" time reading.
Richard was a tall man with beautiful white hair and beard. He had to stoop to walk through doorways to the delight of his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was a very gentle man and enjoyed spending time with his Gt. Grandchildren.
Richard lived the remainder of his life on his homestead in Canada and died in 1944, bringing full circle the immigration of the Bickells from Canada to the US and back to Canada. He has descendents in both Canada and the US.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
