John Richmond was born August 7,1811, at Middletown Maryland. He was the son of Francis Richmond, who immigrated in the 17th century to Virginia, and descended from John Richmond of England. He studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1833. He then studied theology and at 23 had received a license to preach. He married Amelia (also known as America) Talley, a widow. The Richmonds had four children when they left for the Oregon Territory.

Richmond was serving as a circuit rider in Jacksonville, Illinois when Jason Lee visited the area. He responded by volunteering for the Oregon Mission, and was assigned as doctor/missionary. He sailed from New York October 9, 1839 on the Lausanne with the “Great Reinforcement” (all together 52 missionaries and workers including Jason Lee) arriving at Fort Vancouver June 1,1840. Assigned to the Nisqually Mission, he and his party left for Puget Sound June 16,1840. They traveled by canoe down the Columbia and Cowlitz rivers, then overland to Nisqually, arriving July 10th. He was welcomed and housed by William Kittson, the Hudson Bay agent at Fort Nisqually.

Richmond’s work consisted of visiting and conducting regular worship at the mission for the Indians. On August 16,1840 he officiated the first marriage of two US citizens in Western Washington, Chloe Clarke to William Holden Willson (both mission workers).

Francis Richmond, the first (surviving) American child born in Puget Sound, entered the world on February 28,1842. Sometime later an attempt was made by an Indian to kidnap little Francis. Mrs. Richmond discovered the attempt and enlisted her husband’s aid in retrieving their baby. The Indian was later caught and Dr. Richmond interceded with the authorities at Fort Nisqually for a lighter punishment for the Indian. After the Richmonds left and the mission was burned, this Indian was thought to be guilty, but no charges were ever filed. Due to illness in the family, the Richmonds departed the mission September 4,1842 and returned to Illinois.

John Richmond was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1848. He subsequently served in various elective positions and as a superintendent of Schools for eight years. In 1874 he took up service as Superintendent of the Bonne Homme Mission. He died August 28,1895, in Manitoba Canada.