Riddler

Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.

     CAPTAIN RICHARD W. RIDDLE, master mariner and shipbuilder, and eminent in his profession, resides at Lakeside, Chelan county. He was born in New Hampshire, January 23, 1840, the son of Hiram and Betsy C. (Whittier) Riddle, both natives of the Granite state. The paternal great-grandfather of our subject came from Scotland, was a captain during the Revolutionary War, and with Washington at Valley Forge, crossing the Delaware with him. He was a man of large stature, weighing two hundred and eighty pounds, and of Herculean strength. The father of our subject was a farmer, dying in 1881 at Northfield, Minnesota. The mother was a relative of John Greenleaf Whittier, the poet. Her father although a farmer, was a college graduate.
     When Richard W. was fifteen years of age his family removed to Minnesota, and there he remained until 1888, learning the ship carpenter's trade at Minneapolis. He also followed steamboating, and in that year he went to Puget Sound, where he built steamers, including the tug Mascot, the steamer Enigma, on Lake Washington, afterward taken onto the sound, and of which he was part owner and captain eight years. He bought the Edith E., and built the Abe Perkins, on Lake Washington, but in 1900 he sold out his holdings in the Puget Sound country, and came to Chelan county. Here he built the Lady of the Lake, Flyer and Che Chahco, now in possession of Captain Shotwell. Our subject is interested in mining claims up the lake, and owns a home on the lakeshore. He has one brother, James A., now of Northfield, Minnesota, and one sister, Mary E., wife of William A. Smith, and postmistress of Spencerbrook, Minnesota, which position she has held twenty years.
     December 4, 1861, at Farmington, Minnesota, our subject was united in marriage to Rachel A. Brooks, a native of Ohio, daughter of Joseph and Rachel (Hellings) Brooks, both born in Pennsylvania. Her father was an early Ohio pioneer and of the English Brooks family, colonial settlers. The ancestors of her mother were from Ireland. Mrs. Riddle is a graduate of the Toledo, Ohio high school. Mr. and Mrs. Riddle have two children, Hiram A., of Lakeside, who holds masters' and engineers papers, and is engineer in charge of the fleet on Lake Chelan; and Myrta B., wife of Stephen F. Ward, a marine engineer at Seattle.
     Mr. Riddle is a member of Golden Link Lodge, No. 150, I. 0. 0. F., of Seattle, of which he is past grand; and Seattle Lodge No. 51, K. P. Politically his affiliations are with the Republican party, although he is not an active campaigner.