The Richardson family came to Medicine Lodge from Wellington in 1906
     to start a Dry Goods and Mercantile store. The family consisted of John
     C. Richardson, wife, (the former Belle Patton of Wellington.), and 2 of
     their 3 sons, Garnett and Paul - also probably 2 or 3 bird dogs. Their
     eldest son, Glen, remained in Wellington, as he was working for the Santa
     Fe Railroad Co. The store was located on the corner of Main and Kansas
     Avenue, and they had a large sign painted in large black letters on the
     exterior south wall "RICHARDSON & LONGMAN." This sign showned up nicely
     in pictures taken of passing parades. For 25 years Garnett was associated
     with his father in the store. He had charge of the Men's and Boy's clothes
     department. He was also the bookkeeper, had charge of the buying of stock,
     and went to market. Later, when the Home State Bank building was built on
     this same corner, the Richardson Store was moved one door north to the
     location now occupied by Probst's Pharmacy.
       On January 19, 1913, Garnett was married to Bernice Williams, the
     youngest member of the L.T. Williams family and the only native Kansan,
     having been born in Medicine Lodge, November 19, 1889. This date was
     chosen became we had to wait until after the January Clearance Sale was
     over! The marriage took place at the Williams residence with the members
     of both families present. Reverend Wolever performed the ceremony.
       Our first home was at 211 East Lincoln; and our daughter, Betty, was
     born there October 23, 1914. In 1916 our newly constructed home at 308
     North Main was ready for occupancy; and our second daughter, Joann, was
     born at this home, on December 28, 1920.
       In 1921 Garnett had a long seige of typhoid fever with 6 weeks in bed
     and 3 more recuperating. His faithful nurses, night and day, were Dottie
     Johnson and Minnie (Watkins) Wells. When Garnett was in the worst stage,
     Dr. Coleman made twice a day visits to check on his patient.
       Garnett's hobbies were baseball, hunting, and skating. I always knew
     he would be gone about every nice Sunday in baseball season, because he
     was always on a team. Games had to be played during the daylight hours
     then. He played 3rd baseman in numerous winning games, and he was chosen
     to play on a picked team to go to Roswell, New Mexico, for a series of
     games. The Richardson "boys" always had good bird dogs that were well
     trained. Paul was nick-named "Keno" because he fancied himself as a horse
     trainer like Keno Armstrong of early  local fame. The Richardsons had
     a beautiful bay driving horse named Pride that bowed his neck like he'd
     been circus trained. He pulled a black surrey with red wheels, and I was
     always quite proud to be seen riding in this.
       After selling the store, following the Depression and dust-bowl years,
     Garnett and Paul went into dairy farming and had a flourishing milk route
     for several years. They ended up as small wheat farmers and cattlemen.
     Garnett enjoyed these things more than being dressed up in a store and
     wished he had gone into this life earlier.
       Before marriage I had taught fourth grade in Medicine Lodge, and my
     life-long hobby had been reading. When Betty took typing in school, I
     learned the keyboard and correct "fingering." By the time my grandchildren
     were in high school, I had become a wido. Many evenings were spent doing
     the algebra and geometry lessons that they wre learning - it kept my brain
     occupied.
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas, pg. 381 
     Submitted by: Bernice Richardson