History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/4/A. P. Richardson
A. P. RICHARDSON, one of the notable journalists of northern Iowa, was born in Philadelphia, May 28, 1818. His first occupation was school teaching which he followed in northern Indiana for several years. He there became prominent as a newspaper correspondent winning a reputation as one of the brightest writers in the State. He was appointed colonel of the State Militia, and later was elected to the State Senate of Indiana, where he became conspicuous for battling against various frauds and corruptions attempted in the Legislature. At the expiration of his term, he removed to McGregor, Iowa, where on the 10th of October, 1856, he established the North Iowa Times in the midst of the presidential campaign, supporting James Buchanan against John C. Fremont. In 1861, having associated with him a Republican partner in the editorial work, Colonel Richardson announced that the Times would henceforth be independent in politics. During the war it was loyal to the Union cause although in 1863 Colonel Richardson again made his paper the exponent of the principles of the Democratic party. One long associated with him in editorial work, wrote thus of Colonel Richardson's journalism:
“He was acknowledged by his rivals to have been one of the most popular editors in the State of Iowa. His style was pithy, terse and expressive, and spiced as he only could make it. Upon subjects requiring profound thought and deep research, he would lead his readers from sentence to sentence by an irresistible fascination with his pen pictures … For this he had a faculty which few possess of turning the sheet and flinging off columns of the most brilliant wit and mirth which sparkled as diamonds in the sunlight, or, without apparent labor deal in the most withering sarcasm.”
Colonel Richardson died in December, 1870; and his early death brought eloquent tributes from the press of Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois; so widely had his fame as a journalist extended.