Nebraska Frontier

Theo was born on May 26th, 1890 in Ogallala, Nebraska. At the time of his birth, his family was living in the nearby town of Brule, Nebraska. Brule was the local native name for the indigenousness Sioux Indians that originally roamed this area of Nebraska.

The area was known for it's extremely hot summers and bitterly cold winters. The area was largely grassland that was easily turned into pasture. Ted father was what could best be described as a frontier doctor. At that time in America, a common motto was "go west young man" and so Albert Richmond did just that and pulled up stakes and headed west with his pregnant wife, until that landed in Brule, NE.. Ted states¹ he was "born in a sod house"

Life in the 1890's was not easy and was even tougher on the frontier. Drought, coupled with Albert's growing desire to learn more and become a practicing physician led him to pack up the family once again and return to Fort Madison, Iowa. Theree he could care for his growing family and advance his formal medical training.

¹Modern Shepherd of the Hills - Hartzell Spence

For Madison, IA

On their return to Fort Madison, Iowa, in 1894, Ted was a young lad of about four years of age. During his time in Iowa, Ted excelled at outdoor activities like camping and scouting -- he even helped organize a Boy Scout troop.

Summers were often spent following migrant harvest workers and preaching to them. He also taught Sunday school to the local children. It was during this time of pre-teen years that he started to envision his future career as either preacher, doctor or writer. With his intellect, he could have easily been successful in any of those fields of expertise.

Memphis, MO.

Memphis, Missouri

Chicago

Please note: I'm still verifying these dates, times, and places... so take them with a grain of salt for now.

Ted moved to the Chicago area and attended the University of Chicago. It is not sure exactly when he moved to Chicago, however, he did work briefly for the Chicago Daily Tribune in 1912.

An article he edited for them was found dated April 21, 1912. The title of the article was a contest for a $5.00 prize for the best story "Have women a sense of humor -- What Proof can you give?"

The stories submitted and published could at best be called a little racist. I'm not sure of what Ted's feelings where about this at the time, however, I can tell you that I don't think he had a racist bone in his body.

Example:

A little boy was invited out to dine one day. His host, being a man of gentle breeding, said grace before the meal. The lad listened in amazement and then exclaimed: "Why, that isn't the way papa says grace."

"Is that so/. How does your papa say it?" "Well, he comes in, sits down at the table, looks all around all over everything, and then he says, 'For God's sake, what a meal!' "

"Yas, sah, prar am am all right." said an old negro. "Wy, de oddeh day I dun made up my min' foh a chicken,' an' nex' day chicken didn't come. So I dun prayed again. 'O, Lor, bring me a chicken.' and still chicken didn't come, so at las' I dun thought as how my prar might not be plumb all right so dat night I prayed. 'O. Lor' bring me to a chicken.' an sho nuff de Lor' heard dat trip an' next mornin' I dun had a chicken right in my han.' "

Most of the collection of humor stories used Jews, Irish, African American's, Germans, and men, as the butt of their jokes -- and all submited by women of the Chicago area.

Also, Chicago in 1912 was experiencing the rise of organized crime, most notably the "Black Hands" Knowing the gentle nature of Ted, his dislike of violence, coupled with the fact that selling advertising for the newspaper was not to his liking, he soon left Chicago and returned to his family in Texas County, Missouri (Evening Shade).

Evening Shade, Texas County, MO.

In 1917, Ted's father, Albert, once again pulled up roots and moved the family to Texas County, MO near Evening Shade and setup practice. By this time, their son's were gown men and younger brother Frank was well on his way to becoming a practicing physician.

Ted spent a great deal of time living on a small farm owned by his brother Glen. It was during this time on the farm that Ted was drafted in the US Army on June 6, 1917. He was assigned to the AEF (American Expeditionary Force) and would soon deploy to France.

Evening Shade, MO.

After WW1, Ted returned to his family and home in Evening Shade, Mo. Ted's younger brother Glen on a farm near Evening Shade. During this time little is known of what he did to occupy himself. There is a story that circulated around (by Ted's own words) that he helped start a small church in the community with few pennies.

He also stated that he also started a neighborhood library at Evening Shade where he loaned books and presented "educational programs".

Ted's desire to write and teach could not contain him in the small village and he once again returned to school in nearby Springfield, Missouri.

Springfield, MO.

Ted moves to the Springfield, Missouri area and attends what was then known as the Southwest Missouri State Teachers College (now Missouri State University), where he graduated and served as the Editor and Chief of the schools paper, "The Southwest Standard". for two years.

It was during these years that we first see Ted using the pen name of "Twilight Ted".¹

A Christmas letter published in the "Melting Pot" letters to the editor section of the SW Standard reveals and confirms some background information on Ted...

December 18, 1923

A Real School Paper: "The Southwest Standard, " published by students of Southwest State Teachers College, at Springfield, is one of the real interesting school papers of the state. The editor, James T. Richmond, of Texas County, known among writers as "Twilight Ted," has had rather wide experience as a writer and newspaper man. While a soldier he assisted in the publication of a soldier's paper in France and the World War. Under Mr. Richmond's guidance the Southwest Standard is doing a valuable service for the school it represents.
                 -- The Polk County Advocate

There was one hint of trouble while Ted was residing in Springfield, MO. As stated to Vance Randolph by Otto Rayburn:

Rayburn tells of the time TR was thrown in jail at Springfield for passing a bad check. May McCord² got him out.

Whether this incident happened and the exact circumstances of the arrest is unknown and could be considered hearsay. May McCord was a good friend of Ted and I don't doubt that she would help him in time of need -- that was the type of person she was.

---

¹Missouri State University, Digital Collections
²May Kennedy McCord, a writer and well-known popularizer of Ozark folkways.

Kingston, Arkansas, Ozark Life, Otto Rayburn

In 1925, Ted worked with Otto Ernest Rayburn as managing editor of "Ozark Life: The Mirror of the Ozarks" magazine.

In 1931, Otto and Ted sold the magazine -- in 1930, Ted was already living in Winslow, Arkansas and working for Maude Duncan's printing office.

The story of the "shoes" is an interesting one and is recalled by Otto in a letter recalling the incident with Ted.

In the Vance Randolph collection in Washington, DC., there is the following comment related to Vance by Otto Rayburn:

Rayburn remembers the time TR stole his good shoes, and left a wornout [sic] pair in their place. Rayburn said nothing, got himself some more shoes. TR wore Rayburn's shoes everywhere after that, without any explanation or apology. Never mentioned the incident, and neither did Rayburn. But Rayburn never forgot it.

Twila Stoffer, Ted's niece offered his explanation of the event as related to her father:

Theo was not one to ask for much. He could have asked for help from my Dad or my Uncle Art,, both younger brothers... but he never did, unless he was asking for something to give to others. When he was working for the Ozark Gazette, I believe it was (I don't have the article in front of me) he was not making much money & he had little to spend of clothes to wear to work. He didn't want to ask for a raise, & it was apparently not going to come easily... & he wore the only pair of shoes he had till they were worn out, crossing his leg once in a while so that his boss would see the holes in the soles... but to no avail ! He was not a man to ever steal anything from anybody, in fact he often gave things that he needed to others. This time he 'made a trade' ... my shoes for yours (perhaps tweeking the biblical "you never know a man till you've walked in his shoes"). And I'd like to say that I knew the outcome... did he get a little raise,,, did he finally buy another pair of shoes? But I think the paper was sold not long after. (I do know my Dad sent him a pair later... but I think that was after we had visited him up on the mtn.)

Apparently, Otto was mad about the "swap" and never forgot the incident, yet never brought it up to Ted.

Kingston, Arkansas November 2011

Winslow, Arkansas, Winslow American Newspaper and Maude Duncan

In the 1930 census, Ted was listed as a resident of Winslow, Arkansas; boarding with John and Emma Osborn. His occupation was listed as "Editor-Writer".

Maude Duncan and was the only printer in small village of Winslow. One can only assume that Ted along with a Charles W. Hopper, printer and born in England, were employed by Duncan's printer and newspaper office.

From the University of Arkansas Collections of Isabel France

Maud Duncan material. Duncan, often referred to as Arkansas's dean of women journalists, was a print shop owner and a publisher of The Winslow American newspaper. Duncan was born in Washington County, Arkansas, and was educated by her father, Dr. Albert Dunlap, a celebrated early physician and churchman of Ft. Smith, Arkansas, and by private tutors. She attended Cane Hill College, and later received a teacher's certificate. She also studied pharmacy and became the second woman pharmacist licensed in Arkansas. She began practicing pharmacy in Winslow in 1906. Duncan and her husband, Gilbert Nelson Duncan, founded the The Winslow American in 1908. They worked side by side in the printing business until Mr. Duncan's death in 1918. Maud Duncan continued printing the newspaper singlehandedly almost until her death in 1958. She was an honorary life member of the Arkansas Press Association. Her papers consist of correspondence, The Winslow American newspaper, photographs, and miscellaneous papers.

Maude Duncan was also the topic of the film trilogy of Ozark Films by Norman Weissman, titled "Ozark Newspaperwoman" in 1952. Weissman's third film was titled, "School of the Ozarks". Much like Ted, Norman Weissman was also quite taken with the pioneer woman and the hard work ethic she showed after the death of her husband in 1918. Another unsung American heroine.

Winslow, Arkansas November 2011

The "Great Depression" affects many lives, including Ted Richmond's.

Soaring unemployment left the brilliant and aspiring author/newspaperman, Ted, with little hope for a career in his chosen field of study. In 1933 unemployment peaked at 25% and there were many hungry mouths for every job opening. Ted had no wife or children, so he could obviously live on a meager sustenance and did just that.

As a former editor/writer of newspapers and magazines, there was little call for his talents in the "Great Depression" and some strange attraction brought him to Mount Sherman in the Boston Mountains. It's unclear if he had previously ventured into the area, even though he worked in a couple of nearby communities -- there were few roads in the Ozarks at that time and no railroads, so travel was limited to a few vehicles, horses and buggies.

Whatever brought him to the area, he was a stranger and the local mountain folk "didn't cotton to strangers", so to speak. The Raney family found him to be an honest, hardworking, and intelligent man and took him under their wings. They helped him build a small cabin to live in and provided guidance and food when needed. In return, he provided knowledge and education that was so desperately needed.

Ted Richmond becomes a homesteader

On May 5, 1937, James Theodore Richmond aquires 150 and 50/400ths acres of land in Newton County, Mount Sherman, Arkansas. Soon after his purchase from the federal government, he located the building location and constructed his Wildcat Cabin.

USIA Film produced on the Wilderness Library

In 1952, Norman Weissman wrote and directed the film titled "Wilderness Library", along with two other films, "Ozark Newspaperwoman" (the story of Maude Duncan), and "School of the Ozarks".

The films had world-wide distribution and were very popular with foreign audiences.

Norman recalls Ted fondly,

"He was a dedicated veteran, recovering from TB and the impact of the war, bringing books to the "wilderness", encouraging literacy, was certainly a true picture of who we are as Americans."

"Ted was what later was called a "dropout". . . He gave up a conventional career in Chicago, I believe it was advertising and recovering from TB he contracted in the Army in WW1 he took to his beloved hills and found his role in life serving an isolated region without access to libraries, schools or newspapers"

, quoted Norman later.

On Maude Duncan, Norman said,

"Maude Duncan, a well-born Virginia lass followed her husband to Winslow, and after his death, ran the "Winslow American" setting type by hand as she wrote her stories, working the foot-powered rotary press by herself. A very special lady. Unfortunately forgotten."

Maude Duncan and Ted Richmond are two American's that would qualify for what Mr. Weissman envisioned as the "Anonymous Hall of Fame" for dedicated Americans who are never given the true credit they deserve in building our great country.

Incorporation of the Wilderness Library

Sometimes a dream is just a dream... more to come later...

Twilight sets on the Wilderness Library

The old saying,

No good dead goes unpunished

has proven to be so true and Ted's case is no different. How things unraveled and led to his demise and eventual abandonment of the 25 years of dedicated service to the residents of Northwest Arkansas and the Wilderness Library.

Remembrance of Etta Richmond, mother of Ted

The following is an excerpt from a letter written by Henrietta Raney in 2005.

We had a good neighbor near. His name was Ted Richmond. He was a well known writer, sold a lot of his books. He was the first to start the Wilderness Library - people sent books from far away to him. Ellenore Rosevelt pres - wife sent a lot. She knew him. He was a very smart man but had been shell shocked in the war. He had a little cabin - one dog and cat.

Later years he bought more land and had a cow and lots of goats. They roamed the free grange anywhere they liked - when he needed milk he got a bucket and found the cow and milked where she was.

Later years his mother came to live with him. She was a small lady, very nice like Ted. She enjoyed everything just like Ted. Our first child was born while we lived there. Of course he was very special to alll of us. Our neighbor Ted though he was the most wonderful thing he had ever been around. Ted wrote the weekly news to the Jasper paper. I don't think Ted had ever been around a baby before. Each week he told all about Bobby Dean . Each new thing he did - looked. Such a nice smile he would give him. He just knew he knew who he was. After us moving away from Ted he always came to see Bobby as long as he could.

While living there Teds mother pasted away. It was so sad. Two of her other son's came to take her back home to be buried. The son's had never been there before,. They had no idea the kind of place he lived - they came and made all the arrangements. So sad the way they had to get her out of that cove. They took her out in a wagon. The road was a it's worse (if possible). The horses pulled the wagon with casket in it. Several men helped lift - pushed - and help horses pull to ge to the top of the mountain.

The ambulance met them there. The brothers looked to be very wealthy and big business men. They were very careful and easy what they did and said. They made all the arrangements - seemed very nice men.

Etta loved the children of the Mt. Sherman area and was instrumental in the establishment of the Wilderness "White Christmas" project that brought toys and clothing to the needy children of the area. The Wilderness "White Christmas" carried on until sometime in the early 1950's.