Samuel Tait Riggs
Birth: Feb. 9, 1808
Fairfield
Adams County
Pennsylvania, USA
Death: Sep. 3, 1871
Hiattville
Bourbon County
Kansas, USA
Samuel Tait Riggs was the son of Mary Ross (1774-1845) and Rev. Cyrus Riggs (1774-1849).
In 1814, at the age of six, Samuel, along his five sisters and two brothers, removed from Adams County, Pennsylvania to Venango County, Pennsylvania, where his father, Rev. Cyrus Riggs, had been installed as pastor of the churches of Scrubgrass and West Unity.
He married Lucy C. Kerr (1813-1891) in Venango County, Pennsylvania about 1833.
Children:
• Ann Marie (1834-1896)
• Cephas Calvin (1836-after 1865)
• Amanda Jane (1838-1849)
• Cyrus Henry (1840-1843)
• Naomi Elizabeth (1841-1872) •
• Achsah Coulter (1843-1919)
• Electa Caroline (1850-1853)
The records of the Scrubgrass Presbyterian Church, Venango County, Pennsylvania, mention him as an elder from 1842 through 1847.
In 1857, they removed briefly to Missouri and then on to Pawnee Creek, near Hiattville, Bourbon County, Kansas in 1858 where they settled on the N.W. 1/4, Section 12, Township 27, Range 23. Lucy filed for ownership under the Treaty of the United States with the Cherokee Nation of Indians on October 17, 1864. On October 17, 1867 she was granted a patent for 160 acres for the sum of $320 (see photo). The fact that Lucy considered herself, and was considered by one personally acquainted with her to be "the head of a family" suggests that Samuel must have suffered some sort of disability sometime after their move to Kansas.
The above biography was compiled by Jack Victor Williams.
A much earlier photo of the broken headstone clearly shows his date of death as "...pt. 3, 1871" which is obviously September 3, 1871. When someone recently restored Samuel's headstone (shortly before April 2005), they incorrectly changed the date of death to Oct. 3, 1871. I would like to thank the people who repaired both Samuel and his sister Hannah's headstones.
Family links:
Parents:
Cyrus Riggs (1774 - 1849)
Mary Ross Riggs (1774 - 1845)
Spouse:
Lucy C. Kerr Riggs (1813 - 1891)*
Children:
Amanda Jane Riggs (1838 - 1849)*
Cyrus Henry Riggs (1840 - 1843)*
Naomi Elizabeth Riggs Richardson (1841 - 1872)*
Achsah Coulter Riggs Williams (1843 - 1919)*
Electa Caroline Riggs (1850 - 1853)*
Sibling:
Hannah Riggs (1798 - 1870)*
Samuel Tait Riggs (1808 - 1871)
Inscription: Samuel T. Riggs / Born / Feb. 9, 1808 / Died / Sept. 3, 1871
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=28890377
