JOHN RICHARD HILL was born May 1,1855, in Warsaw County, Missouri, the oldest son and second child of WILLIAM BUEL and BRUNETTE C. DICKERSON HILL.  At age 20 he met ALICE W. THOMPSON, born  February 21,1858 in Clermont County, Ohio, daughter of JOHN W. THOMPSON from New Jersey and ANNE SARAH EARLE DARK THOMPSON, originally from Wiltshire England. John and Anne moved to Benton County, Missouri in 1872, when daughter Alice was 14. John W. Thompson died in Missouri in 1872. In 1877, as the widow of John W. Thompson, Anne S. Thompson applied for a land patent on 160 acres. She sold this and with her son HENRY M. THOMPSON and daughters Amy and Nell she moved to Washington State. Anne S. Thompson died Feb 2,1892 and is buried in the Wilbur Cemetery.

John Richard Hill and Alice E. Thompson were married on March 09,1876, in Warsaw County, Missouri. They moved to Cross Timbers, Missouri in Hickory where all their children but the youngest were born.  They were WILLIAM THOMAS(1877-1950), JAMES ALFRED(1878-1953), NELLIE MAY(1880-1944), HENRY CLINTON(1882-1962), HOMER(1883-1958) and CHARLES EDWARD(1890-1904),born at Peach, WA.

Moving by emigrant train, John Richard and Alice E. arrived in the spring of 1884 at Deep Creek, WA. where they stayed for several years.  In 1891 John R. Hill purchased a land patent for 160 acres located half way between Almira and Wilbur, North of Highway 2 and West of Govan.  In 1899 he purchased another land patent for the adjoining 160 acres.

In the town of Wilbur John Richard started a sawmill and opened up a lumber yard with another man. In April of 1895 he purchased lots 5 and 6 in block 111 in the Railroad addition to the town of Wilbur for $60 from George E. and Susannah Terry.  He hauled some of the materials and helped build the Wolfe School, made of logs, which was located northeast of Almira. The school opened on Aug 22,1888. On the roster in 1893 were his six children: Willie, age 17; James,16; Nellie,14; Henry,13; Homer, 11; and Charlie,5. John R. also served on the school board.

John R. sold his holding and moved to Peach Washington, also known as Orchard Valley in June of 1895 and in Alice's name "for the sum of $669" they bought 16 3/4  acres just above where Hawk Creek came into the Columbia River. They planted ten acres in orchard and the less productive ground into pasture and used the waters of Hawk Creek for irrigating.  By 1903 the Hill family had built up their farm into a very prosperous one. Sons Homer and Charlie, were still at home but the others were starting out on their own. Jim and Will had bought their own fruit farms at Peach.  Daughter Nell married ROQUE URIBE in February of 1899 and they bought a farm to raise fruit also. Henry married GRACE SNOOK in May 1903 and had a fruit farm half way between his father's place and his brother Jim's place. In January 1904 son Charles Edward died of appendicitis and was buried at the Peach Cemetery.

In 1911 John Richard and Alice E. Hill bought 160 acres in Fruitland Valley, originally known as Price's Valley, about 40 miles North of Peach.  It had a log house on it, but they built a 3 room house with an upstairs and used the original log house for storage. Henry moved to Fruitland Valley and helped his father with the farm as did Homer.

Roque and Nell Uribe also moved to Fruitland Valley and purchased 160 acres of property with a house on it.  He improved the house and barn and put in an orchard.

In his later years, John Richard moved to Opportunity, Washington where he died March 5,1922. Alice E. died Apr 1,1924. Both are buried in the Peach Cemetery at Lincoln, Washington.

John R. and Alice E. Hill were both members of the Methodist Church, South, of which William B. Hill, John's father was a minister.

Submitted to the WAGenWeb by Rella Gleaton, great grandaughter, June, 2002

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