History of Richfield
The town of Richfield began as a settlement of German immigrants in the late 1800’s known for the Ritchie family that founded it. Members of the Ritchie family established a sawmill, a roller mill, and a cotton gin. The town was chartered in the 1890’s as Ritchie’s Mill. Cicero Ritchie laid out the streets, which ran one half mile from the square in each direction. On September 30, 1893 Postmaster George Ritchie opened the new post office and the town was renamed Richfield.
The town charter was allowed to lapse in 1920. It was reinstated under the direction of Mayor J. T. Ford in 1941. At that time, the town included grocery stores, churches, gas stations, a train depot, a high school with a gymnasium, a flour mill, a hardware store where “you could buy a good rifle” and and a livery stable. Many local buildings were destroyed by fire over the early years, so in 1956 the community purchased it’s first fire truck.
Richfield celebrated it’s first centennial in September of 1993. Today, the town has retained much of its small-town charm and rich historical legacy.
