Riggs family

Biographical Note

Elisha Riggs

• 1779, June 13: Born, Montgomery County, Md.
• 1812 - 1814 : Served with American militia during War of 1812
• 1812: Married Alice Lawrason (died 1817)
• 1814: Helped organize Union Bank of Georgetown, D.C.
• 1815 - 1829 : With George Peabody formed business firm of Riggs and Peabody, Dry Goods Merchants
• 1822: Married Mary Ann Karrick
• 1827: Moved to New York, N.Y., and entered banking business, becoming a partner in Riggs, Taylor, and Co.
• 1853, Aug. 3: Died, New York, N.Y.

Elisha Riggs, Jr.

• 1826, Nov. 28: Born, Philadelphia, Pa.
• 1844: Graduated, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
• 1848: Entered firm of Corcoran and Riggs as junior partner
• 1849: Married Mary Keene Boswell
• 1853: Explored Rocky Mountains with Benton-Beale Expedition
• 1854: Sold interest in Corcoran and Riggs
• 1857 - 1862 : Lived in Europe
• 1862 - 1865 : Member, banking firm of Jerome, Riggs, and Co.
• 1881, July 8: Died, New York, N.Y.

Elisha Francis Riggs

• 1851, Oct. 2: Born, Washington, D.C.
• 1876 - 1896 : Member, Riggs and Co.
• 1879: Married Medora Thayer
• 1881 - 1910 : Treasurer, Mount Vernon Ladies Association
• 1889: Donated funds for construction of the Riggs Memorial Library, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
• 1896: Became first vice president, National Savings and Trust Co. of Washington, D.C.
• 1910, July 6: Died, New London, Conn.

Elisha Francis Riggs, Jr.

• 1887, June 16: Born, Washington, D.C.
• 1909: Graduated, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
• 1910: Traveled abroad
• 1911 - 1913 : Served with U.S. Army, Fort Riley, Kans.
• 1913 - 1915 : Stationed in Philippine Islands
• 1916 - 1918 : Military attaché in Russia
• 1918: Served with 325th Field Artillery, U.S. Army, in France
• 1918 - 1919 : American representative on Armistice Commission in Klagenfurt Basin, Austria
• 1919 - 1920 : Worked in Military Intelligence Department, Washington, D.C.
• 1920: Resigned from regular U.S. Army
• 1922: Married Margaret Alwina Bohlen
• 1933: Appointed chief of police in Puerto Rico
• 1936, Feb. 23: Assassinated by members of Nationalist Party, San Juan, Puerto Rico

George W. Riggs, Jr.

• 1813, July 4: Born, Georgetown, D.C.
• 1829 - 1831 : Student, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
• 1840: Married Janet Shedden
• 1840: Established Corcoran and Riggs in partnership with William W. Corcoran
• 1848: Retired from Corcoran and Riggs
• 1854: Upon retirement of William W. Corcoran returned to Corcoran and Riggs, which was renamed Riggs and Co.
• 1881, Aug. 24: Died, Prince Georges County, Md.

Romulus Riggs

• 1782, Dec. 22: Born, Montgomery County, Md.
• 1810: Married Mercy Ann Lawrason
• 1812 - 1825 : Engaged in banking and invested in real estate holdings in Georgetown, D.C.
• 1826: Moved to Philadelphia, Pa., and joined his brother Elisha Riggs in mercantile firm of R. and E. Riggs and Co.
• 1829: Formed partnership with Robert B. Aertsen; joined by William S. Paradise in the firm of Riggs, Son, and Paradise
• 1844: Upon retirement of Robert Aertsen joined by William S. Paradise in the firm of Riggs, Son, and Paradise
• 1846: Established banking firm Romulus and Co.
• 1846, Oct. 2: Died, Philadelphia, Pa.

Thomas Riggs, Jr.

• 1873, Oct. 17: Born, Howard County, Md.
• 1890 - 1893 : Studied engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.
• 1893 - 1896 : Engaged in lumber business in Washington State
• 1897 - 1901 : Mined gold on Dominion Creek and Last Chance Creek, Yukon Territory
• 1902: Developed gold mine in San Juan County, Utah
• 1903 - 1905 : Worked with U.S. and Canada Boundary Survey
• 1906 - 1913 : Worked with Alaskan Boundary Survey
• 1913: Married Renée Marie Coudert
• 1914 - 1917 : Member, Alaskan Engineering Commission
• 1918 - 1921 : Governor of Alaska
• 1922 - 1935 : Consulting engineer, New York, N.Y.
• 1935 - 1945 : U.S. Commissioner, International Boundary Commission
• 1945, Jan. 16: Died, Washington, D.C.

T. Lawrason Riggs

• 1888, June 28: Born, New London, Conn.
• 1910: Graduated, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
• 1912: Graduated , Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
• 1912 - 1913 : Assistant instructor in English, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
• 1916 - 1917 : Instructor in English, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
• 1917 - 1918 : Served with American Expeditionary Force in France
• 1920 - 1921 : Novice, St. Joseph's Seminary, Yonkers, N.Y.
• 1921: Transferred to St. Thomas' Seminary, Hartford, Conn.
• 1922: Ordained a priest at Hartford, Conn., and became chaplain of the Catholic Club of Yale
• 1922 - 1938 : Served with parish church in East Haven, Conn.
• 1926: Appointed member of the administrative council and instructor in religion, Albertus Magnus College, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
• 1933: Named associate fellow of Calhoun College, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
• 1935: Made chairman of New Haven Interfaith Committee, New Haven, Conn.
• 1938: Became chaplain of More Club, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
• 1943, Apr. 27: Died, New Haven, Conn.

William Henry Riggs

• 1837, Mar. 22: Born, New York, N.Y.
• 1852: Began a collection on Indian weapons and costumes
• circa 1852 - 1857 : Attended Bacon School, New York State); Sillig's Institute,Vevey, Switzerland; and Technische Hochschule, Dresden, Germany
• 1853: Accompanied his brother, Elisha Riggs, Jr., on the Benton-Beale Expedition
• 1856: Began acquisition of medieval armor and weapons
• 1857: Settled in Paris, France
• 1913: Presented collection of arms and armor to Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, N.Y.
• 1924, Aug. 31: Died, Bagnères-de Luchon, France

From the guide to the Riggs Family Papers, 1763-1945, (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)