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From The History of Edgar County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County by William Henry Perrin; Chicago: Wm LeBaron & Co. 1879 p599
RICHARD B SUTHERLAND, deceased; Paris; one of the first settlers of this county, whose portrait has a place in this work; was born at Syracuse, N. Y., March 17, 1810; in 1820, his parents moved from Syracuse to Darien, Genesee County N.Y., and from there, in the year 1822, started West, traveling in an emigrant-wagon to Ocean Point, N.Y., and from there down the Ohio in a family boat to Evansville, Indiana, where, having disposed of their boat, continued their journey by wagon the rest of the way to Edgar County, reaching the North Arm in the month of May; after remaining there for the space of eight months.
The subject of this sketch went to Grand View Tp., in this county, where he spent his boyhood upon a farm, subjected to all the privations and hardships of a pioneer life; he was considered by all his friends as a sensible, interesting boy and a promising young man; his advantages for school education were very limited, but by the teachings at home and his own energy and industry, he acquired a fair business education, and laid the foundation for that culture and sterling business power which characterized him in the future. At the age of 21, he became employed as a clerk in the store of Col. Tom Smith, in the village of Grand View, and continued with him until the spring of 1837, when he formed a co-partnership with his brother, Chas. N. Sutherland, in the dry goods business, which continued, until 1839, when he bought out his brother, and, after carrying on the business in his own name, sold out to Mr. LaMar; while there, he established a reputation for probity and honor that soon gave him success; no man ever questioned his honesty in business, or sincerity in opinion or belief; while he sometimes offended with his frankness, his integrity and kindness of heart always secured the confidence and respect of all who knew him; he was ever ready to help the poor and afflicted; old and young were glad to shake the welcome hand of “Uncle Dick Sutherland.”
Having traded his storehouse at Grand View for a sawmill on Big Creek, known as “Porter's Mill,” he gave his attention to that business for a few years, and again returning to Grand View, sold goods on commission for James Dudley, who afterward formed a co-partnership with him; Mr. Dudley having retired from the firm, Mr. Sutherland carried on a general merchandise business in Dudley until his removal to Paris. In 1856, he was elected a delegate to the First Republican National Convention held in Philadelphia, and was ever after a vigorous champion of the Republican party, and aided nobly in the cause of his country during the war of the rebellion. In 1865, he with others organized the First National Bank of Paris, of which he was President for several years and administered its affairs in a most successful and satisfactory manner; having resigned this position, he started a private bank under the name of R. B. Sutherland & Sons; continuing the same until 1873, when he sold out to the Edgar Co. National Bank of Paris, and retired from active life, having amassed considerable property.
In 1870, he was elected a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, and there secured a reputation and manifested an ability highly appreciated by his associates and his constituents. Mr. Sutherland was a man of positive character, too much so to become a politician; he was temperate in all his habits and principles, never intruded his principles upon others, but according to all the liberty of conscience and freedom of opinion, and exercised charity toward all. He always took an active part in all public interests, and aided greatly in the improvement of Paris and county; he was Mayor of Paris for a term of years, and was a member of the Board of Education at the time of his death.
He was twice married: first in 1850, to Miss P. A. Dudley, of Boston, who died on the 10th of April, 1866, the mother of four children, two of whom survive her ~ James D., residing at Dudley, in this county, engaged in farming; and R. Oilman, Teller of the First National Bank of Paris; second, to Lucy Bliss WRIGHT, who still survives him; by whom he had no children. No man was ever more devoted to his family; his kindness was not less manifest to his dogs and horses, and his warm heart ever beat with kindness for the poor and destitute. He died Wednesday, Jan. 3, 1877, and his decease made a vacancy among the businessmen of Paris, and also in their public interests and private associations, that will not soon be filled. His remains lie in the Edgar Cemetery, at Paris.“