My Genealogy Hound

ROBERT L. RIGGS, real-estate dealer, McKeesport, was born August 26, 1838, a son of John and Mary (Phillips) Riggs. His paternal grandfather, Edward Riggs, a native of New Jersey, of German and Welsh descent, was a pioneer of Snowden township, where he cleared and improved a farm, on which he lived and died. He had four children: Edward, John, Joseph and Mary (Mrs. Elijah Townsend). The maternal grandfather was Joseph Phillips, the first Baptist minister to locate in Western Pennsylvania; he organized the first Baptist Church at Peters Corner, Pa., the centennial anniversary of which was celebrated in 1875. John Riggs, father of our subject, was a native of Snowden township, and at his father’s death succeeded to the homestead, and resided there until his death. His children were David; Sarah (Mrs. Samuel Murray), Edward, Josiah, Lewis, Joseph, John, Robert L., William, Obadiah and Isaac. Of these, John served three years in the rebellion and David occupies the old Riggs homestead.

Robert L. Riggs was reared in Snowden, and was educated in the common schools and Bethel Academy. He began life as a teacher in the public schools of Jefferson and Mifflin townships, came to McKeesport in 1864, and was principal of the public schools two years. He then embarked in the drug business with Jesse Sill, the partnership existing until the death of Mr. Sill, in 1878, when our subject succeeded to the business, which he conducted until 1880. He then engaged in the lumber and planing-mill business with James R. Gemmill and J. A. Lucas for five years, and since 1885 has been engaged in the real-estate business. He married, April 19, 1864, Cordelia C. B., daughter of John and Margaret (Cunningham) Whigham, of Mifflin township, and has six children: Effie W., Jessie J., Thomas A., Viola, Clifford and Walter. Mr. Riggs is president of the board of education, of which he has been a member most of the time since 1867. He is a member of the Baptist Church; in politics a republican.