“John P. Richardson, Wholesale Dry Goods and Notions, corner of Magazine and Common streets.– The premises of a house of uncommon characteristics–a house that may fairly be said to lead the trade in its line in the section are shown in the engraving on this page.  Its business in the products of the Mississippi and other mills, for whom its acts as agent, bringing it into relations with all parts of the United States, Mexico and Central America, of itself is greater than the aggregate business of any other concern here; and, besides this, it is a large importer and dealer in all the staples of the dry goods and notions trades.

Mr. Richardson is the son of the late Edmund Richardson, whose distinction as the largest cotton factor, cotton planter and cotton manufacturer of the South was unquestioned. He came here first from his native state, Mississippi, as agent for the Mississippi mills at Mississippi City, in which his father was heavily interested.  That was in 1879.  Presently he was embarked in the dry goods trade and had several other special agencies for cotton and woolen mills entrusted him.  Year by year business has grown apace, and its expansion has brought the house into connection with the trade in all parts of the United States, with Mexico and Central America.  A stock which can hardly be worth less than a half million and business of a million and a half yearly, is certainly not too high an estimate to place on its transactions.

But other, varied and important investments occupy Mr. Richardson’s leisure.  He is President of the mills which he formerly represented, one of the largest cotton and woolen mills in the South, is President of the Refuge Oil Company, of Vicksburg, is a Director in the Union National Bank, of this city, and has the most substantial resources to insure his house against contingencies and emergencies of the trade.  Still in the prime of life, he is noted for activity and business capacity, and he has been one of the foremost also in rendering substantial assistance to all projects calculated to advance the city of New Orleans, as likewise fostering the industries of that New South whose development is everywhere attracting attention.”

Source:  New Orleans and the New South, compiled and edited by Andrew Morrison, Metropolitan Publishing Co., 1888, pages 93-4