Richard H. Koch (also known as R.H. Koch; 1852–1945) was an American judge, railroad magnate, and prominent member of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Biography

Richard Henry Koch's ancestors settled

Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Schuylkill County (, ; Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: Schulkill Kaundi) is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the ...

, in the early 1800s. Koch was born to

Daniel Daniel commonly refers to: * Daniel (given name), a masculine given name and a surname * List of people named Daniel * List of people with surname Daniel * Daniel (biblical figure) * Book of Daniel, a biblical apocalypse, "an account of the acti ...

and Mary Ann Beck Koch on April 2, 1852, in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. His mother was born in Middleport, Pennsylvania, while his father was born in East Brunswick Township on December 24, 1816. Daniel and Mary married on October 24, 1839, and together they had eleven children, one of whom was Richard.

Education and career

Koch attended the Philomathean Academy located near Birdsboro, then attended the State Normal School at

Kutztown Kutztown (Pennsylvania German: ''Kutzeschteddel'') is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located southwest of Allentown and northeast of Reading. As of the 2020 census, the borough had a population of 4,162. Kutztow ...

. He graduated from the SNS with first honors in his class in 1871. He went on to teach there for six years, and he did "considerable work in connection with county institutes, lecruring in Berks, Lehigh,

Monroe Monroe or Monroes may refer to: People and fictional characters * Monroe (surname) * Monroe (given name) * James Monroe, 5th President of the United States * Marilyn Monroe, actress and model Places United States * Monroe, Arkansas, an unincorp ...

, and

Northampton Northampton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is sit ...

counties." In January 1887, Koch was appointed deputy district attorney in Schuylkill County. He stayed as deputy district attorney until 1890, when he was appointed district attorney. In 1892, he was nominated as a judge, but was defeated in election. Koch eventually went on to become a trial judge, deciding many cases in Pennsylvania. In 1914, Koch was an honorary escort to the Argentinian Ambassador at the Sixteenth Annual Dinner of

The Pennsylvania Society In 1899 James Barr Ferree, an historian and native Pennsylvanian living in New York City, invited 55 fellow Pennsylvanians also living in New York to join him for dinner at The Waldorf Astoria Hotel. While enjoying a meal together, they decided ...

held at the

Waldorf-Astoria Hotel The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story, Art Deco landmark des ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, New York.

Organizations

Koch was elected as a member of the Historical Society of Schuylkill County on February 22, 1905.Publications of the Historical..., p. xviii He was also involved in a number of

fraternal organizations A fraternity or fraternal organization is an organized society of men associated together in an environment of companionship and brotherhood; dedicated to the intellectual, physical, and social development of its members. Service clubs, lineage so ...

, including: the Huguenot Lodge (No. 377); Mountain City Chapter (No. 196); Constantine Commandery (No. 41);

Independent Order of Odd Fellows The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political, non-sectarian international fraternal order of Odd Fellowship. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Evolving from the Odd Fellows, Order ...

of Pottsville; Patriotic Order Sons of America; the

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE), commonly known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks, is an American fraternal order and charitable organization founded in 1868 in New York City. Originally established as a social club for m ...

;

Knights of the Golden Eagle The Knights of the Golden Eagle (KGE) was an American fraternal organization founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1872. At its height in the 1920s, the organization had 73,340 members in 26 states. It ceased operations in the late 1960s or early 1970 ...

; and the

Royal Arcanum The Supreme Council of the Royal Arcanum, commonly known simply as the Royal Arcanum, is a fraternal benefit society founded in 1877 in Boston, Massachusetts by John A. Cummings and Darius Wilson, who had previously been among the founders of the ...

Family

On September 30, 1884, Koch married Annie S. Philips, daughter of Captain William Phillips who died in the

battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...

. Together they had four children: Roscoe, born on June 17, 1887; Helen, born July 17, 1889; Marshall, born September 24, 1891; and Marjorie, born September 22, 1893. Son Roscoe R. Koch became Deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania, appointed by Attorney General Thomas J. Baldridge. He attended Pottsville High School, where he graduated with honors, then went on to attend

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

. Like his father, he became a lawyer. Also like his father, Roscoe was one of the directors of the Shamokin Extension Electric Railway Company. Roscoe also served as Secretary and Treasurer. Daughter Marjorie Koch married Lieutenant John Park Hood. Together they had daughter Marjorie "Marge" Hood, who was born in Pottsville, Dec. 20, 1921. Marge married millionaire Richard Yuengling, Sr. of the Jüngling family and D.G. Yuengling & Son Brewery. Marge and Richard's son is billionaire Richard Yuengling, Jr., father of heiresses Jennifer Yuengling-Franquet,

Deborah Yuengling Ferhat According to the Book of Judges, Deborah (, ''Dəḇōrā'') was a prophetess of Judaism, the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel, and the only female judge mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Many scholars contend that the phrase, "a woman of Lap ...

, Wendy Yuengling Baker, and Sheryl Yuengling.

Railroad businesses

Pennsylvania

Koch was president of the Shamokin Extension Electric Railway Company, which was chartered in 1908. It was operated by the Shamokin and Edgewood Electric Railway Company. Koch also served on the board, along with son Roscoe. The vice president of the company was John Doster of Danville, Pennsylvania. In 1895, he became vice president of the Schuylkill Electric Railway Company. Koch replaced Frederick G. Yuengling after the latter resigned. Both Koch and Yuengling were great-grandfathers of Richard L. Yuengling Jr. Eventually, Koch became president of the company. He was a director for the Columbia and Montour Electric Railway Company.

Tennessee

Koch was on the board of a number of Tennessee railway companies: He was President and director of the Lookout Incline & Lula Lake Railway Company. This company operated a cable line from St. Elmo to the top of Lookout Mountain. He was President and director of the North Side Consolidated Street Railway Company, which was a reorganization of the Signal Mountain Railway Company and the Chattanooga & North Side Street Ry. Company. Their capital stock was $100,000. He was President of the United Railways, Light & Water Company. The company owned stock in a number of other companies and built an extension from Alton Park to Rossville, Georgia. He was President of the Lookout Point Incline Company, which was a successor to the Incline & Narrow Gauge Railway Company. The company operated a cable line from St. Elmo to the top of

Lookout Mountain Lookout Mountain is a mountain ridge at the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Georgia, the northeast corner of Alabama, and along the southeastern Tennessee state line in Chattanooga. Lookout Mountain was the scene of the 18th-century "La ...

. Their capital stock was $100,000. He was a director of the Chattanooga & Lookout Mountain Railway Company. This company ran from the center of

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...

to Lookout Mountain. Their capital stock was $250,000. He was a director of the Rapid Transit Company of Chattanooga, whose lines connected the National Cemetery, Highland Park, Orchard Knob, Avondale, Ridgedale, East Lake, Rossville, Chickamauga Park, Hill City and Vallombrosa. The capital stock was $350,000.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Koch, Richard H. 1852 births 1945 deaths Pennsylvania Railroad people Pennsylvania state court judges Politicians from Pottsville, Pennsylvania District attorneys in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania