“Many people have contributed to the heritage of the Indiana Duneland. Some have been involved in historical events; some have recorded stories and images from the past; some have worked to preserve Dune landscapes for the future. William and Flora Richardson, devotees of the Dunes ... left a legacy of their own that includes all of these things.” - James Newman, Ph.D., FRF Board Member (1995)
In 1995 James Newman wrote an extensive history of the Richardsons and the Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary (now the Flora Richardson Foundation). Read this interesting biography of these early Chicago area naturalists who were members of the Prairie Club and the Friends of Our Native Landscape (later the Saves the Dunes organization). At the end of his document, the history has been brought up to date by subsequent Board members.
Flora and William Richardson accrued an extensive collection of books, photographs taken by William, and other memorabilia from their lives. Much of this collection (some books were donated to other libraries) as well as the organization's archives are now housed in the Westchester Township History Museum in Chesterton, Indiana and can be viewed by contacting the Museum’s Research Department. Many of William's photographs are viewable in an electronic archive on this website, see William's Photos.
