The Phinehas Howe Richards (1788-1874) and Wealthy Dewey (1786-1853) family began with their marriage on February 24, 1818. They had nine children, including LDS Apostle Franklin D. Richards, and the family became early members and leaders of the Mormon Church in Utah. Their son, George Spencer Richards, died at age 15 in the Haun's Mill Massacre.

Phinehas was born in Massachusetts and is the brother of Willard Richards. He joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1837. He was a member of high councils at Kirtland, Nauvoo, Winter Quarters and Salt Lake City. He also served as a member of the Nauvoo City Council and the 1st Utah territorial legislature, where he also was the chaplain.

The Richards family came to Utah in the F. D. Richards Company in October 1848 and they settled in Salt Lake City and Ogden.

Wealthy Dewey, the daughter of Samuel Dewey III and Milley McKee, was born in 1786. She was a devoted member of the Congregational Church. Phineas met and courted her in Richmond, MA. They were married in 1818. Wealthy was a young woman of culture and refinement, and was skilled in sewing, cooking, and other arts which enabled her to be a capable homemaker. She was called a “walking dictionary, ” and her love of learning was transmitted to her family. Her understanding and wisdom enabled her to assist her husband in the rearing of an outstanding family.   Phineas and Wealthy made their home in Richmond, MA. For nineteen years. They were blessed with nine children, three of which died in infancy. In order to help support the family, the older boys worked outside the home for relatives and friends. For several years after her husband, Phineas, joined the LDS church Wealthy was dubious about joining. She was finally baptized in 1843, 6 years after her husband.   They lived in their wagons and tents during the first winter in Salt Lake. The winter of 1848-49 was extremely cold, and the pioneers suffered much sickness and hardship. Heavy snow in the canyons made it difficult to obtain firewood. The procurement of food was also a problem; they supplemented their meager food supply with sego lily roots. Crossing the plains was very hard on Wealthy, so when Phineas was called to go to Sanpete, she stayed in Salt Lake. She died in 1853, but her husband lived until 1874.