Richard Lamb Allen[1] (born near Westfield, Massachusetts, October 20, 1803; died in Stockholm, Sweden, 22 September 1869) was a United States writer on agriculture.
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He was the fourth son of Samuel and Ruth (Falley) Allen, and got his early education at Westfield Academy and Franklin, Connecticut. He studied law in Baltimore in the office of William Wirt while running a school with a friend. But he found himself obliged to seek a more active life on account of his health.
In 1833, he went to Buffalo, New York, and involved himself in mercantile pursuits, and in December 1834, he married Sally Outram. His ambition was, through investments in land, to earn enough to take up a life of study and travel. The Panic of 1837 quashed these plans, and he passed the next seven years on his farm on the Niagara River.
In 1842 he started the American Agriculturist in partnership with his elder brother, Anthony B. Allen,[1] but soon after left for New Orleans on a business venture. In 1847, he rejoined his brother, now in New York City, where he had established an agricultural business in connection with the journal. Richard L. Allen resided on Staten Island with his family. In 1856 American Agriculturist was sold to Orange Judd,[1] and the brothers opened a warehouse for supplying improved agricultural implements.
In 1866, three members of Allen's family sailed for Europe. Allen was not able to join them until 1868, and died in Sweden in 1869.
Allen was a Presbyterian Church elder.[1]