In 1844 Ike married Elizabeth S. Revey, a distant cousin from New York, at the Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan. Her parents, Susan and Richard P Revey, are buried at the Indian Burial Grounds, now called Shadow Lawn Cemetery on Squankum Road in Tinton Falls, NJ. Ike bought property in 1845 near his parents near the Pine Brook on Richardson Avenue in Eatontown village. Isaac and Elizabeth’s four sons, Isaac W., Theodore, Richard, Joseph, and four daughters, Emma, Elizabeth, Susan, Restella (and one stillborn child) were born there. Local tax records show Elizabeth Revey’s family paying property taxes for their farmland in Tinton Falls as early as 1780.

            By 1900 Ike’s family lived on their farm compound at Sand Hill as did 90% of Americans. Only 10% of American families lived in cities. The Richardsons produced most of their food by keeping livestock, chickens, cows, goats, hogs and growing most of their grains, corn, fruits and vegetables. They canned food for winter, sold surplus crops to neighboring markets and stores and exchanged items at the local mill. Ike used his construction skills as a master carpenter and builder to support his family.

His sons, Isaac W., Theodore, Richard and Joseph, nephews, son-in-laws and cousins were engaged in the construction business of building houses, barns, boardinghouses, hotels, churches, schools, elaborately carved picture frames and furniture. Skilled trades, carpentry, masonry and plumbing were taught to the next generation of Sand Hill Indians and the families became prosperous as part of the growing shore economy. 

In 1877 Ike earned $2.00 per day, which provided about $40 per month. As a comparison, a private in the US Army was paid $13.00 per month and a teacher was paid $4.50 per month. The mainstay of the family was the pork barrel and there was an abundance of milk, butter, cheese and corn products for livestock and people. Butchering hogs in autumn provided smoked meat for winter use. Ice cream was a luxury and only seen on rare occasions.

The apprentice system was still in use during Ike’s lifetime. A relative Jonathan Richardson was “bounded out for a period of one year to Jacob Corlies”. If he remained for the year, he would receive three months of schooling and a new suit of clothes. Young men learned how to tan leather, create items, make shoes and saddles, and learn useful skills.  In exchange they were to receive room and board, meals, a place to sleep, meager wages of 50 cents or more a day, and be subject to discipline of the employer’s whip. Since there was such a high demand for workers during the 1800s, the apprentice system declined steadily. The largest industries when Ike was a boy were cotton and wood manufacturing and employed the most women and children. Individual families made their own clothing as most clothing had to be specifically made for the person. Store bought clothing proved to be very expensive and not readily available at that time.