Richard Peters

Richard Peters (November 2, 1848 – May 24, 1921) was an American civil engineer, railroad executive, soldier, and clubman who was prominent in society during the Gilded Age. Early life Peters was born on November 2, 1848, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the oldest of nine children born to Mary Jane (née Thompson) Peters (1830–1911) and Richard Peters (1810–1889), a railroad executive who was one of the founders of Atlanta. Among his siblings was Edward, Ralph, president of the Long Island Rail Road, and Nellie, who also became prominent. His paternal grandfather was Richard Peters, a reporter of Decisions to the U.S. Supreme Court, and his great-grandfather was Continental Congressman Richard Peters, a Pennsylvania jurist. His maternal grandfather was Dr. Joseph Thompson, an early settler and doctor. During the U.S. Civil War, his parents sent him abroad where he was educated at private schools in England.