Richter scale inventor tribute part of Sunday park program

Charles Richter was born on a farm near Hamilton in 1900.


If you go

What: Charles Richter program

When: 2 p.m. Sunday; self-guided tours of the Augspurger House from 1 to 4 p.m.

Where: Chrisholm Historic Farmstead, south of Trenton at 2070 Woodsdale Road

Cost: $3/family suggested donation.

TRENTON — Earthquakes don’t impact Ohio much, but an area native had a big impact on how they’re measured.

Charles Richter, the man who created the Richter scale that rates the intensity of an earthquake, was born on a farm near Hamilton on April 26, 1900. A program at 2 p.m. Sunday pays tribute to him, said Anne Jantzen, the education coordinator at Chrisholm, which is part of Butler County MetroParks.

Richter created his scale in 1935. The program will not only provide details on Richter’s life, but also study the science of earthquakes.

Jantzen will talk about Richter’s background and his roots in the county’s Amish Mennonite community.

“We’re keeping his memory alive, especially among the young people who don’t know anything about him,” Jantzen said.

Terry Stephens, a retired Edgewood High School teacher, will talk about the science of earthquakes.

“It’s not only about the Richter scale, but the cause of earthquakes. Other scales measures them by the damage they do, and Richter wasn’t satisfied with that,” said Stephens, explaining that the Richter scale measures the intensity and energy of quakes.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2836 or erobinette@coxohio.com.

About the Author