Harriet E. Rich (maiden name: Cooke) was born around 1835 in Rhode Island to Susan Cooke. She married Cyrus Rich, and they had at least five children: Waldo, born around 1854; Amos, born around 1856; Leigh, born around 1859; Cyrus, born around 1862; and Lynn, born around 1865. They lived in Schuylerville, New York, and her husband worked as a dentist. By 1870, they owned $5,000 of real estate and $2,000 of personal property. She died in 1872.