James Rickenbach (1830-1891) was born in Bern Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania in the district known as Rickenbach. His father Benjamin moved with his family to Philadelphia in 1835, and James stayed behind with his Aunts Eva and Barbara. At some point he did an apprenticeship with perhaps the Pennsylvania and Reading Railroad and ended up as a foreman for excavation in Tuckerton. There he met his future wife Eliza Hinnershitz. James built a house along the canal in 1859, where he piloted canal boats and later had a boat building operation. Many details of James' life may be found in the account by his daughter Rebecca.
The photograph of James was likely from the late 1870s.
Photograph courtesy of Colleen Rickenbach Schulze