[2] During his childhood, he spent his summers in Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island, and attended the St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire.

[1] Riggs then became a cattle rancher before returning to Baltimore to become a machinist apprentice with the Robert Poole & Son Company.

[1] On October 12, 1891, he became vice president of the Detrick & Harvey Machine Company, a position he held until his retirement on December 31, 1920.

[6] As Secretary of Commerce and Police, Riggs clashed with Governor General Francis Burton Harrison about who had authority over the Philippine Constabulary.

[7] In February 1928, while living in Catonsville, Maryland, Riggs served as chairman of the Wood Memorial Fund, which sought to raise $2 million to eradicate leprosy in the Philippines.

[1] Riggs was described as "a lifetime Democrat in his political conviction", but voted against presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan because of his stance on the silver issue.