Rich was born in Conneautville, Pennsylvania, the son of John W. Rich and Jerusha Treadway Rich. John Treadway Rich's middle name is mistakenly given as "Tyler", perhaps because he was born just nineteen days after John Tyler became U.S. president upon the death of William Henry Harrison. In 1846, he moved with his parents to Addison County, Vermont, and two years later they moved to Elba Township, Michigan. He attended the public schools and engaged in agricultural pursuits. On March 12, 1863, he married Lucretia M. Winship.
Rich served as Governor of Michigan from 1893 to 1897. During his four years in office, a railroad strike, as well as an iron mine strike occurred. Also, three members of the State Canvassing Board were fired for falsifying returns on a salary raise vote for state officeholders.
After leaving office, he served as United States collector of customs at Detroit from February 16, 1898, to January 30, 1906. He was elected State Treasurer of Michigan to fill a vacancy and served from January 23, 1908, to January 1, 1909. He was then collector of customs at Port Huron from December 11, 1908, to May 30, 1913.