Samuel G. Crawford (1852-1925)

CRAWFORD

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 3/24/2022 at 20:59:12

Samuel Graham Crawford
(December 27, 1852 – June 16, 1925)

The prosperity of any community depends upon its business activity, and the enterprise manifest in commercial circles is the foundation upon which is builded the material welfare of town, state and nation. The most important factors in public life at the present day are therefore the men who
are in control of successful business interests and such a one is Samuel G. Crawford, of Lohrville, Iowa. He was born in Whiteside County, Illinois, December 27, 1852, and comes of good old Revolutionary stock, his great grandfather. Colonel Crawford, having served with distinction in the war for independence under General Washington. His grandfather, Thomas Crawford, was born near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and after reaching manhood conducted one of the early hotels in the District of Columbia. There our subject's father, John B. Crawford, was born December 2, 1820, while his wife, who bore the maiden name of Nancy J. Kilgore, was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, in 1827. In 1844 he started west, traveling by way of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers,
and finally located in Sterling, Illinois, where his marriage occurred, Mr. Crawford becoming one of the first business men of that place. There he engaged in merchandising for many years, and also carried on farming and stock-raising, being a great lover of fine stock. He was one of the first to introduce Durham cattle into that locality. In 1883 he came to Calhoun County, Iowa, and embarked in the banking business at Lohrville, where he made his home until called to his final rest on the 26th of September, 1901.
He commanded the respect and confidence of all with whom he was brought in contact either in business or social life, and was highly respected and esteemed by all who knew him. His wife still survives him and continues to make her home in Lohrville. Of their two children our subject is the older,
the other being Mrs. C. H. Wise, of Lohrville.
Samuel G. Crawford passed the days of his boyhood and youth in Sterling, Illinois, and acquired his education in its public schools. He began his business career as bookkeeper and cashier in a mercantile establishment at Sterling belonging to his uncle, D. M. Crawford, and was subsequently teller
in the First National Bank of that place. He held the latter position for eight years, and during that time acquired an excellent knowledge of the banking business. Mr. Crawford came to Lohrville, Iowa, in December, 1881, and the following January embarked in the general banking business under the firm name of S. G. Crawford & Company, his father, J. B. Crawford, and his
uncle, D. M. Crawford, being the company. This partnership continued until 1892, when Charles H. Wise was taken into partnership and the name was changed to Crawford, Wise & Company. Our subject has not confined his attention wholly to the banking business, but for the past fifteen years has been quite extensively interested in the raising and breeding of short horn cattle. He
owns a farm of one hundred and sixty acres within the corporate limits of Lohrville, on which he keeps about fifty head of thoroughbreds. He has held several public sales, and at the last disposed of forty-three fine animals, which brought on an average of two hundred and seventy dollars per head,
one bringing eight hundred dollars. As a cattle dealer he has become widely known and has made shipments to all parts of the United States — east, west, north and south. He is an excellent judge of stock and is now most efficiently serving as president of the Iowa Short Horn Breeders Association,
which position he has filled for the past two years. His cattle are among the finest raised in this section of the country, and he takes a commendable pride in the same.
On the 15th of October, 1878, Mr. Crawford was united in marriage with Miss Mary D. Wallace, who was born in Holmesville, Pike County, Mississippi, and is a daughter of Dr. Jesse and Courtney N. (Quinn) Wallace, the former a native of Cumberland County. Pennsylvania, the latter of Mississippi. Our subject and his wife have three children : Jessie W., John B. and Julia.
In religious faith Mr. and Mrs. Crawford are Presbyterians. As a Republican
he takes quite a prominent and influential part in local politics and is a recognized leader in public affairs. He has been a member of the county committee a number of years and was chairman of the same in 1901. Lohrville was incorporated in 1882, and Mr. Crawford has since served as its mayor several terms with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of the general public. [Source – Biographical Record of Calhoun County, Iowa, by S. J. Clarke, 1902, p.244]