Crosley, George W., Colonel

CROSLEY, RISDON

Posted By: Janelle Martin (email)
Date: 5/17/2009 at 21:21:43

History of Hamilton County Iowa, Vol II 1912, p.5

COLONEL GEORGE W. CROSLEY.

Colonel George W. Crosley was born in New Haven, Huron County, Ohio, on March 4, 1839, and moved to Illinois with his parents when he was four years of age and grew to young manhood in that state. He came to Story County, Iowa, in 1856 and assisted his father in improving the farm upon the site where the town of Ames now stands. Two years later he moved to Nevada, the county seat of Story County, and lived in that section until the outbreak of the Civil war. On May 21, 1861, he enlisted in Company E, Third Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and a few days later started out with his company to Keokuk, the rendezvous of the regiment where he was mustered into the service of the United States government as first sergeant. He was subsequently promoted to first lieutenant of his company and later to major of his regiment. He received the brevet rank of lieutenant colonel and later colonel of his regiment for meritorious service in battle. He was active during the entire period of the war and participated in many of the most important engagements. At the close of hostilities he received an honorable discharge and came to Webster City, Iowa, in September, 1865. For a number of years he was engaged in the general merchandise business and served for some time as postmaster under the first Grant administration. Later he was a commercial traveler and afterward engaged in business for six years on the corner east of the Willson House. He took an active interest in politics being an ardent republican but did not become a candidate for any elective office until 1879, when having retired from business, he was nominated and elected sheriff of Hamilton county, which position he held for two terms and was tendered the nomination for a third term but declined. In 1884 he was made warden of the Iowa Penitentiary at Fort Madison and served for six years, returning in 1890 to his home in Webster City. Since that time he has served for six years as a member of the city council and has been actively identified with every movement which had for its object the best interests of the community and the growth and development of the city which has so long been his home and where he expects to spend the remainder of his life.

In 1907 he took up the work of compiling the "Roster History and Records of Iowa Soldiers." Over four years he was engaged in this great work and spent nearly all his time in the office of the adjutant general of Iowa at Des Moines, in order to have ready access to the military records of the state. The work has been published in six large volumes and constitutes a complete compendium of the military history of Iowa from the time of its admission to the union in 1846. An immense amount of laborious research and investigation which might well have tested the strength of a younger man was involved in the preparation of this work. Since its completion Colonel Crosley has been compelled to retire from active life on account of impaired health.

This sketch is intended to deal only with the important events in the life of its subject without attempting to enter into detail. If asked what was the most important event of his life, Colonel Crosley would promptly reply, "My marriage." Few men have been blessed with so happy a domestic life. While on veteran furlough with his regiment on April 16, 1864, he was united in marriage to Miss Edna M. Risdon, at the home of her parents, in Hopkinton, St. Lawrence County, New York. Four children were born to this union: George R., Charles C, Charlotte E., and Varick C. The second son, Charles C, died when nearing his tenth birthday, but his mother and other children are living to comfort and bless Colonel Crosley in the declining years of his life.

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