ISAIAH CRANE

MILLS, DENISON, HOUGHTON, COPELAND, PROCTOR, HEALD, SMITH, GRAHAM, HOISINTON

Posted By: Donna Moldt Walker (email)
Date: 2/20/2004 at 10:54:09

~ ISAIAH CRANE ~

Our subject is one of the many who gave much of the best of their lives to their country, and it is with pleasure we give a sketch of so varied a life-story. Isaiah Crane resides in Nashville, and has lived in the county since the fall of 1855. The son of Solomon and Elizabeth (Mills) Crane, natives of New Hampshire, Isaiah Crane was born in Sullivan County, N.H., on the 28th day of February, 1820.

It is supposed that Henry Crane and Tabitha, his wife, came from England and settled in Milton, Mass., in the year of 1648, or '49. It is certain, however, that they were residents of Milton, in 1650. They were the parents of ten children. Stephen their second son, married Mary Denison, July 2, 1676, and was the father of nine children. The sixth child, Benjamin, was born Dec. 17, 1692, and married Abigail Houghton, Dec. 27, 1722, by whom eight children were born. Joseph, their eldest, was born Feb. 28, 1724, and married Mary Copeland. Their son, Joseph, Jr., was born in 1757, and married Deliverance Mills. They lived in Milton, Mass., after their marriage until their first child was born, after which, in 1782, they removed to Washington, N.H., and settled on the south-east slope of Mt. Lowell. After a few years the family removed into a house which stood on the mountain road to Washington Centre. Here they lived until the infirmities of age compelled them to give up their home and live with their children.

Joseph Crane died in Washington, N. H., June 30, 1841. His wife died Aug. 17, 1845. Some years prior to her death she sustained a fracture of the thigh, which made her a cripple during the remainder of her life. Of their children, Solomon was born March 26, 1793. He married Elizabeth Mills, of Clairmont, who died May 22, 1846. He was subsequently married to Mrs. Lucy Proctor. The oldest son of his first marriage, Isaiah, is the subject of this sketch. His earlier years were spent in the duties of farm life. In 1843 he married Olive Heald, whose death occurred in 1855. She left two children - John H. and James C. Our subject then came to Iowa, and engaged in farming. A few years later he purchased 160 acres of land.

In 1861, our subject enlisted and entered service in Company I, 12th Iowa Infantry. His first experience of war was at Ft. Henry; then followed Ft. Donelson, Shiloh, the siege of Vicksburg, then the Red River expedition under Gen. Banks. He was afflicted with rheumatism at Ft. Donelson and was in the hospital for some time. He has never recovered. Our subject served three years and three months as a musician during the service.

Retiring from service, Mr. Crane resumed farming in Jackson County, and in Feb. 13, 1865, was married to M. Angeline Smith, daughter of Robert L. and Molly Smith. She was born in Butler County, Pa., June 5, 1836. Her parents were from Pennsylvania. Her great-grandparents, paternal and maternal, emigrated from the Highlands of Scotland and traced their ancestry to Bruce, of Scotland. She was the first one to advocate women's rights in Maquoketa. Her maternal great-grandfather, Sir Thomas Graham, came from Scotland and settled in Butler County, Pa., which county he helped survey. He afterward received 400 acres of land for helping to survey the western part of the State. The grandfather, William Graham, lived all his life in Butler County, Pa. Her paternal great-grandfather, Joseph Smith lived and died in Butler County, Pa. Her father, Robert L., removed from Pennsylvania to Iowa, in 1848, and settled in Clinton County, where he engaged in farming. He was formerly a blacksmith.

Strongly opposed to slavery, Robert L. Smith was the first abolitionist of Clinton County. He assisted in getting the first slaves across the Mississippi River. Those slaves were started by John Brown and were taken from Nebraska. Mr. Smith kept them at his residence for some time. He transported many of the slaves over the underground railroad for many years. He was the means of delivering as many as 100 from slavery to freedom. His daughter, wife of our subject, assisted her father in the underground railroad in liberating slaves.

Loved and esteemed by all who knew him, Mr. Smith died, at the age of seventy-two years, in Clinton County. His wife died at the age of sixty-seven years. Their household numbered a large family of children, eight of whom grew to manhood and womanhood. The oldest is the wife of our subject. She was married in 1855 to William Hoisinton, a native of Michigan, and resided in Clinton County till the time of her marriage. They became the parents of one child. This son was given a college education and became a civil engineer in Canada, where he was drowned at the age of twenty-eight years. His name was Elliott. Mr. and Mrs. Crane resided in South Fork Township, and followed farming until October 1886. He still owns 100 acres in South Fork. They have two children - R. Eddie and S. Bird, both of whom are residents of Jackson County.

("Portrait and Biographical Album of Jackson County, Iowa", originally published in 1889, by the Chapman Brothers, of Chicago, Illinois)