Crawford, David

CRAWFORD, BOGLE, PORTER

Posted By: mjv (email)
Date: 9/9/2020 at 14:59:44

David Crawford, farmer and stock-raiser, resides on section 35, Oregon Township, and is the owner of 244 acres of land under a high state of cultivation. He was born in Perry County, Ohio, Sept. 13, 1832, and is the son of David and Rebecca (Bogle) Crawford, the former native of New York, and of English descent, the latter a native of Pennsylvania, and of Irish descent. They came to this county in 1844, and settled in Oregon Township on the farm now occupied by our subject, where they remained till their death; the father dying in 1872, aged eighty-one years, and the mother in 1875, aged seventy-three. They reared a family of eleven children, nine of whom are living.

The subject of this sketch came to this county with his parents in 1844, at which time he was but twelve years of age. Here he grew to manhood, and has been a life-long farmer. He was married in this county, May 27, 1856, to Miss Elizabeth Porter, daughter of David and Elizabeth Porter. She was born in Mercer County, Pa., in 1837. They reared a family of eleven children: William, who married Mary Wilcox, now resides in Kansas; they have two children – Roy and Maud. Emma, the wife of Thomas J. Nicholson, and the mother of two children – May and Grace; John A., Edward F., James O., Clara, George, Fred and Frank (twins), Alva B. and Ralph.

For almost half a century Mr. Crawford has been a resident of Washington County, and is therefore entitled to a place among those who are truly pioneers, men who, like John the Baptist, came to prepare the way, to make the rough places smooth, that those who came after them may be able to enjoy the advantages that were denied the earliest settlers of the country. On coming to this county, Burlington was the nearest market point, but when the produce was hauled there it was generally found in small demand, and little money was received for it. It was either trade or no sale. During the early days it was difficult to obtain money enough to pay taxes (which had to be paid in gold), and postage on the few letters that were sent through the mails. But what a change has taken place in this country during the time of Mr. Crawford’s residence. To-day there is not a county seat in the entire State of Iowa but what is penetrated by railroads, while the telegraph and telephone wires cross and recross each other in every direction. Truly, this is a beautiful land, and the subject of this sketch realizes that in this world, at least, it is hard to find a better.

Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington County, Iowa (1887). Excerpt from Biographical Sketch of David Crawford, page 293