Des Moines County IA Archives Biographies.....Crapo, Philip Madison 1844 - 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ia/iafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 9, 2007, 7:48 pm

Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1896)

PHILIP MADISON CRAPO.-There is probably no line of business reaching farther in
its beneficial results and influences than that of insurance. With this line of
endeavor Mr. Crapo has long been connected, and is to-day financial
correspondent of the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company,-a prominent and
responsible position, which he is capably filling. Yet it is not alone as a
business man that he is widely known. For twenty-eight years, he has been a
resident of Burlington, and has been actively connected with the promotion of
many of the best interests of the city and of the State.

   A native of Massachusetts, Mr. Crapo was born in Freetown, June 30, 1844. His
paternal grandfather, Benjamin Crapo, was also born in the Bay State, and was a
descendant of Pierre Crapo, whose brother was captain of a French war vessel
that was wrecked about 1770 on the Massachusetts coast near the Plymouth Colony,
and Pierre and his brother were the only ones saved. The older brother returned
to France to report to the government concerning the fate of the vessel, but
promised to return to his brother, whom he left with a Mr. Coombs, near
Rochester. However, no news was ever received from him afterward. Pierre married
Penelope White, a granddaughter of Peregrine White, who was the first white
child born in the Plymouth Colony. Benjamin Crapo, grandfather of our subject,
was a farmer, and spent his entire life in the East, where he reared a number of
children. His death occurred when past the age of seventy years.

   Philip Crapo, Sr., father of our subject, was also born in Massachusetts, and
was a sea captain. He married Hannah Crapo, also a native of the same State, her
father being Richard Crapo, a Massachusetts farmer. The fathers of both Richard
and Benjamin Crapo, named respectively Peter and Joshua, were soldiers of the
Revolutionary war. To the parents of our subject were born six children, but
only two are now living: Hannah, wife of William A. Ashley, of Long Plain,
Massachusetts; and Philip M. The father died in 1848 at New Bedford,
Massachusetts, when fifty-four years of age. His wife survived until 1886, and
died when about eighty years of age. In religious belief she was a Quaker.

   The gentleman whose name introduces this sketch was reared in New Bedford,
Massachusetts, where he acquired a common-school education. Prompted by a spirit
of patriotism, at the age of eighteen he offered his services to the country to
aid in the preservation of the Union, and served in the Department of the East
as a member of Company E, Third Massachusetts Infantry. After the war he removed
to Flint, Michigan, where he was engaged in business as a civil engineer. After
constructing a portion of the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad, he was employed
in the adjutant general's office to assist in writing up the military record of
the State, his time being thus passed for two years, or until 1868, when he came
to Burlington as special and general agent for the Connecticut Mutual Life
Insurance Company, having charge of all the southern portion of the State. His
district was subsequently increased, so that it comprised all the States of
Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota. Since 1882 he has made investments for the
company, and is a very capable financier. His connection with the company has
continued for twenty-eight years, a period not often equaled for length of
service and never excelled for faithfulness and devotion to the company's
interests.

   Not long after coming to Burlington, Mr. Crapo wedded Miss Ruth A. Ray. Their
marriage, which was celebrated in 1870, has been blessed with seven children,
four sons and three daughters, namely: Edith R., Philip A., Chester F., Clifford
M., Ruth K., Lucy H. and William M. They have a pleasant home at No. 513 North
Sixth street, and in social circles occupy an enviable position.

   Mr. and Mrs. Crapo attend the Congregational Church, and the former is
serving as trustee. In politics he is a stalwart Republican. Socially, he is
connected with the Knights of Pythias fraternity, and is a member of General C.
L. Mathias Post, No. 5, G. A. R. He acted as chairman of the committee of the
Grand Army of the Republic, which secured the passage of the bill for
establishing the Iowa Soldiers' Home and securing the appropriation for that
purpose. He also labored earnestly to secure the appropriation which has made
possible the erection of the Iowa State Soldiers' Monument, now being
constructed in Des Moines. He has always been an active worker in the interests
of the Grand Army, a loyal friend to the soldiers who fought for their country
in its hour of dire peril, and his portrait with others is to be placed on the
State soldiers' monument. In politics he has also taken an active part, and is
recognized as one of the wise leaders and able counselors in Republican ranks in
Iowa. He was chairman of the county central committee, for two terms was
chairman of the Congressional committee, was nominated for the position of State
Senator, and in 1887 was the candidate for the office of Governor. Of the
political issues and questions of the day he is a close student, and his
political record is one above reproach.

   Mr. Crapo is pre-eminently a public-spirited citizen, devoted to the welfare
of the nation and the advancement of his resident community. With many of the
leading interests of Burlington he has been connected and the city owes to him a
debt of gratitude for what he has done in her behalf. He was the prime mover and
chief contributor in securing for Burlington a public park, and raised a fund of
$10,000, to which he individually contributed $5,500. In recognition of his
valuable services the city has named it Crapo Park. The park is to be situated
on the river bluff south of the city, and the topographical survey has already
been made. It was largely through the instrumentality of Mr. Crapo that the city
became the possessor of its public library. Mainly through his personal efforts
a debt of $1,000 upon it was cleared off and through his persuasion the city
then accepted it. He is a trustee, and has purchased nearly all the books for
the library since it was established. He has been active in nearly all works of
public improvement which tend toward the advancement of the social, educational,
moral or material welfare of the community. He has been a prominent factor in
commercial circles, was president of the Board of Trade for several years, and
of the Ferry Company, and inaugurated the movement to secure the paving of the
streets with brick. He was also president of the Commercial Club for three and
one-half years.

   He has made his own way in life, and what he is to-day he owes to his habits
of steady application, hard work and the strictest integrity. He is a man of
courteous manner, generous almost to a fault, kindhearted and genial, and has
attracted to himself many warm friends by his splendid qualities of mind and
heart.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

A MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF IOWA

ILLUSTRATED

"A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendants."'—MACAULAY.

"Biography is by nature the must universally profitable, universally pleasant,
of all things."—CARLYLE

"History is only biography on a large scale"—LAMARTINE.

CHICAGO: THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1896


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ia/desmoines/bios/crapo109gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/iafiles/

File size: 8.0 Kb