Ida-Jones County IA Archives Biographies.....Crane, Thomas 1844 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com July 21, 2007, 9:23 pm

Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1893)

THOMAS CRANE, one of the prominent citizens and early settlers of Maple
township, Ida county, resides on a farm of 320 acres in section 14. He has been
a resident of Iowa since 1855, and of his present locality since 1877. Briefly,
a, sketch of his life is as follows:

  Thomas Crane was born on the Isle of Man, March 25, 1844. His father, William
Crane, was a soldier in the English army, and died of disease while in the
Indias, his death occurring when Thomas was eighteen months old. His mother,
whose maiden name was Elizabeth Faragher, was born on the Isle of Man, her
parents being descendants of the first families of the island. After the death
of her first husband she married Solomon Manley, by whom she had three children.
She had two children by Mr. Crane, William and Thomas. The former is now a
resident of Corwin township, Ida county, Iowa. Her death occurred when Thomas
was seven years old. At the age of eleven the subject of our sketch came with
his uncle, C. Faragher, to America, landing at New Orleans after a voyage of six
weeks and two days; thence up the river to Dubuque, Iowa, and from there across
the country with oxen to Monticello, Jones county. In this State he was reared
and educated. Some years afterward he heard of the location of his step-father
and half sister, Lizzie, and visited them at Mineral Point, Wisconsin. This
sister became the wife of Squire Lammon, and died in South Dakota.

  At the time Mr. Crane landed in Ida county, in 1877, his capital consisted of
two teams and wagons, five cows and six shotes, and upon his arrival here be
settled on 160 acres of land, built a house, and for a time used his wagons for
stable and granary. He tied the cows with hay ropes, and made a pen for his
shotes with willow bark. The first money he received was for veterinary work,
and for many years he has successfully practiced as a veterinary surgeon. He
dehorned the first cattle in Ida county, 6,000, and has probably dehorned more
cattle than any other man in the county. For the first land he bought, 160
acres, he paid $17.50 per acre, making payments of $500 annually. He now owns
320 acres, one of the best farms in the township. His residence, a frame house
containing ten rooms, is nicely furnished throughout. Its pictures, its musical
instrument, and its library, together with the general appearance of this home,
at once indicate the family to be not only people of wealth but also of culture
and refinement. From the beautiful building site on which the residence is
situated a magnificent view of the surrounding country is obtained. A grove and
orchard of four acres, plenty of small fruit, large barn, other farm buildings,
modern windmill, etc., etc., are among the other improvements Mr. Crane has put
here. He keeps a good grade of both horses and cattle. In October, 1891, he.
made a sale, which amounted to $2,700.

  Mr. Crane was married December 25, 1864, to Miss Elizabeth Jones, a native of
Kentucky and a daughter of Enoch and Elezon (Lightfoot) Jones, residents of
Battle Creek, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Crane have eight children: Elmer Ellsworth,
Frank Siegel, George Henry, William Wesley, Jennie Frances, Charles Enoch, Ed
Harrison and Eudell Thomas. George H. was educated at the State Normal at Cedar
Falls.

  Mr. Crane votes with the Democratic party. He has served as Township Trustee
and also as a member of the School Board. He is a Methodist and his wife is a
member of the Advent Church. Both socially and financially he is ranked with the
best citizens of the county.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF 
Crawford, Ida and Sac Counties, Iowa.

Containing Portraits of all the Presidents of the United States, with
accompanying Biographies; a Condensed History of Iowa, with Portraits and
Biographies of the Governors of the State; Engravings of Prominent Citizens of
the Counties, wth [sic] Personal Histories of many of the Early Settlers and
Leading Families.

"Biography is the only true history."—Emerson.

CHICAGO: THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY.
1893.


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