Bio of CRONK, William A. (b.1836 d.1881), Wright Co, MN

========================================================================

USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information

on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities,

as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is

obtained from the contributor of the file.

These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or

presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to

use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written

consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter,

and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent.

If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives 

Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at:

http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm

Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find 

the submitter information or other files for this county.

FileFormat by Terri--MNArchives

Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Diane Hanson

Submitted: April 2004

=========================================================================



409   HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY



William A. Cronk, a pioneer, was born in Pennsylvania, January 25, 1836. 

In the fifties he came to Rockford township, where he married Caroline 

Samsel, daughter of Jacob Samsel, an earlier pioneer. After their marriage 

they located on a preemption claim. Later they took a homestead of eighty 

acres in Rockford township. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted 

in the Third Minnesota Volunteer Infantry and served until the close of 

the conflict. His wife and children in the meantime were left at home. 

During his absence his wife dug ginseng, cultivated the garden, and thus 

helped support her two children. During the Indian uprising Mrs. Cronk took 

her two children and went to the home of her father, Jacob Samsel, in the 

same township. After the war Mr. Cronk returned and they located on their 

homestead. The vicinity was all wild woods. He erected a log cabin and set 

at work with a will to clear the land. Wild animals ran in the garden and 

often peered in at the windows. Fortunately he owned a yoke of oxen and 

these were of much help. The daughter, Mary M., now Mrs. Samuel Copeland, 

of Hennepin county, remembers leading the oxen as they worked. After the 

land was cleared Mr. Cronk from time to time purchased other tracts, until 

he owned in all 240 acres of excellent land. The log house gave way to a 

large frame dwelling, and suitable barns and sheds were from time to time 

erected. In politics Mr. Cronk was a Republican. In religious faith he was 

a Methodist. He gave the land on 



410   HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY



which the German Methodist Episcopal church in West Rockford township was 

erected and also land for the cemetery surrounding it.  Here he and his 

good wife are buried. He died March 15, 1881.  His wife, who was born 

March 31, 1838, died June 18, 1875.