Biography of Willis W. Crews, Baker Co. Oregon: Surnames: Crews, Pollock, Cushman, Wellington, Deboys, Love

Transcribed by: W. David Samuelsen
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An Illustrated History of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties, pub. 
1902 by Western Historical Pub. Co. of Chicago. 

page 231

WILLIS W. CREWS

Mr. Crews was born in Illinois on December 6, 1833, being the son of James 
and Nancy (Little) Crews, natives of Tennessee and Illinois, respectively. 
In his native state he received his educational discipline and remained there
until he had attained manhood's years and then migrated to Kansas and commenced 
operations on life's battlefield for himself. For four years he remained in 
that place and then went to Missouri, where he was engaged in farming for eight 
years and then in 1880 came to this county. He operated the first lime kiln in 
the county and furnished the lime for the first building in Baker City and 
transported some to Boise City. He reaped a good financial return from this 
enterprise and then sold out and located on his present place in Lower Powder 
river valley, where he started an apiary on a small scale, getting his first 
queen from Italy direct. By skillful management and carefull attention to 
business Mr. Crews has increased his business until he now handles one hundred 
and twenty-five stands of bees and markets every year five thousand pounds of 
honey. His is the most extensive apiary in the county. In addition to this 
enterprise he also has two fine fish ponds well stocked with carp, which he 
obtained from the Grand Ronde river, this having been stocked by the United 
States commissioner some fifteen years before. Mr. Crews handles fine full 
blooded chickens, mostly of the Plymouth Rock kind, which he obtained from New
York and Ohio. He was formerly connected with the Sparta mine, in addition to 
his other business matters. For four years he has been justice of the peace 
and was also nominated on the Populist ticket of Union county when that county 
embraced Baker county, for representative to the state legislature, but refused 
to run. At the present time he is notary public.

The marriage of Mr. Crews and Miss Mariah, daughter of Joshua and Nancy (Pollock) 
Cushman was celebrated in 1862 and to them have been born the following children: 
Grace, wife of W. H. Wellington; William S.; May, wife of H. Deboys, of Sparta; 
Maggie, wife of Avon S. Love; Tecumseh; Ada, living with Mrs. Love. Mrs. Crews' 
father was one of the earliest settlers near Cincinnati and was county judge of 
his county for a long period. Mrs. Crews died March 5, 1899, and is buried in 
Brown's graveyard on Goose creek. It is of interest that Mr. Crews' father
served in the Blackhawk war when A. Lincoln was lieutenant.