Bernard McCrossan Biography This biography appears on pages 1488-1489 in "History of South Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. BERNARD C. McCROSSAN.—It is eminently consonant that in this history should be entered a memoir to Mr. McCrossan, who was one of the sterling pioneers of the state, being prominently concerned in its industrial, commercial and civic development and progress and having been one of the leading business men of the city of Sioux Falls at the time of his death. Bernard Carland McCrossan was born in Straband, Ireland, on the 15th of June, 1846, and was a scion of sturdy and loyal old Irish stock. He was reared and educated in the Emerald Isle and early gave evidence of that alert mentality, good judgment and indefatigable energy which later played so important a part in securing to him independence and prosperity. He became identified with the cattle business in his native land and had his entire financial resources invested in this line. He had loaded his cattle on a vessel for the purpose of transporting the stock to the markets in England, and on the passage the vessel was wrecked and he barely escaped with his life, losing all but the underclothing which he wore at the time of the accident. This misfortune placed him again at the foot of the ladder, but with invincible courage and determination he set forth to retrieve his fortunes. When about twenty-four years of age he bade adieu to the fair land of his nativity and came to America. He located in the city of Chicago, where he was employed about one year by a street-car company, and he then came to the territory of Dakota and became one of the pioneers of the little frontier village of Pierre, the present attractive capital city of the great state with which his fortunes were linked until his death. In Pierre he established himself in the produce business, and thus laid the foundation for the great business enterprise of which he was at the head when called from the scene of life's activities. He also took up a claim of government land in that locality and in due time perfected his title thereto. He continued in business in Pierre for a number of years, and simultaneously maintained a number of branch houses throughout the state. For nearly two years he resided in Deadwood, where he became interested in mining ventures, and he then located in Sundance, the capital of Cook county, Wyoming, where he was successfully engaged in business until 1887, when he returned to South Dakota and located in Sioux Falls, where he engaged in the wholesale fruit business, which he conducted under his own name until October, 1898, when the business was incorporated under the title of the B. C. McCrossan Fruit Company, with a capital stock of one hundred thousand dollars. He became president and principal stockholder of the company and under his able and energetic executive control the business continued to increase in scope and importance, becoming the leading enterprise of the sort in the state and controlling a trade which was of wide ramifications. The business is still conducted under the same title, his widow retaining her interest in the same, while it is being successfully carried on under the general management of Henry M. Jones, who had previously been a stockholder and able coadjutor of the founder of the business, while he is a brother of Mrs. McCrossan. He was summoned to the life eternal on the 28th of October, 1903, and in his death the city lost one of its honored business men and loyal citizens, while to those nearest and dearest to him the loss is one which can never be replaced. Mr. McCrossan was reared in the faith of the Catholic church and received his education in a Christian Brothers' school in Ireland, while he ever clung to the faith in sincerity and consistency of life, having been a communicant of St. Michael's church in Sioux Falls at the time when he was called to his reward, his widow likewise being a communicant of this church. He was affiliated with the Catholic Order of Foresters and his political support was given to the Democracy, though he never sought office or was active in political affairs. On the 26th of November, 1886, Mr. McCrossan was united in marriage to Miss Linnie B. Jones, who was at the time a resident of Spearfish, South Dakota. She was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and is a daughter of William and Ellen (Keliher) Jones, who were numbered among the pioneers of South Dakota. The father died in 1884, while the mother now resides with her daughter in Sioux Falls. Mrs. McCrossan had no children. She still resides in the attractive home in Sioux Falls and is surrounded by a circle of devoted friends, being actively interested in church work and in social affairs also until the period of bereavement through which she is now passing.