Henry Howland CRAPO

Henry Howland Crapo - b. 1804

First Generation

      1. Henry Howland CRAPO ¹  was born on 24 May 1804 in Freetown, Bristol County, Massachusetts. He died on 23 Jul 1869 in Flint, Genesee, Michigan. He was buried²  in Glenwood Cemetery, Flint, Genesee, Michigan.

Henry was born on 24 May 1804 in Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts. He was counted in a census³  in 1850 in New Bedford, Bristol, Massachusetts. He was counted in a census⁴  in 1860 in Flint, Genesee, Michigan.

Crapo was born to Jesse and Phoebe Crapo in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. He spent his early

years on his father's farm and then as a teacher in Dartmouth before moving to New Bedford,

where he became a land surveyor, and occasionally acted as an auctioneer. He was elected

Town Clerk, Treasurer, and Collector of taxes, which office he held until the municipal

government was changed, about fifteen years. Upon the inauguration of the city government,

he was elected Treasurer and Collector of taxes, a position which he held two or three years.

He was also Justice of the Peace for many years. He was elected Alderman of New Bedford,

and was Chairman of Council Committee on Education, along with involvement in the whaling

industry. A barque built at Dartmouth, of which he was part owner, was named the H. H.

Crapo in compliment to him. On June 9, 1825, Crapo married Mary Ann Slocum. Together

they had nine daughters and a son. Crapo became treasurer of New Bedford when it was

incorporated as a city in 1847.

Crapo also took part in the State Militia, and for several years held a commission as Colonel

of one of the regiments. He was President of the Bristol County Mutual Fire Insurance Co.,

and Secretary of the Bedford Commercial Insurance Company in New Bedford. While an

officer of the municipal government he compiled and published, between the years 1836 and

1845, five numbers of the New Bedford Directory, the first work of the kind ever published

there.

In 1856 Crapo moved to Flint, Michigan, primarily due to investments in pinelands, and

became Flint's mayor in 1860. His family established a lucrative lumbering business in the

area, which by the beginning of the Civil War was one of the largest individually owned

lumber firms in the state.[3] He was instrumental in the construction of the Flint and Holly

Railroad, and was President of that corporation until its consolidation with the Flint and Pere

Marquette Railroad.

Swamp land called "Gaines' Dead Marsh", or "Dead Man's Swamp" - about 1000 acres—was

purchased by Henry Howland Crapo in 1860. The swamp, the source of the west branch of

the Swartz Creek and its name, was drained. An effective settlement was established there

with the Crapo Farm with most structures outside of the current boundaries of the City of

Swartz Creek. Crapo Farm even had its own rail depot.[4]

In 1862, he was elected to the Michigan Senate to represent Genesee County, and ranked

with the leading men of Michigan in the Civil War Senate.

In 1864, he was nominated on the Republican ticket for Governor of Michigan and was

elected by a large majority. He was re-elected in 1866, holding the office two terms and

retiring in January, 1869. His administration was very efficient and marked particularly by his

vetoing railway aid legislation and his firm refusal to pardon convicts, except upon

overwhelming proofs of their innocence or excessive sentence. Crapo held office at the

Farm's Mansion, Grassmoor.

While serving his last term he was attacked with a disease. A successful surgical operation

was performed which seemed rapidly to restore him, but he overestimated his strength, and

by too much exertion in business matters and State affairs suffered a relapse from which

there was no rebound. Crapo died at the age of 65, nearly seven months after leaving office,

at his home in Flint, and is interred there at Glenwood Cemetery.

Henry married Mary Ann SLOCUM ⁵  on 9 Jun 1825 in Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts. They were married on 9 Jun 1825 in Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts.

Mary was born on 21 May 1805 in Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts. She died on 21 Feb 1875 in Flint, Genesee, Michigan. She was buried⁶  in Glenwood Cemetery, Flint, Genesee, Michigan.

Mary was counted in a census⁷  in 1850 in New Bedford, Bristol, Massachusetts. She died on 15 Dec 1903 in Flint, Genesee, Michigan.

Appendix A  -  Sources

  1. Steve Riddle, World Connect Project pages of Steve Riddle  (http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=sriddle).

  2. Find A Grave  (http://www.findagrave.com/).

  3. Compiled by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1850 United States Federal Census  (Compiled by: Family History Library; FamilySearch; (http://familysearch.org)), Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150  USA.

  4. Compiled by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1860 United States Federal Census  (Compiled by: Family History Library; FamilySearch; (http://familysearch.org)), Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150  USA.

  5. Steve Riddle, World Connect Project pages of Steve Riddle .

  6. Find A Grave .

  7. Compiled by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1850 United States Federal Census .