Biography - Needham Crane
Needham CRANE, farmer, P. O. Raymond, was born in Hamilton, Butler Co., Ohio, November 14, 1829, to Norris and Elizabeth (STANLEY) CRANE. He was a native of New Jersey, born March 10, 1799, and during his early life worked at the trade of a stone mason, and later followed the occupation of a farmer. His death occurred in Montgomery County August 19, 1852. She was born at Hamilton, Ohio, December 30, 1803, and died in Montgomery County March 10, 1854. The result of their union was eleven children, of whom Needham was the fourth child. He was educated in the high schools of Hamilton, Ohio, and when fifteen years of age was brought to Jacksonville, Morgan Co., Ill., by his parents, where he remained two years, and then was removed to Montgomery County, and settled in Butler Grove Township, in 1846, his parents being among the first settlers of the county. He assisted upon the homestead until the death of his father, when he took upon himself the management of the farm, and remained with his mother until 1856, when they removed from the homestead, and he joined the first surveying party of Kansas, where he remained six months, and then returned to Montgomery County, and followed hunting until 1863, when he married, purchased the farm he now resides upon, and spent the winter in getting out rails for fencing, and in the spring of 1864, moved upon the farm where he has since remained, engaged in agricultural pursuits. He is now the owner of 120 acres of prairie land, under cultivation, and twenty acres of timber land. November 12, 1863, he was married to Miss Cordelia CASS, a native of Montgomery County, born December 25, 1832, and died November 24, 1868. She was the mother of three children, one of whom is living, viz., Abbie, born September 22, 1864. Politically, Mr. CRANE is a Republican. His brother, Norris, was the sixth child of Norris and Elizabeth CRANE, and was born at Hamilton, Ohio, October 2, 1834. He received the principal part of his education in his native county. His early life was spent in assisting his father upon the farm, and his first business for himself was teaming upon the Quincy & St. Louis Railroad, where he remained one year. He then engaged as a farm hand and followed in that occupation several years. He was elected by the people as Constable, the duties of which office he performed about fifteen years. He clerked in a merchandising store at Butler one year, and was the first person to sell goods at Raymond, where he was engaged with Van Ever & Van Darren as clerk. He remained with them something over a year, since which time he has been engaged in farming, in connection with his brother. He has served the people as Deputy Sheriff one term, and has been an active member of the I. O. O. F. order for a number of years. Politically, his sympathies are with the Democratic party.
Extracted 20 Nov 2016 by Norma Hass from 1882 History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 2 Biographical Department, pages 215-216.
