Robert David Crawford was born September 17, 1871 at Rochester, Minnesota the son of John Mand and Louisa J. (Gorham) Crawford.  They were pioneers coming from Vermont and settling at Rochester.  The family moved shortly thereafter to Eyota, Minnesota where his father was employed in a lumber yard.  In 1881 the family moved to Wahpeton, Dakota Territory and took out a homestead west of Wahpeton.  Here Mr. Crawford helped on the farm, attended school and in 1894 rented his father’s farm.  He also attended Fargo College for several years.  In early 1895, Mr. Crawford moved to Akron, Ohio and became employed in an electrical engineering factory as an apprentice.  He also attended night school in electricity at Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Lewis Institute in Chicago, and the International Correspondence School.  On June 24, 1903, he married Alice Ward, the daughter of William T. and Martha (Denniston) Ward of Mooreton, North Dakota.  She was born May 6, 1874 near Newburgh, New York.  They continued to live at Akron and had four children; John, Robert, Helen, and William.  Mr. Crawford later became a sales engineer and retired in 1952.  In retirement and earlier he spent much time gathering information and writing on his and his parents’ pioneer days.  They later moved to East Setauket, New York to be closer to their children.  Mrs. Crawford died July 28, 1963, and Mr. Crawford February 16, 1964, and were buried at Newburgh, New York. 
 

Robert Crawford Papers  |  Frontier and Pioneer Life