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1907 Past and Present Biographies

William G. Crowder

William G. Crowder, a well known citizen and retired agriculturist of Paton, was born near Dickinson’s Landing, Canada, on the 18th of November, 1841, a son of Paul and Ann (Holland) Crowder. The father was also a native of Canada, but in 1851 crossed the border into the United States, taking up his abode in Winnebago county, Illinois, where he became a well-to-do farmer and was widely recognized as a man of sound business judgment. His wife, a native of Ireland, passed away at the age of sixty-seven and he afterward married her sister, who has also departed this life. Paul Crowder was a republican in his political views and his religious faith was indicated by his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. He was a man of genuine personal worth and many sterling traits of character, and his demise, which occurred in Winnebago county, Illinois, when he had reached the age of eighty-five years, was the occasion of deep and widespread regret. By his first marriage he had the following children: James, of Palo Alto county, Iowa; Alfred, who resides on the home farm in Winnebago county, Illinois; William G., of this review; and Sarah, the widow of James Palmer, who lives in Savannah, Iowa.

William G. Crowder remained under the parental roof until he had attained the age of nineteen years, receiving his education in the common schools. When he started out in business life on his own account he operated rented land in Winnebago county, Illinois, being thus successfully engaged until 1876. In that year he felt justified in purchasing a farm of his own and bought eighty acres of wild land in Paton township, Greene county, Iowa, erecting the first residence that was ever put up on this tract. The summer in which he located here marked the advent of quite a few settlers in this locality and seventeen houses were built in Paton. Mr. Crowder carried on his agricultural interests here with marked capability and success until he became the owner of two hundred and forty acres of well improved land, but when he felt that he had acquired a competence suflicient to enable him to live retired he sold his land and bought a fine home in Paton, for which he paid three thousand dollars. This residence was destroyed by fire, but with undaunted spirit he erected another home for his family, it being a large frame structure and one of the largest and finest in the village. Mr. Crowder was one of the earliest settlers of Paton township and has done his full share in the work of progress and development here. For a number of years he helped to run a threshing outfit when the old horse-power machines were used, this necessitating many long hours and hard days of work. His life has always been an active and useful one and though he has left the farm he has not given up business pursuits altogether, having sold coal for Mr. Feifth, who is connected with the mines at Rippey, Iowa.

William G. Crowder was united in marriage in Illinois to Miss Eliza Otto, a native of Canada, and they became the parents of eight children, seven of whom are now living: Frank, who is a salesman for McLaughlin Brothers, importers of horses; George, a barber of Denver, Colorado; Louisa, the wife of James Miller, residing in Bowdon, North Dakota; Fannie, who became the wife of William Pemble and makes her home in Churdan, Iowa; Thurman, who resides on his father’s farm in Oklahoma; Shurdan, principal of the schools at Somers, Iowa; Ralph, who is acting as station agent for the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad at Moreland, Iowa; and Marshall, who died at the age of four years.

Mr. Crowder is a republican in his political views and has served as road supervisor, this being the only office he would consent to hold. He was asked to serve as mayor, but declined, as he prefers to do his duty as a private citizen and leave office holding to others. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mr. Crowder has been connected with the Odd Fellows society for twenty seven years. As a pioneer settler of the county he deserves more than passing mention in this volume, his labors having been an important element in the upbuilding and substantial development of this section of the state.

Transcribed from "Past and Present of Greene County, Iowa Together With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Prominent and Leading Citizens and Illustrious Dead,"
by E. B. Stillman assisted by an Advisory Board consisting of Paul E. Stillman, Gillum S. Toliver,
Benjamin F. Osborn, Mahlon Head, P. A. Smith and Lee B. Kinsey, Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1907.

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