1880 History of Polk County
Biographies - Des Moines
J. A. Crystal
CRYSTAL, J. A. — Was born August 4th, 1840, in Park county, Indiana, and in 1847 his parents removed to this county, settling in Des Moines, where the subject of this sketch was raised. His father, Richard S. Crystal was one of the early settlers of the city, and opened out the first blacksmith shop on the East Side. He also built the first frame house erected in, what is now called Scott's addition. Young Crystal worked at his father's trade with him until he was twenty-six years of age. In the fall of 1861 he enlisted in company D, Second Iowa infantry, serving a little over two years, when he was veteranized and served until the close of the war. In the fall of 1864 he was taken prisoner near Macon, Georgia, and confined for seven months in the prison pen at Andersonville, when he, with several others, made good their escape. He was united in marriage, in 1865, to Louisa Shannon, a native of Indiana. Have two children: Ellie and Mildred.
Source: "The History of Polk County, Iowa" published by the Union Historical Company, Birdsall, Williams & Co. 1880, pg. 795.
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