C Biographies

If you have other historical biographies you would like to contribute that are about former Lawrence County residents please E-mail me and I will get them on the site or you can post them to the Lawrence County Message Board

Biographies with links to Lawrence County

Carlton, Ambrose B. (1825-1901)

Son of Robert M. Carlton. Born in Lawrence County, Ind., December 18, 1825. Served in the U.S. Army during the Mexican War; state court judge in Indiana, 1856, 1873; member of Indiana state house of representatives, 1877. Died in Terre Haute, Vigo County, Ind., September 5, 1901. Interment at Highland Lawn Cemetery, Terre Haute, Ind.

Carlton, Robert M. (1794-1863)

Robert, Father of Ambrose B. Carlton. Born in Burke County, N.C., 1794. Member of Indiana state house of representatives, 1839-40. Died in Bedford, Lawrence County, Ind., April 4, 1863. Burial location unknown. From "History of Lawrence County Indiana", Page 242. . . was born in Berks County, N. C., in the year 1794, and was with his father's family when they came to Indiana in 1816. He married Levina Barlow, of Kentucky, about 1821, and together they reared a family of six children, these five now living: William, Ambrose, Maria L. (Huston), James and Robert H. Robert M. Carlton was one of the principal men of the county, and at different times carried on farming, grist and saw milling, wool-carding and merchandising on the river to New Orleans. In politics he was a Jeffersonian Democrat, and held several important positions in the county, among them being that of Representative in the State Legislature during the term 1837.


CLEVELAND, Marvin (1810-1884)

Marvin was born in Shelby County, Ky., May 21, 1810, son of Ezer and Martha (Wadkins) Cleveland, the father a native of New York and the mother of Tennessee. The parents came to Clark County, Ind., in 1814, and to Orange County in 1816. He died at Bryantsville, October 20, 1853, and his wife died November 26, 1862. They were parents of thirteen children and consistent members of the Baptist Church. Marvin was reared at hard work on his father's farm and "graduated" at a log schoolhouse with dirt floor and greased paper windows. To his marriage with Martha Noblit, November 5, 1828, six children were born: Lavina, Mary A., Celia, Sarah J., Sylvia and Eli. Mrs. Cleveland was born in Grayson County, Va., February 1, 1809. In 1831, Mr. Cleveland moved upon his present farm (Marion Township, Lawrence County, Ind.), where by industry, frugality and integrity, he has made a comfortable home. He and wife are consistent Baptists. Mr. Cleveland being a pioneer Superintendent of Sabbath-schools and a Deacon. They reared a bound boy to manhood (P. N. White), who fell in the late war. Eli Cleveland was born where he now resides, December 26, 1845, and received in youth a good common school education. March 15, 1868, he married Julia A. Kearby, born in this county (Lawrence), October 24, 1842. They have one child--Marvin A. The county has no better citizens than the Cleveland families. Later, on the 26th of July, 1884, Marvin Cleveland died at the age of seventy-four and some months. The community lost a good neighbor and the county one of its best citizens.

Cobb, Thomas Reed (1828-1892)

Thomas, a Representative from Indiana; born in Springville, Lawrence County, Ind., July 2, 1828; attended Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1851 and commenced practice in Bedford, Ind.; commissioned major of Indiana Militia in 1852; moved to Vincennes, Ind., in 1867; member of the State senate 1858-1866; president of the Democratic State convention in 1876; delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1876; elected as a Democrat to the Forty-fifth and to the four succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1877-March 3, 1887); chairman, Committee on Mileage (Forty-fifth and Forty-sixth Congresses), Committee on Public Lands (Forty-eighth and Forty-ninth Congresses); was not a candidate for renomination in 1886; resumed the practice of law and also engaged in agricultural pursuits; died in Vincennes, Knox County, Ind., June 23, 1892; interment in Old Vincennes Cemetery.

Cook, George Washington (1851-1916)

George, a Representative from Colorado; born in Bedford, Lawrence County, Ind., November 10, 1851; at the age of eleven ran away from home and enlisted in the Fifteenth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in the Union Army and served as a drummer boy; was transferred to the One Hundred and Forty-fifth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served as chief regimental clerk; at the close of the Civil War attended the public schools, Bedford Academy, and the Indiana University at Bloomington; moved to Chicago in 1880 and entered the employ of the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railway; moved to Leadville, Colo., in 1880 and became division superintendent of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad; mayor of Leadville 1885-1887; moved to Denver in 1888 and became general sales agent for the Colorado Fuel & Iron Co.; department commander of the Grand Army of the Republic for Colorado and Wyoming in 1891 and 1892; became an independent mining operator in 1893; senior vice commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic in 1905 and 1906; organized and commanded the Cook Drum Corps, of Denver; elected as a Republican to the Sixtieth Congress (March 4, 1907-March 3, 1909); was not a candidate for renomination in 1908; resumed mining operations in Colorado; died in Pueblo, Colo., December 18, 1916; interment in Fairmount Cemetery, Denver, Colo.

Crawford, Samuel Johnson (1835-1913)

Samuel, Father-in-law of Arthur Capper. Born near Bedford, Lawrence County, Ind., April 10, 1835. Republican. Member of Kansas state house of representatives, 1861; general in the Union Army during the Civil War; member of Republican National Committee from Kansas, 1866-68; Governor of Kansas, 1865-68. Died in Topeka, Shawnee County, Kan., October 21, 1913. Interment at Topeka Cemetery, Topeka, Kan. Crawford County, Kan. is named for him.

CRIM, Joshua H.

Joshua, a native of Martin County, Ind., was born August 21, 1844. His grandfather, Stephen Crim, was born in Kentucky, in 1788; married a Miss Farris in 1809, who was born in Kentucky in 1793, and by her was the father of twelve children, four of whom lived to be married and rear families. One of these was Martin D., the father of the subject of this sketch; he was of the same nativity as his parents, his birth occurring November 27, 1815, and by hard work educated himself. In 1828, he came with his parents to Indiana, where, January 13, 1840, he married Miss Eleanor Busey, of Galesburg, Ill., and by her became the father of nine children, as follows: Sarah J. (deceased), Mary E. (deceased), Joshua H., C. A. (deceased), Martin D. (deceased), Lyman Austin, Van Rensselaer, Zerilda (deceased), and Matilda. The mother dying December 22, 1862. Mr. Crim married Zerilda J. Burton, March 31, 1863, and six children were the result of this union, named: Joseph, Charles, Nettie, Lizzie, and two that died in infancy unnamed. Mr. Crim lived in Orange County a short time, and while there realized the immense value of fine grit of some of the then unopened quarries, and he was the first to take steps toward the opening of these. For many years he was engaged in merchandizing in Martin County, and at one time was a Representative in the State Legislature. In 1856 he began the practice of medicine at Mitchell, but in 1872 established himself in the drug trade, which he continued until his death, June 28, 1876, and was buried by the solemn rites of Odd Fellowship and Masonry. Joshua H. Crim received an academic education in youth and clerked in his father's store, and when only eighteen years old, enlisted in Company A, Seventeenth Indiana Volunteer Mounted Infantry. At the battle of Murfreesboro, he received such severe injuries which resulted in his discharge, June 6, 1863. He taught school and attended Earlham College after his return home, and November 6, 1865, married Miss Julia, daughter of Zachariah and Ruth Burton, by whom he is the father of five children: Charles H., Ella R., Maggie M., Lelia and C.B. In 1870, Mr. Crim moved to Huron (Spice Valley Township, Lawrence County), where he has built up a large and lucrative trade in general merchandize. He is a Republican; a Sir Knight in Masonry; a member of the I.O.O.F. and Baptist Church.

Crowe, Eugene Burgess (1878-1970)

Eugene, a Representative from Indiana; born near Jeffersonville, Clark County, Ind., January 5, 1878; attended the rural schools and Borden (Ind.) Academy; taught in county schools 1894-1896; moved to Bedford, Ind., in 1899 and engaged in the retail furniture business, real estate, and banking; delegate to the Democratic State conventions 1908-1960; delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1928, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, and 1960; delegate to the Interparliamentary Union Congress at Oslo, Norway, in 1939; elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-second and to the four succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1931-January 3, 1941); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1940 to the Seventy-seventh Congress; resumed his former business interests; president of Stone City National Bank and Greystone Hotel; director of Wabash Fire and Casualty Insurance Co.; remained active in business and civic affairs until his death in Indianapolis, Ind., May 12, 1970; interment in Green Hill Cemetery, Bedford, Ind.