Lafayette Crandall is a native of the town of Collins, Erie county, Now York, and was born on the 9th of April, 1822. He came to Illinois in 1835, and located first at Grand Detour, then in Jo Daviess county, now in Ogle, where he remained until 1837, when he settled at Crandall’s ferry, in the present township of Erie, his farm lying in section 18. On the 10th of February, 1847, he was married in Portland township to Miss Lovina Rowe, the children of the marriage being the following: Francis Marion born April. 27, 1849; Ida E., born March 6,1853; Alice A., born November 12, 1857; and George W., born September 15, 1863. These children are all residing with their parents. Mr. Crandall is one of the successful farmers of Erie, He has been Justice of the Peace of the town, and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Whiteside County Central Agricultural Society.
Bent & Wilson History of Whiteside County Page 151-152
Lafayette Crandall, farmer, residing on section 18, Erie Township (19 north, 4 east), is a son of Luke and Deborah Wilbor Crandall, and was born in the Township of Collins, Erie Co., N. Y., April 9, 1822. His father, a farmer, was a native of Vermont, and a descendant of an old American family. His mother, also a native of the Green Mountain State, was of Irish ancestry. Both are now deceased. They had eight children, three of whom are living. The record of all is: Hannah married David Hunt, a farmer, who came to Erie Township in the fall of 1835; both are now dead; Maria became the wife of Moses Hubbard, and both these are also deceased; they were residents of Rock Island County; John and Lewis D. came to Erie Township, from New York, in the fall of 1835, and about 1837 built the ferry in this county, two miles south of the village of Erie, which bears their name - " Crandall Ferry;" they had farms in this township; John died in Edgar County, this State, and Lewis D., being elected Sheriff of this county, was a resident of Sterling for sorne years; also a merchant for several years previously in Portland, this county; he moved to Central City, Col., where he died Nov. 15, 1860; Lucinda also came to Erie about 1837, kept house for her brothers at the ferry, and married, in that township, a farmer named James Hamilton, both these are now deceased; Fidelia, the wife of Jerome Peters, is now a resident of Mercer Co., Ill., they were early settlers of Fenton Township, this county, married in Erie Township, and resided there a number of years; the next in order was La Fayette, the subject of this sketch; Luke W. came to this country about [839, resided with his brothers at the ferry for a time, but was a roamer; when last heard from he was in Oregon.
when the subject of this sketch was 13 years of age the family emigrated West, locating in Lee County, this State, where his father purchased a farm of about 200 acres, and was also a half owner of a ferry across Rock River at that point. He died in that county. LaFayette came to Erie Township, this county, in 1839, and resided with his brothers at times until 1847, when he took possession of the 60 acres where he now resides, receiving it from his brother Lewis's claim, and his brother John let him have ten acres of timber in Erie Grove. When the the land came into market Mr. Crandall bought it, and has since added to it by further purchases, so that he now has an aggregate of 300 acres, on sections 18, 13, 25 and 26. He has a nice farm. His house was probably the second frame structure in the township. Mr. C. has been Justice of the Peace six years.
He was married in Portland Township, Feb. 10, 1847, to Miss Lavina, daughter of John S. and Rachel Rowe. She was born May 20, 1827, in Steuben Co., N. Y. Of their four children, three are still living; Francis M., born April 27, 1849, married Helen Stephenson, Dec. 25, 1872; he is a farmer, and resides in Portland Township; Ida E., born
Portraits and Biographical 1895..
