Nevada Genealogy Trails Lander County Samuel Crescenzo Biography

SAMUEL CRESCENZO. the well known retired capitalist of Austin, Nevada, is one of the oldest living pioneers of the state, having first come here in 1864. He has been in business in Austin almost continuously for forty years, which marks him as one of the conspicuous men of Lander county. He has had a life of varied experiences, and has been leading an independent existence since he was twelve years old. He was a young man when he came to the Pacific coast, but had saved his earnings, and from the time he started his first mercantile enterprise he has prospered and enjoyed increasing success till the present. He gave up active business life a few years ago. and is now living in pleasant retirement, enjoying the esteem and confidence of those with whom he has been associated through so long a period of years.

Mr. Crescenzo was born in Italy on April 8, 1833. and was educated in his native land. He went to sea. working his way through the grades of seamanship, and was in New York city as early as 1845. For twelve years he sailed on vessels, and had some savings when he took up a permanent residence in the United States in 1854. In 1856 he landed at San Francisco and shortly afterward opened a store at Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras county. He also sold general merchandise at Angels Camp, and made money at both places. He afterward went to Washington territory, where he sold goods for two years. He had been in Nevada in 1863 and in 1864 he located permanently at Austin and bought the International Hotel, which he conducted for thirty-seven years, selling it only a year or so ago. He also built the hall in connection with the hotel, and he was the enterprising manager of both, making them pay profitable returns. He still has a number of other business places in the town. In 1881 he built the large brick store which his son, John A. Crescenzo, is conducting. They have a large stock of general merchandise, and the large double store is full of first-class goods bought for cash and retailed to an ever increasing patronage at reasonable prices. His son is a native of Austin, and is one of the prominent young business men of the town.

Mr. Crescenzo has been a life-long Democrat, but casting: his ballot intelligently has been his principal political effort. He was made a Master Mason in Austin, and has received all the York and Scottish Rite degrees, including the thirty-second. In 1868 he was married in Austin to Miss Elizabeth Oertli. and they had three children. Samuel A., the eldest, died at the age of thirty, and the other son has been mentioned; Lucy, the only daughter, is the wife of Oscar Clifford, a prominent citizen and druggist of Austin. Mrs. Crescenzo died January 3, 1892, after they had spent nearly twenty-five years of happy life together. Mr. Crescenzo has a pleasant home in Austin, and has proved himself a public-spirited and conscientious citizen in all the affairs of life.

Source:
A History of the State of Nevada: Its Resources and People
By Thomas Wren, Lewis Publishing Company
Published by The Lewis publishing company, 1904