San Joaquin County Biographies
Ref: Page 1076
Transcribed by: Linda Diane Jackson 11/7/2009
JOHN CRAWFORD
Thirty-one years ago John Crawford had his first view of the Golden Gate and has since been content to make this state his home. He was born in the maritime village of Carnoustie, Forfarshire, Scotland, October 22, 1859, and is the youngest of ten children born to James and Elizabeth Crawford, both natives of the same village. James Crawford was a market gardener and followed that trade in Scotland until his death at the age of sixty-five years. John was thrown on his own resources at the age of thirteen, working as a milk peddler and receiving small wages; as soon as he was large enough he found work as a farm hand near his home village and during the next ten years he had saved sufficient money to pay his passage on the S.S. Roma bound for Australia. Arriving there he found plenty of work as a farm laborer, and later on railroad construction, and he helped to build the large docks at Melbourne. He remained there until 1891, when he took passage to the United States, and on April 6, 1891, his vessel steamed through the Golden Gate. Immediately after his arrival, Mr. Crawford went to Sacramento, where for eighteen months he was engaged in cement contracting; then he removed to Stockton and bought a small tract of land in east Stockton where, at that time, there were only three houses. Mr. Crawford engaged in cement contracting, being the trusted and faithful foreman for Craven & Barber for many years and he handled concrete contracts in San Jose, Lodi, Sacramento and Stockton; he has also been in charge of the workmen for the Clark & Henery Company and for A.B. Munson.
In July, 1899, Mr. Crawford was married to Miss Amanda Noren, a native of Stockholm, Sweden, born January 30, 1857. Mrs. Crawford came to America in June, 1889, stopping in Chicago until December, 1893, when she arrived in San Jose, Cal., and the following year came to Stockton. Mr. Crawford has invested his money in Stockton property and now owns twelve lots besides his fine residence at 2525 East Weber Avenue. Mr. Crawford became a United States citizen in Stockton in 1902 and since that time has cast his votes with the Republican party. Mrs. Crawford is an active member of the Fair Oaks Woman's Improvement Club. In early days, Mr. Crawford farmed the land to hay and grain where now stands the Fair Oaks Club house. He is still interested in farming, but is enjoying the competence so richly deserved and earned through years of industry and good management.
History of
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY
CALIFORNIA
With A
Biographical Review
of
The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been
Identified with Its Growth and Development
from the Early Days to the Present
HISTORY BY
George H. Tinkham
HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
1923
San Joaquin County Biographies ~ Archive Biography Index ~ Archive Index
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