Biographical Sketch of

James Crowl

Transcribed by Sandra Boudrou for the Marquette Co WI Pages


Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara Counties, Wisconsin, 
published 1890 by Acme Publishing Co., Chicago, Pages 777 - 778 


James Crowl, an early settler who is now engaged in the grocery business in Plainfield, was born in Cayuga 
County, N. Y., March 5, 1814, and is a son of John and Lydia (Philips) Crowl, the former a native of Ireland, 
the latter of Massachusetts.  His father crossed the Atlantic when a small child in company with his parents.  
He followed farming in Vermont within a few years prior to the War of 1812, when he removed to New York and 
purchased a farm in Cayuga County.  Before the war he was one of the wealthiest men in that section, but he 
lost all he had.  He owned 1,000 acres of land, which he sold out and removed to Niagara County and settled 
near Lewiston, where he made his home until the spring of 1814, when he returned to Cayuga County, where the 
succeeding four years were passed.  In 1818 he became a resident of Allegany County, where he followed farming 
until his death, which occurred May 4, 1826, at the age of fifty-four years.  His wife died in Jackson County, 
Mich., in 1855.  Thirteen children were born to that worthy couple, eleven of whom grew to manhood and womanhood, 
while six are yet living, James being the third eldest of the surviving ones; Thomas B. resides in Woodbury 
County, Iowa; Alma, widow of John Riggs, is living in Clinton County, Iowa; Harriet is the wife of Mr. Whitney, 
of the same county; Eunice is the widow of Levi Decker, of Jackson County, Iowa; and Rhoda A. is the wife of 
Darwin E. White, of Kentucky.  
 
James Crowl, whose name heads this sketch, spent his early days in New York.  From the age of six years until 
the death of his father, which occurred when he was a lad of twelve years, he resided with a married sister, 
but when his father was taken away he returned home and with the aid of his brother supported his mother and 
the younger children, keeping the family together until all had grown up and were able to go forth in the world 
and provide their own livelihood.  In 1836 he went to Michigan, where an older brother had previously located.  
That brother induced him to bring the family to Michigan, which he did, comfortably establishing them on a farm.  
His wife, however, was sick at the time and returning East to her , her parents persuaded Mr. Crowl that it might 
injure his wife's health by taking her into a wild and unsettlied country and he therefore resolved to remain in 
New York.  For three years he worked in a shoe shop, when in 1838 he began learning the milling business with 
Erastus Whiting, in the town of Burns, Allegany County, remaining with that gentleman nine years.  The following 
year was spent in the employ of Swane & Sons, of the same county, after which he went to Steuben County and purchased 
a mill, which he operated for six years.  Selling out to John A. Quick, he returned to his first employer, with whom 
he remained three years.  During that time he purchased 160 acres of land in the town of Deerfield, Waushara County, 
but traded the same for a farm in New York, on which he resided two years.  At the end of that time he found that 
his title was not good, as the land had a mortgage upon it, so he returned to milling but after a year, in May, 
1860, came to Waushara County and settled upon his farm, which was then in a state of nature, wholly destitute of 
improvement.  The land, too, was unbroken, but during the twenty-one years of his residence on that farm he succeeded 
in placing fifty acres under a high state of cultivation and making many improvements thereon, although he devoted 
a considerable portion of that time to his old business of milling.  He ran the mill in Plainfield until it was 
closed and then operated the mill at White River for seven years, after which he gave his whole time to farming 
until 1874.  
  





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