Dr. Alexander W. Crawford

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Husband Dr. Alexander W. Crawford ^{1 2 3}

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           Born: 1814 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 14 Jul 1895 - Emlenton, Venango Co, PA
         Buried:  - Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, PA

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         Father: Dr. Alexander Crawford (1782-1814) 1 4 5
         Mother: Mary McMillen (1787-      ) 3

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Wife

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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Children

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General Notes: Husband - Dr. Alexander W. Crawford

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He came to Allegheny Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, to reside, in 1846, and took a prominent part in the affairs of the county. He was elected a member of the Legislature in 1856, and served three terms. In 1861, he was appointed by President Lincoln to be United States Consul at Antwerp, and held that position until 1866. [HBC 1883, 446]

He studied medicine, graduated from Philadelphia Medical College and located in Allegheny township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, where he built and operated the Kensington Furnace. He served capably in the legislature, was appointed by President Lincoln in 1861 minister to Belgium and reappointed in 1865. When he reached Antwerp, Continental Europe had no cheap illuminant, wealthy people using rape seed oil for light, and the poorer folk going to bed in the dark. Not a glimmer could be seen outside the towns of the most populous region on earth. A few gallons of American refined petroleum, regarded as a curiosity, had been sent to Antwerp prior to Dr. Crawford's arrival. He guaranteed against loss August Schmitz & Sons, a leading firm, who ordered forty barrels of kerosene from New York, being the first oil ever imported in Continental Europe. It was hard to sell the stuff in the face of deep seated prejudice, but the firm ultimately got rid of its supply at a profit of forty francs. The oil won its way at length and 1,500,000 gallons were marketed the next year. Dr. Crawford returned from abroad in 1866. [GPHAV, 966]

1 —, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883), Pg 446.

2 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1913), Pg 966.

3 Beverly L. Linsky, My Lineage Thru John Crawford and Isabelle Parker (Personal genealogy research, April, 2014).

4 —, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 966.

5 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 506.