Died 1892, Corvallis, Oregon
Alexander Crawford, an older brother of Peter W. Crawford, journeyed west in 1851 to join him at his residence on the Cowlitz River. At that time, only twelve families inhabited the area and Alexander stayed just a few years.
Alexander was born on February 7, 1815 at Kelso, Scotland. At the age of twenty, he sailed to the United States and settled in St. Joseph County, Michigan. Five years later, he married twenty year old Ann McKee, a native of New York City. Alexander moved his young family to Indiana in 1843. Five years later his brother wrote him of the many opportunities for land in Oregon Territory and he started dreaming of going west.
Alexander reached Oregon Territory with his family in late September 1851 and promptly located a land claim on the west side of the Cowlitz River. But the happiness of their new beginning was soon overshadowed by the death of their baby daughter and AnnÕs longing for community life. When the Indian troubles started, Alexander became alarmed that the settlers in the area were greatly outnumbered by the Indian population of three thousand. He decided to send his wife and four older children to Ranier, Oregon for safety and company. Alexander continued to occupy his land claim until 1857.
At that time he moved his family to the Willamette Valley and in 1858 rented a farm near Peoria in Linn County, Oregon. Later he moved to Corvallis where he lived until his death in December of 1892. AlexanderÕs children included three sons and four daughters.
Junel Davidsen wrote this article with information published in "Clark County Pioneers ~ Through the Turn of the Century", 1993, by Rose Marie Harshman.
Compiled and contributed by Junel Davidsen on 5 May 2003.