"Early History of Thurston County, Washington; Together with Biographies and
Reminiscences of those Identified with Pioneer Days." Compiled and Edited by
Mrs. George E. (Georgiana) Blankenship.  Published in Olympia, Washington, 1914.
p. 267.
 
THE CROSBY FAMILY

    Like unto a saga of old, runs the story of the coming of the Crosby family
into the West. In all the wild experiences related during the compilation of
this book, none were more picturesque and interesting than the history of an
entire family of stalwart sons and fair daughters with their aged, but sturdy
father, coming with their own ship, laden with their own goods, their children
and themselves, to take their part in conquering the wilderness. Way back in
1846 the United States government sent Capt. Nathaniel Crosby, one of a family
of sea captains, in command of the brig O. C. Raymond, to take supplies to
relieve the distress of those immigrants, who, illy prepared, as were all too
many, had joined the wild rush to seek their fortunes on the Pacific Coast.
     So impressed was Capt. Crosby with the prospects of fortunes to be gained
in this land of opportunities for the venturesome, that he decided to have his
kinsmen join him. After sending back for his brothers to buy and fit out a brig
with everything needful for a home in the West, he waited with what patience he
might, the arrival of his family.
     Clanrick Crosby, an elder brother, bought the brig Grecian, 270 tons
capacity, and the start was made in 1849. Clanrick was captain of the brig, with
a brother-in-law, Washington Hurd, first officer and Alfred Crosby second
officer. In the cabin were: Captain Nathaniel Crosby, Sr., father of
Captain Clanrick and Officer Alfred Crosby, who remained in the West a couple of
years before returning to his home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where he died,
Mrs. Clanrick Crosby, Phoebe, and their three children, Clanrick, Phoebe Louisa
and Cecelia, Mrs. Elizabeth Hurd and little daughter, Ella, Mrs. Hurd
was Captain Crosby's sister, Mrs. Clara Nickerson Crosby, wife of Alfred Crosby,
Mrs. Mary Crosby, wife of Capt. Nathaniel, Jr., and their three children,
Nathaniel, Mary L. and Martha R., Mrs. Holmes, companion and housekeeper, and
one passenger, Mr. Converse Lilly. Before the mast were Richard Hartley, Joseph
Taylor and Poster and Nathaniel Lincoln, brothers of Mrs. Nathaniel Crosby, Jr.
The Grecian arrived at Portland in March, 1850.
    The two elder Crosby brothers came on to Tumwater. Capt. Nathaniel remaining
in Oregon. Among the Crosby children who made the famous trip in the Grecian was
the little Martha, then nine years of age. That child is now Mrs. Andrew J. Burr
and the reminiscences contributed by this lady were among the most interesting
of the many related by pioneer men and women during the preparation of this
volume. After living in Portland until she was 11 years old, her father, Capt.
Nathaniel Crosby, took a cargo of spars from St. Helens, Oregon, to Hong Kong,
China, the first big sticks that were ever sent from the Pacific Coast forests
to the Orient. After a couple of years of wandering in various ports, Capt.
Crosby, leaving his family in China, came to Olympia and loaded his ship with a
second cargo of spars for China, this second load having been cut from Butlers
Cove, and was the first shipment of Puget Sound timber. In Hong Kong the Crosby
family remained for several years. Martha and the other children were sent to
school there and the child became a young woman.  Here Capt. Crosby died, the
family still making their home in this foreign land. In 1864 Martha became the
wife of Samuel C. Woodruff, a wealthy ship chandler of Hong Kong.
    Her first child, Samuel L. Woodruff, was born there. The cholera was raging
at this time in China, so the young mother brought her son to San Francisco
until the danger had abated a little. While living in this city her second
child, Ada, was born.
     With her two little children Mrs. Wooruff came to Olympia to visit her
mother and brothers. The very first steamer which came into port after their
arrival here brought the news that Mr. Woodruff had died from an attack of
cholera. The widow and her children continued to make Tumwater their home for
the following two years. Then she met and, in due time, was married to Andrew J.
Burr. The wedding took place in the old Crosby house in Tumwater and Mr. and
Mrs. Burr came to Olympia to make their home.
     To them were born three children, Maud, now Mrs. T. F. Basse of Seattle;
Chas.A. Burr, still of Olympia, and June Burr of Seattle.
    Mr. Burr was possessed of considerable property at one time in Olympia and
was one of the city's leading spirits in business and political affairs. For
eight years he was postmaster of the Capital City, and in his prime was quite
noted for his political speaking. He at one time stumped the territory with
Selucius Garfielde in one of the hottest campaigns known in the history of his
party. He was of an extraordinarily genial and witty nature and his speeches
were in great demand when there was a political strife being carried on.
    Mr. Burr died in Olympia in the year 1900.
    Of the two children born to Mrs. Burr by her former marriage both have
become prominently known in their respective life's work, Sam Woodruff having
been identified with the state institutions, formerly with the Western
Washington Hospital for Insane and at present the efficient superintendent of
the School for Defective Youth at Medical Lake.  Ada Woodruff Anderson is an
authoress of more than statewide celebrity, having been the writer of several
novels and magazine stories and sketches which have brought her name prominently
before the literary world. She makes her home on Mercer Island, near Seattle. At
one time Mrs. Anderson taught the county school at Yelm Prairie. She tells with
some reminiscent pride that her teacher's certificate was presented to her upon
her graduation by the late Rev. John R. Thompson.
    Among Mrs. Burr's personal reminiscences is singing in the now famous choir
of the Taylor Street M. E. Church when she was still a mere child. Beside her in
this choir, singing with all his sweet young voice stood John Miller Murphy.
This was in Portland before either the little Martha or Johnnie Murphy came to
Puget Sound.
    Soon after the arrival of the Crosby family in Portland Martha and her
sister were invited to join some young people of the settlement on a blackberry
picking expedition on a certain day of the week. As the children were anxious to
get acquainted the invitation was accepted. On the appointed day early in the
morning, the sisters commenced to get ready for their first social function in
the West. White dresses were carefully pressed out, hair put up in curl papers
and strapped slippers donned over spotless white stockings. The sisters were
chagrined when their companions arrived to accompany them to the berry patch and
they saw how inappropriate was their attire.
     Mrs. Burr now makes her home in Seattle with her daughter, Mrs. Basse.
     Captain Clanrick Crosby was one of the dominant spirits in Tumwater for
many years, foremost in every enterprise for the development and advancement of
the community. He it was who presented the original plot of land for the Masonic
and Odd Fellows cemeteries.
     The children of Clanrick and Mrs. Crosby were Clanrick, jr., dead these
many years, Phoebe Louise, Cecelia, Win, Walter and Fannie. The eldest daughter
is Mrs. George Biles and the youngest girl is well known, not only in Olympia,
but  Seattle, and Alaska points as well, as Mrs. John Y. Ostrander.
     Walter Crosby is too well known in Olympia to need any description. These
two younger Crosbys were born after Capt. and Mrs. Clanrick Crosby reached
Tumwater.  Mrs. Biles being the oldest of the living children of Clanrick
Crosby was invited to contribute her reminiscences of her early life in
Tumwater. This lady was about nine years of age when the Indian war broke out
and well remembers the night some friendly Indians came to her father's house
and warned Mr. Crosby that there was danger of an attack from the
hostiles. Already the few residents of Tumwater had built the block house which
stood for many years at the end of the bridge across the Des Chutes River, but
so far many of the families continued to live in their own houses.
     On this particular night Mr. Crosby was inclined to be skeptical of there
being any real danger, but the Indians told him to watch for the light of
burning buildings, and sure enough, as soon as it was quite dark the heavens
were lighted up with the flare of the Glasgow and Linklighter barns, which had
been set on fire by the enemy.
     That was convincing proof that the Indians were sincere in giving the
alarm. Hastily rousing the children from their beds and dressing them, flight to
the block house was made. The little Phoebe,  Mrs. Biles, was the proud
possessor of a bran new sun bonnet, which in the haste of the family to get
away, was left hanging on the kitchen wall. After reaching the fort, while her
parents were getting the younger children settled for the remainder of the
night, the little girl slipped out in the dark and ran all alone all the way to
her home to get her precious sun bonnet.
    Phoebe returned in safety, but, her parents reprimanded her severely for the
fright she had given them.
    In later years, 1865, Phoebe was married to George Biles, himself the son of
a pioneer. His father, James Biles, with his wife and seven children, had
arrived in Tumwater in 1853.
     Accustomed as was the Biles family to the comparative luxury of a Kentucky
plantation, the life on Puget Sound was a striking contrast. Clams, salmon and
potatoes for staples of diet, a log cabin to live in and nearest neighbors
savage Indians, the prospect was not especially alluring, but
with characteristic pluck and energy Mr. Biles succeeded in carving a
comfortable home out of the wilderness.
     The Biles family were among the very first emigrants to reach this section
through the wild Natchez Pass. Before reaching this pass their train was met by
Ashur Seargent, who was then acting as a guide to divert travel to the Puget
Sound country.
     Besides George Bites there were these children in the Biles family; James
B., Kate E., now Mrs. F. M. Seargent of Seattle, S. Isabelle, now Mrs. M. S.
Drew, of Port Gamble.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios. Project in May 2007 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.