Oregon Republican League: History 101

Every Wednesday, the Oregon Republican League will post the biographies of important figures, in the League's/State of Oregon's history. Click on the head link above, to visit more of our listings at genealogy.com. Feel free to comment or share stories of your family's Republican affiliation.

Oregon Republican League:

Republican League Register of Oregon, The Register Publishing Company, 1896, page 196-198.

CRAIG, HON DAVID, of Macleay, was born in Toronto, Canada, February 8, 1852, and came to Oregon in 1875, and has ever since engaged in farming and stock breeding near Macleay. In 1877 he helped organize Company I. Second Regiment, O. N. G., and was elected first lieutenant and then captain. Mr. Craig was elected to the legislature in 1894, and has been renominated to that body.

CRAWFORD, HON. MEDORUM, was born in Orange County, New York, June 24, 1819. He came to Oregon in the small immigration of 1842, and located at Salem. In 1845 he went to Oregon City and in 1847 was elected to the legislature, and again the next year. In 1852, he removed to the mouth if the Yamhill river and made there his permanent home. He was elected to the first state legislature in 1858, but was counted out., He was again elected in 1860. In 1862 he was commissioned captain by President Lincoln, and organized a company to escort emigrants across the plains, which he did for two years. For five years he was Collector of Internal Revenue, and in 1871 was appointed United States Appraiser at Portland, retiring in 1876 to his form.

CRANSTON, HON. S. B., an attorney of Klamath Falls, was born in Champaign County, Ohio, October 19, 1828. He came to Oregon in 1851 and settled in Lane County. He was a Justice of the Peace and Assistant United States Assessor, and in 1864 was elected to the State Senate. In 1874 he removed to Klamath Falls (then Linkville), and the next year was appointed Register of the United States Land Office, retaining the position two years.

CROSBY, HON. HENRY T., of Astoria, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1846. After graduating from college he enlisted, in 1862, and was wounded at Shepardstown. He entered the war department as clerk, and in 1872 was made chief clerk. He graduated from l\the Law School of Columbia College, and was admitted to the bar in 1872. He continued to serve as chief clerk, frequently being Acting Secretary of War till 1882, when he resigned and began practicing in Washington. In 1893 he came to Oregon and located in Astoria. He was representative to the league in 1895.

CATES, DR. FRANKLIN M., of Elk City, was born in Mercer County, Missouri, July 1, 1846, and came to Oregon in 1852. He lived near Eugene seventeen years.. He graduated from the medical department of the Willamette University in 1872. He was physician at the Siletz Agency ten years, and Superintendent of the Indian School there two years. In 1892 he located in practice at Elk City. He was nominated for the legislature in 1882. He has frequently been a delegate to county conventions and a member of county central committees, and president of Republican Clubs, and is now a member of the district central committee.

CROASMAN, A.B. [Editor inserted: Allen B. Croasman], a merchant of Portland, was born in Pennsylvania in 1846, and came to Oregon at the age of eighteen, settling in Salem, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits till he moved to Portland a few years ago. He was Postmaster of Salem for a time. He has taken a continuously active part in political matters, and has been a delegate to league meetings and nominating conventions regularly, and a member of central committees. In 1895 he was appointed Police Commissioner of Portland.

CROSSAN, R.O. [Editor inserted: Robert A. Crossan], of Salem, was born in Harrison County, Ohio, March 11, 1845, and came to Oregon in 1866, and has lived in Marion County ever since. He has been engaged in the saw mill business and is now a hop buyer. He was a delegate to the county convention in 1867, and has attended nearly every one since. He was a delegate to the state convention in 1886. He held the office of Street Commissioner of Salem in 1890 and 1891.

CROISAN, EDWARD M., of Salem, was born in Marion County, Oregon, March 27, 1855, and is by occupation a farmer. He served as Deputy Sheriff under John W. Minto, from 1884 to 1888. In the latter year he was elected Sheriff, and was again elected in 1890. He was a delegate to the county conventions of 1878 and 1880 and the state conventions of 1884 and 1894, and was chairman of the county central committee of 1894.

CURTIS, C. J. [Editor inserted: Clarence J. Curtis], of Astoria, and editor of the Herald, as born in Berrien County, Michigan, August 20, 1853,. He came to Oregon in 1879 and located in Portland, where he remained for years. He read law in the office of Governor A.C. Gibbs, and was admitted to the bar in 1883. He went to Astoria the same year, and has since resided there, practicing law and publishing the Herald, a Republican paper. He was a delegate to the county conventions of 1884-86-99-90 and ’92, the state conventions of the same years, and the congressional convention of 1894. He was Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for eight years, and was elected City Attorney in 1890 and again in 1895. In 1894 he was elected a member of the lower house of the legislature.

CUSICK, J. W. [Editor inserted: John W. Cusick], of Albany, was born near Quincy, Adams County, Illinois, May 28, 1837, and came to Oregon in 1853, locating in Linn County. He traveled around the state doing anything he could get till 1866, when he embarked in the merchandise business at Aumsville, Marion County. He afterwards engaged in the cattle business is Wasco County until 1884. In 1885 he engaged in the banking business in Albany in the firm of Cowan & Cusick, and is now in the firm of J.W. Cusick & Co. He has been a delegate to county and state conventions for fourteen years, and was delegate to the national convention in 1888.

DAVIS, LEWIS J., editor and manager of the Eastern Oregon Republican, of Union, was born in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, in 1865, and came to Oregon in 1876. He learned the printer’s trade in 1880, but in 1883 entered the University of Oregon, graduating in 1889 with the highest honors of his class. He received the degree of A.B., and later of A.M. He went to Denver, as manager of a publishing business, but a year later became editor and manger of the Republican. He has been secretary of the Union County central committee since 1890, and has been re-elected for two years. He has been a delegate to the county convention for six years. He is a member of the Union School Board.

DAVEY, FRANK, of the Salem Statesman, was born in Ireland August 18, 1850, and came to the United States at the age of seventeen. He clerked in a store in Keokuk, Iowa, till 1871, and then taught school in Emmet County, where he was elected County Superintendent of Schools for two terms of four years, County Auditor four years, and County Surveyor two years. From 1876 to 1882 he was proprietor and editor of the Northern Vindicator. In 1880 he was admitted to the bar. In 1886 he came to Oregon. For a time he was connected with the Portland World, and in 1889 became city editor of the Salem Statesman. In 1890 he became city editor of the Capital Journal, and later manager of the Keeley Institute. Since 1894 he has been on the staff of the Salem Statesman. Mr. Davey is an active Republican and a vigorous campaign speaker. In 1891 he was journal clerk of the legislature. In 1894 he was elected a member of the executive committee of the State league for two years. He is now secretary of the Marion County central committee.

DAVENPORT, HON. T.W. [Editor inserted: Timothy W. Davenport], of Salem, was born in Columbia County, New York, and came to Oregon in 1851, locating in Marion County. He was a delegate to the first Republican state nominating conventions in 1858 and 1859, and subsequently a member of the state committee. He was elected County Surveyor in 1864, and again in 1866, and a member of the legislature in 1868 and 1870. In 1872 he was nominated for congress by the Independents, but was defeated. In 1882 he was elected to the State Senate. He is now State Land Commissioner.

DAVIS, DAVID, of the St. Helens Mist, was born in Longtown, Kansas, November 6, 1869, and came to Oregon in 1880. He is by occupation a printer, and is one of the publishers of the St. Helens Mist. He is secretary of the McKinley Club of St. Helens, and was a delegate to the club conventions of 1895-96. He was a representative to the Grand Lodge, K. of O., in 1895 and 1896.