The subject of this week’s post is my 3rd great uncle and oldest brother of my 2nd great-grandfather, John Nelson Crow.

I stumbled upon him in my tree a couple weeks ago, and began researching him because I thought his name was dapper. In fact, I learned that John was a bachelor who was born and died in the same small Oregon town, Lorane.

John was born on 18 November 1859 to Richard and Sarah (Thrush) Crow. Oregon was admitted into the union as the 33rd state ten months prior. He had one older sister, Cynthia, born the previous year. Eventually, John would be joined by 13 (!) additional siblings.

On the 1910 census, John is listed as living with his parents, brother Orville (also a bachelor), and sisters Effie (22 and not married) and Cynthia (widowed). John and Orville are listed as working their home farm, with the other household members not working.

I could find very little, aside from censuses, about John, but I did uncover his will. John died on 23 October 1915 at the age of 55, although his will states he died the previous day. His father died six months later, but his mom would live another 20 years.

John died owning 160 acres of land and four horses, and an estate valued at $1375. His mother was listed as his only heir.

I do not know by John and his brother both remained bachelors. They remained on the family farm, working the land their father settled on after traveling the Oregon Trail. Lorane was (and remains) a very, very small town. John is buried in the Crow Family Cemetary in Lorane.