My Genealogy Hound

ROBERT E. CROSGROVE, one of Ripley town’s leading farmers and best citizens was born at Ripley, Chautauqua county, New York, November 15, 1851, and is a son of John and Mary (Cochrane) Crosgrove. His grandfather, William Crosgrove, was a native of Ireland, but deciding that America was the land of promise, he said good-by to the green fields of his childhood, and took passage for New York, where he landed November 17, 1801. A few years were spent in various places, and in 1804 he married Rachel Cochrane, who bore him eight children. William Crosgrove lived for two years in western Pennsylvania, but in 1808 he came to Ripley and settled on the farm now owned by W. A. and R. E. Crosgrove. The maternal grandfather was Robert Cochrane, who was born in County Down, Ireland, Oct. 22, 1786, and came to America in 1812. One year later he settled in the northwest part of Westfield, on lot No. 4, where he lived until his death, May 6, 1870. Politically he was a republican, and a member of the Presbyterian church. His wife was Jane Law, whom he married in Ireland, and they had eleven children, the eldest, Mary, being the mother of our subject. John Crosgrove (father) was born at Cold Spring station, Pa., June 20, 1806. When two years of age his father brought him to the town of Ripley where he spent his life, and died at the age of seventy-eight years. William Crosgrove, father of John Crosgrove, bought of the Holland Land company one hundred and thirty-five acres of land, cleared it, and lived on the place until his death. John Crosgrove bought his father’s place, and lived there until his death. Early in life he experienced the need of spiritual consolation, and joined himself to the Presbyterian church, in which he was a deacon. In 1842 he married Mary Cochrane, and their union was blessed with five children: Harriet, born June 1, 1844, and is now the wife of E. T. Kingsley, a reserve operator for the L. S. & M. S. R. R. at Ripley; William, born August 10, 1846, is a farmer and lives with his father; Alfred, born March 10, 1847, married to Mrs. Hayden, and lives at Pilot Point, Texas, where he is engaged in merchandizing; Nettie, born August 30, 1849, and died in 1890; and Robert E.

Robert E. Crosgrove received his education at the public schools, after which he began farming, and has continued it ever since on the old homestead, to which they have added one hundred acres more, making a total of two hundred and thirty-five broad acres of as fine land as one could wish to see. A vineyard of ten acres in extent furnishes fruit for the table and the market— tons having been sold in one year. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and votes with the Republican party.