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Below is a family biography included in The History of Washington County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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Hon. Johnson Crawford. A history of the prominent families of Washington County, Ark., would be incomplete without mentioning the Crawfords, who have long been residents of the State and county. The family was first represented in the State by John Crawford, who moved from Virginia to the far West with his wife and five small children, locating in Lawrence County, where he is supposed to have met a violent death, either by drowning or being devoured by some wild animal, as he went out hunting one spring day and never returned. His son Arthur, who was born in Augusta County, Va., in 1806, was only a small boy when his father disappeared. He remained with his mother, he being the only son, until he was twenty-two years of age, and then began doing for himself, coming to Washington County about 1832, and locating on the farm where his son, Hon. Johnson Crawford, is now living. He moved from West Fork to Sulphur Springs in 1876. He is yet living, and was married, in 1842, to Miss Sarah Wood, who was born in Tennessee in 1814, and died in February, 1885. Her seven children were as follows: Rebecca, wife of W. P. Loudon; Jesse, who was killed in West Fork Township In 1864, a soldier in the Confederate army; Mary, wife of James Brown; Johnson; Adaline, wife of John West; James, deceased, and John, who died in Washington County In July, 1886. Johnson Crawford was born in Washington County, Ark., July 9, 1843, and resided under the paternal roof until the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted in Company K, and was with Gen. Price on his raid through Kansas and Missouri. At the battle of Prairie Grove he had his hat band shot in two twice, and he also participated in the battle of Helena. When peace was declared he came home to his parents, with whom he remained until 1867, at which time he was united in matrimony to Miss Clementine Gilland, and engaged in farming on the west fork of White River, where he remained eight years. Since that time he has resided on the farm of 200 acres where he now lives. In 1876 he established a general merchandise store, and the place took the name of Sulphur Springs from the large number of springs in the vicinity, but is now called Sulphur City. He continued in this business until 1878, when he sold his store and stock of goods, and since that time has been engaged in farming. Mr. Crawford and wife are members of the Baptist Church, and he is a minister of that denomination, being ordained in 1876, and is now the pastor of two churches. He is a Democrat in his political views, and has always taken an active interest in politics, being the present representative of his county in the State Legislature. The following are his children: Effie (wife of H. Layman), James A., John P., Jesse D., Jordan O., Pearl, Eli D., Maude M., Ina and an infant.

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This family biography is one of 300 biographies included in The History of Washington County, Arkansas published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Washington County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

To view additional Washington County, Arkansas family biographies, click here

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