ISAAC SHELBY CRALL, the well-known extensive gardener and florist, was born November 19, 1826, at Belle Vernon, Fayette Co., Penn., a son of Charles and Hannah (Gaskell) Crall, both natives of that county. Isaac Crall, father of Charles Crall, was born, reared and married in Little York, Penn., his wife being Elizabeth Bush, who bore him children as follows: Barbara, John, Catherine, Elizabeth, Charles, Jesse and Mary. He was a farmer in York county, whence he moved to Fayette county at an early day with his family. Mr. Crall was here engaged as bookkeeper at the Redstone Furnace. From Fayette he went to Cumberland county, where he was a jailer, and as the prison was constructed simply of posts and chains, a guard was necessary all the time. Finally he engaged in the butchering business in Fayette county, where he died. He was a Democrat, and a member of the Moravian Church.
Charles Crall, father of Isaac Shelby Crall, was born in November, 1800, in Cumberland county, Penn. He was reared in Fayette county, at the subscription schools of which he received a fair educational training. He learned the trade of blacksmith, at which for a time he worked in Washington county, near Monongahela City; he also ran boats on the river between Pittsburgh and Morgantown, besides a ferry at Monongahela City. In 1822 he married Hannah, daughter of Budd Gaskell, a native of Trenton, N. J., a son of Samuel Gaskell, also of New Jersey birth, who served in the Revolutionary war under Washington, and was an intimate friend of Gen. Budd. His wife was Miss Lucretia Hayes, who bore him four cbildren: Budd, Morgan, Lucretia and Ruth. Samuel Gaskell was a farmer by occupation, aud his death occurred at Belle Vernon, Penn. He had removed to Ohio, but on the decease of his wife returned to Pennsylvania. In his church connection he was a Free-will Baptist. Budd Gaskell was reared in New Jersey, and when a young man removed to Fayette county. He was married to Hannah Davis, of that county, and the children born to them were the following: Samuel, Elizabeth (Mrs. Jacob Vorhes), Jesse and Amy, all deceased; Mary (Mrs. Samuel Mattocks), Hannah (Mrs. Charles Cral1), Morgan (married to Sabina Lane), Henry (married to Elizabeth Crall), Ann (wife of William Thatcher), Abraham (married to Sarah Jacobs), Mezula (wife of James McKean), I. Shelby and Owen. Mr. Gaskell was a Democrat, and in religion a member of the Free-will Baptist Church. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Crall made their new home in Belle Vernon, where he was employed in a boatyard for some time; then moved to Crawford county, same State, from which, after a residence of two and one-half years, he came to near Monongahela City where he conducted a blacksmith shop, etc., as already related. He died here June 22, 1881, a prominent member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, in which he was an elder, but later in life he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church. The children born to him were Budd (deceased), Isaac Shelby, Louisa, Lucinda, Cassie, Elizabeth, Mezula, Samuel, Etta and Belle.
Isaac Shelby Crall was for the most part reared and educated in Monongahela City. When twenty-six years old he went to New York, and there took steamer for California, but on February 27, 1852, the vessel was wrecked off the Mexican coast. In that country he remained six weeks, and then proceeded, again by water, to his destination He was engaged there as superintendent of The American Hydraulic Mines, and was one of the first to blast rock under water. He conducted a large mine there for twenty-four years, in the course of which time he made six ocean trips and two by overland route. On his final return home, in 1873, he embarked in his present industry, having, in 1868, bought the farm where he now carries on a lucrative business. On January 10, 1861, Mr. Crall married Sarah E., daughter of James Somerville, of Jefferson county, Penn., and three children have been born to them: Charles S., Maud A. (Mrs. Harry Griffith) and James S. Politically Mr. Crall is a Democrat, and in his church connections he is a Presbyterian.
Text taken from page 481 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).Transcribed January 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project.
Published January 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.[ [Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]