Born in Hanover County, Virginia, on the 13th June, 1835. He was the son of Walter and Sarah B. Crew in whose family were 14 children. He came with his parents to Iowa in the year 1849 and in 1850 the family located on a farm northwest of Salem. In 1859 he married Miriam, daughter of Dr Samuel Stephenson one of the early settlers of Salem. They were the parents of three children. For a number of years after his marriage Mr. Crew taught school in winter and farmed in summer. For several winters he was principal of public school in Salem. He took much interest in politics, was a ready and logical speaker and in 1881 he was elected to represent the county in the nineteenth General Assembly, and for years after was an earnest advocate of the principles of the republican party.