Born in Baltimore, November 21, 1816, his father a rich merchant, dying in the cholera epidemic in 1833. Three years later Samuel moved to Ohio, attending college at New Athens and studying law in the office of Dewey and Stanton, the latter destined to be Lincoln's secretary of war. He married Mary Ann Crawford, and Crawfordsville was named in honor of her father, the Doctor. Samuel came here in 1850, went to the legislature in 1853 and was an elector-at-large on the Fremont-Dayton ticket in 1856. In 1862 he was elected Captain of Company I, Twenty-fifth Iowa Infantry, but bad eyesight prompted his resignation within a year. He went again to the legislature and in 1872 was elector on the Grant-Wilson ticket. He was a remarkable stump speaker and a great wit. As it is, he is in local fame the greatest wit and humorist that ever lived in this county and the memory of this odd, quaint character will last longer than that of any other man.

Born in Baltimore, November 21, 1816, his father a rich merchant, dying in the cholera epidemic in 1833. Three years later Samuel moved to Ohio, attending college at New Athens and studying law in the office of Dewey and Stanton, the latter destined to be Lincoln's secretary of war. He married Mary Ann Crawford, and Crawfordsville was named in honor of her father, the Doctor. Samuel came here in 1850, went to the legislature in 1853 and was an elector-at-large on the Fremont-Dayton ticket in 1856. In 1862 he was elected Captain of Company I, Twenty-fifth Iowa Infantry, but bad eyesight prompted his resignation within a year. He went again to the legislature and in 1872 was elector on the Grant-Wilson ticket. He was a remarkable stump speaker and a great wit. As it is, he is in local fame the greatest wit and humorist that ever lived in this county and the memory of this odd, quaint character will last longer than that of any other man.