Butte County
Biographies
THOMAS BURTON CROWDER
THOMAS BURTON CROWDER.—Among the many native sons of the state who are engaged in
ranching, Thomas Burton Crowder deserves mention. Like his father before him,
he is now and has been for some years a successful rancher. He was born near Nord, August 1, 1878, and was educated in the public and
the State Normal School at Chico. He graduated in 1902, and for four and
one-half years was a teacher in the Chico grammar schools, and was principal of
Bidwell school one year. His father, Zachariah Taylor
Crowder, was born in Cleveland County, N. C., April 23, 1849, and was about
seven years old when he came with his father, Godfrey Crowder, across the
plains with ox teams in 1856, being six months and six days on the way. Thomas’
grandfather, Godfrey, located on Big Chico Creek, one-half mile east of the
present town of Chico, but remained there only one month when he moved to
Colusa County, where he took up a land grant. After a time he disposed of this
property and took up a homestead about eight miles north of Chico, where he
died in 1898, aged eighty-two years.
As a young man Zachariah assisted his
father, Godfrey, on the ranch, after which he began purchasing land on his own
account until he finally owned twenty-two hundred
acres. He also joined with his brother, D. F. Crowder, in leasing the
Bidwell ranch of fifteen thousand acres. They
employed sixty hands the year round, running for a time headers and stationary
threshers, and later two combined harvesters, using thirty-six mules to propel
each. They raised barley and wheat, and sold the former as low as eighty cents
per cental. After a time the brothers, Zachariah and
D. F., dissolved partnership. Zachariah then bought
three hundred forty acres, adding to it until he owned twelve hundred eighty
acres; he began to gradually sell off his holdings, except the present home
place of eight hundred forty acres. Fraternally he was an Odd Fellow, and had
much to do with the business life of the community, serving as school trustee
for sixteen years and as clerk of the school board for twelve years. He died at
the home place, November 22, 1913, aged sixty-four. Thomas Burton Crowder’s
mother’s maiden name was Melvina Jane Mills; she was
born in Little Rock, Ark. She had three children: William, who died when eleven
months old; Thomas Burton, with whom his mother now lives, and Clifford, who
has a harness store in Chico.
Thomas Burton Crowder was married in
Oakland to Miss Ellen Murray, who was born in Oakland, where she was educated
and where she graduated as a nurse in the Central Hospital, in which she was
head nurse for a time. In 1908 Mr. Crowder leased his father’s ranch and still
continues ranching. He has five hundred acres in grain and one hundred acres in
hay, and also raises pure bred registered Duroc hogs.
He uses the most up-to-date methods in his work. He is a member and Past Grand
of Chico Lodge No. 113, Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Chico and a
delegate to the Grand Lodge; he is also a member of the Encampment, of which he
is Past Chief Patriarch. He is a member of the Christian Church. In politics he
is a Democrat.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard
16 October 2008.
Source:
"History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 1059-1060, Historic Record Co, Los
Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2008 Marie Hassard.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte
County Biographies