Probably
no one of Macoupin county’s
pioneer citizens was more zealous or tireless in his efforts to promote the
welfare of the community than the late Crittenden Henry Crawford Anderson,
who owned extensive interests here and for fifty-six years was a prominent
factor in the growth and development of various enterprises of Carlinville.
He was born in Christian county, Kentucky, seven miles from
Hopkinville, on the 26th of January, 1819, being the eldest child in a
family of eight. His parents were Colonel James Campbell and Ann (Harris)
Anderson, the father a native of Louisa county and the mother of Augusta
county, Virginia, but they were of Scotch and Irish extraction. In this
family were four sons and four daughters, two of whom are still living,
Henry Clay and Mary Ann, the latter the wife of W. C. Anderson. The father,
who was a farmer, came to Macoupin county, Illinois, with his wife and
family in 1834, settling at Anderson’s Point, where he engaged in
agricultural pursuits until his death. They arrived in Carlinville on the
27th of October, 1834, and the first night the entire family camped out, but
they soon erected a log cabin on the east side of the square, on the site of
the old postoffice, and there they spent their first winter in Illinois. The
following spring the father entered four hundred acres of government land in
Carlinville township, upon which he located, continuing its cultivation
until he died in 1851 of cholera, which he and his wife and several
relatives contracted, all dying within a few days.
Crittenden Henry
Crawford Anderson was a youth of fifteen years when the family located in
Macoupin county, and his education, begun in the schools of his native
state, was completed at Cooley’s high school in Carlinville. Upon him
devolved much of the work of the farm, of which he had the entire management
for about two years, becoming his father’s business associate at the age of
nineteen. In connection with the cultivation of their extensive fields they
raised stock and bought and sold lands. In November, 1852, he left the old
homestead, locating on a farm in the vicinity of the fair grounds, and he
continued to devote his attention to agricultural pursuits until May, 1853,
when he formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Dr. R. W. Glass, and
they opened the first exclusive drug store in Carlinville. It was located at
the northwest corner of the square and was operated under the firm name of
Anderson & Glass. In 1855 an( i 1856 Mr. Anderson erected a three story
brick building on the east side of the square, known as the duplex building,
this being the first three story building erected in the county. The lower
floor was used for the drug store, while he and his family occupied the
second floor as a residence and the third floor was the Masonic hall. In
i860 he withdrew from business and returned to his farm, which he operated
for eight years, and then opened an abstract and real-estate office in the
Chestnut & Dubois building. After being identified with this for two years
he opened a banking establishment under the name of the Henderson Loan &
Real Estate association. He continued this in its corporate capacity until
April 30, 1878, when he surrendered the charter of incorporation and
organized the business as a private bank. The capital stock was increased
from five to one hundred thousand dollars paid-up capital, the enterprise
being conducted under the name of the Banking House of C. H. C. Anderson. It
prospered in a manner entirely commensurate with the expectations of its
founder, becoming one of the strongest financial institutions of the county
and is still in a flourishing condition. Mr. Anderson was a man of unusual
capabilities, possessing the foresight and sagacity which enabled him to
recognize and utilize the opportunities presented to the best possible
advantage. His success, however, was never achieved at the expense of honor
or by means of taking undue advantage but was the result of those inherent
qualities which enabled him to so intelligently direct and conserve his
forces as to attain the best possible results. His banking institution had a
reputation for integrity and honorable dealing that placed it above
question, and as its head Mr. Anderson filled many positions of trust in the
capacity of executor and administrator.
On the 20th of October,
1857, Mr. Anderson was united in marriage to Miss Mary Jane Stratton, whose
birth occurred seven miles south of Carlinville on the 22d of June, 1841,
being the only child of Marshall H. and Rebecca (Blackburn) Stratton. Tier
father was a son of John Stratton, a native of Virginia, but of English
extraction, who always devoted his energies to agricultural pursuits. Two of
his brothers participated in the war of 1812. Marshall H. Stratton was also
a native of Virginia, his birth having there occurred on the 24th of
January, 1813. Coming here in 1834, he was one of the pioneer settlers of
Macoupin county, where he acquired large tracts of government land, having
three hundred and eighty acres in his homestead in addition to other
holdings. The last five years of his life were spent at the home of his
daughter in Carlinville, where he passed away on the 13th of January, 1898.
The mother of Mrs. Anderson was born in Pennsylvania on the 8th of May,
1816, her parents being Thomas and Betty (Bowen) Blackburn, both of English
descent. Eight children were born of this marriage, all of whom are now
deceased: Mary, who married Mr. Wisegarver; Ann, who became the wife of Mr.
Ross; Rachel, who married Mr. Overstreet; Rebecca, who became Mrs. Stratton;
and John, Elias, Anthony and Thomas. The father passed away in Pennsylvania,
after which the mother removed to Illinois, living for four or five years in
the vicinity of Carlinville. Later she removed farther west with two of her
sons and they finally located in Utah, where they all died. Mrs. Stratton
passed away in Carlinville on the 1st of June, 1875.
The only child
of parents in comfortable circumstances, Mrs. Anderson was reared amidst
unusually pleasant environment for pioneer times, passing her girlhood on
her father’s homestead in Brushy Mound township and acquiring her education
at Monticello Seminary. By the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Anderson there were
born three children, two of whom died in infancy. Effie, the only survivor,
married Senator W. L. Mounts, and has become the mother of two sons and one
daughter: Bruce Henry, Marion Evelyn and William Walter. They are also
residents of Carlinville.
Mr. Anderson was a member of the Methodist
Episcopal church, with which his wife is still affiliated, and fraternally
he belonged to the Masonic order, having for many years been treasurer of
the local lodge. In matters politic he was originally a whig, having cast
his first vote in 1840 for William Henry Harrison, but upon the disruption
of the party he gave his allegiance to the democrats, to whose candidates
and policy he was afterward most loyal. It is men such as Mr. Anderson who
form the advance guard of civilization in all pioneer countries. Their
dominating personality, unremitting energy and tenacity of purpose
compelling their recognition as leaders in various communities. Mr. Anderson
passed away over twenty years ago, his demise occuring on the 10th of
January, 1890, but those industries and enterprises which he introduced and
firmly established, despite apparently insurmountable obstacles, today stand
as monuments to his ambition.
Extracted 18 May 2018 by Norma Hass from History of Macoupin County, Illinois: Biographical and Pictorial, by Charles A. Walker, published in 1911, Volume 2, pages 6-11.
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