WI BIO - Dane Co - CROCKER, Hollis & William Wallace
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893. Vol I, pp 194-196, 202-204

Biography of Hollis CROCKER (Vol I, pp 202-204) - brother of William Wallace

Hollis CROCKER, a prominent farmer residing on section 30, Montrose Township, 
Dane County, WI, dates his residence her from 1842. His paternal ancestors 
were from England, and settled in Massachusetts colony soon after the 
settlement at Plymonth [Plymouth], but no dates are at hand with which to 
authenticate the history. Josiah CROCKER, the grandfather of our subject, 
was born in Barnstable [Barnstable County], MA, in 1759, and married Sarah 
TOBEY [spelled TOBY in the biography of William Wallace CROCKER], who was 
also a native of Barnstable, born there in 1761. He [Josiah CROCKER] was a 
farmer by occupation, and resided in Massachusetts colony during the 
Revolutionary War. About this date he decided to go west, accordingly he 
embarked on a coasting vessel for NY, and while there witnessed the 
inauguration of Washington as President [30 Apr 1789]. After this event our 
subject's grandfather [Josiah CROCKER] proceeded up the Hudson [p 203] and 
settled in Rutland County, VT, near the NY line, where he reared a family of 
no less than six children, and passed his remaining years.

The oldest of the children of Josiah and Sarah (TOBEY) CROCKER was Benjamin, 
and he was born in the town of Pawlet, Rutland County, VT, 05 Jul 1789, and 
passed his early life on a farm, later learning the trade of shoemaker. He 
[Benjamin CROCKER] married Rebecca WILCOX, who bore him two children, one 
dying in infancy, and a daughter at the age of nineteen years. His wife 
[Rebecca (WILCOX) CROCKER] died in VT, and he then removed to Salem, 
Washington County, NY, where in 1819 he [Benjamin CROCKER] married Rebecca 
ESTEE. She was born in this place 29 Jul 1798, a daughter of Stephen ESTEE, 
a native of Brookfield [Worcester County], MA, born about 1767, and Abigail 
(THOMPSON) ESTEE, born in Brookfield on 20 Nov 1769.

In 1842 Benjamin CROCKER, [the father of Hollis CROCKER, emigrated to WI, 
making the journey via the Erie Canal to Buffalo [NY], thence by steamer 
"Great Western" to Milwaukee [WI], where he hired teams to take his family 
and household goods to Exeter, Green County [WI], where his brother-in-law 
was living. He soon settled in Montrose Township [Dane County], WI, where 
his son, Russell CROCKER, had a short time previously made a claim. The 
family built a log cabin and commenced pioneer life. Neighbors were few, 
only three or four families being within a radius of three or four miles. At 
that time pork was $1.25 per cwt. Cows were $9 per head, and a good yoke of 
four-year-old oxen were worth $30. It was necessary to haul grain to the 
Milwaukee market, a very long and tedious trip.

Mrs. [Benjamin] CROCKER [nee Rebecca WILCOX] died 30 Oct 1845, and on 30 Jan 
1848, Mr. [Benjamin] CROCKER passed away. They had become the parents of 
five children, three of whom grew to maturity, and these were: (1) Russell, 
who died in Alexandria [Douglas County], MN, 28 Jun 1892, having been born 23 
Oct 1810 [note the biography of William Wallace CROCKER gives the date of 
Russell's birth as 03 Oct 1820]; (2) our subject, Hollis CROCKER, was the 
second; and (3) William, born 06 Jun 1831, who resides in Montrose Township 
[Dane County, WI].

Our subject [Hollis CROCKER] was born in the town of Salem, Washington 
County, NY, 13 Nov 1827. He attended school in New York until 1842, when he 
accompanied other members of the family to Wisconsin. He assisted in making 
the home in the frontier. In early manhood he worked eight months for a 
farmer in Green County [WI], being compensated with $75, and he used $50 to 
pay for a 40-acre tract of land which he entered. In 1849 he purchased a 
land warrant from a soldier of the Mexican War, and thus became the owner of 
160 acres of land. For one year he worked as a farm hand in order to earn 
money with which to buy a team.

In 1850 our subject [Hollis CROCKER] married Miss Caroline EASTERDAY, born at 
Gratiot, 16 Jul 1828, the first white child born in Lafayette County, WI. 
Her parents, Dr. Lewis and Barbara (RINDERBACKER) EASTERDAY, came from 
Switzerland. They came to America with the Manitoba colony, making their way 
to the Red River country by way of Hudson's Bay, and resided there until the 
great flood of 1827, when they went to Galena [Jo Daviess County], IL, near 
the lead region, where they resided until 1832, when the removed to St. Louis 
[St. Louis County, MO], where Dr. Lewis EASTERDAY died that year. His wife, 
the mother of Mrs. Hollis CROCKER, married again, and died in WI.

Our subject and his wife were very poor in this world's goods at the time of 
marriage. They lived in a log cabin, and for two years they had not even a 
chair, but their happiness [p 204] did not consist in these things. They 
worked with willing hands, determined to conquer circumstances, and they did. 
Hollis CROCKER has now 200 acres of land, and is a man of means and in very 
comfortable circumstances. They have had 11 children, nine of whom are 
living, as follows: (1) Margaret, who resides at home; (2) Charles, who 
resides in Modena County, MN; (3) Rebecca, deceased, who married James 
FRITZ, and died in Holton, Jackson County, KS; (4) Mary, married Samuel 
SHARMAN, and resides in Green County [WI]; (5) Matilda, married William 
SHARMAN of Belleville [Dane County, WI]; (6) Sarah, married Charles CRONN of 
Green County [WI]; (7) Emma, who is at home; (8) Peter, born 14 Feb 1867, 
who resides at home; (9) Thomas, who died young; (10) Barbara, who is at 
home; and (11) John Fremont CROCKER, named after the great pathfinder, was 
born 21 Oct 1856, also at home.

At an early day Hollis CROCKER was a member of the Freewill Baptist Church, 
but that organization did not flourish in this neighborhood, and he then 
joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, and of this he is still a member. 
Since 1864 he has been a Class Leader, and also a worker in the Sabbath 
school. In politics his first vote was given to Winfield SCOTT, and voted 
the Republican ticket until 1881, since which time he has been a 
Prohibitionist, but has never desired an office. As may be inferred, he is a 
stanch temperance man, and much of his success in life may be attributed to 
his temperance principles.

The sketch of our subject has been necessarily brief, but the history of 
Green County, WI, as well as the history of Dane County, WI, will give much 
interesting matter concerning the CROCKER family. In the history of the 
Manitoba colony, there are many facts concerning ancestors of the family. 
Our subject is a very intelligent gentleman, an able representative of the 
pioneer family of his name.

Biography of William Wallace CROCKER (Vol I, pp 194-196) - brother of Hollis

William Wallace CROCKER, of section 30, Montrose Township, is a member of one 
of the pioneer families who settled in Dane County, WI, 16 Dec 1842, at which 
date the family settled on a claim of 320 acres of land in section 30. 
Josiah CROCKER, the grandfather of William Wallace CROCKER, was born in 
Barnstable [Barnstable County], MA, and married Sarah TOBY [spelled "TOBEY" 
in the biography of Hollis CROCKER], who was also born in Barnstable, of 
English ancestry.

The CROCKER family originated in America from three brothers, who came from 
England in 1630 and settled in MA and the descendants still live in 
Barnstable. The grandfather of our subject, Josiah CROCKER, was a farmer and 
also a shoemaker by trade. He was an industrious man and worked on the farm 
by day and at his trade at night. He cleared up a large farm; removed to 
Pawlet, Rutland County, VT, in 1789, and while passing through NY City 
witnessed the inauguration of Washington. The family settled at Pawlet and 
there Josiah CROCKER passed his remaining years. Five of his [p 195] 
children grew to maturity: (1) Benjamin, the father of our subject; (2) 
James, became a lawyer in Buffalo, Erie County, NY, where he died, a trustee 
of the city; (3) Ezra moved to OH at an early day and the family lost sight 
of him; (4) Sarah married Robert WILSON and settled at New Ripon, [Ripon, 
Fond du Lac County?], WI, and (5) Thomas is a resident at the old home in VT.

The father of our subject, Benjamin CROCKER, was born in Pawlet, Rutland 
County, VT, 05 Jul 1789, was reared on the farm and like his father learned 
the trade of shoemaker. Benjamin CROCKER was first married in Rutland 
County, VT, and after the death of his first wife he removed to Salem, 
Washington County, NY, where on 12 May 1819 he married Rebecca ESTEE, a 
daughter of Stephen and Abigail ESTEE. She was of English descent, her 
progenitor, Asa ESTEE, coming to America in the "Mayflower."

The parents of our subject, resided at Salem, NY, until 1842, then started to 
find a home in the far West. The journey was made over the Erie Canal to 
Buffalo [NY], thence by the great steamer, the "Great Western," to Milwaukee 
[WI], which steamer on its return trip was burned on Lake Erie. The family 
hired teams to bring them to Dane County, WI, where they took up a claim. 
They lived in Green County [WI], until a log cabin could be built on their 
claim, where they lived and the parents died, the father [Benjamin CROCKER] 
on 30 Jan 1848, and the mother [Rebecca (ESTEE) CROCKER] on 30 Oct 1845. 
They had had a family of five children, three of whom grew to maturity: (1) 
Russell, born 03 Oct 1820 [note the biography of Hollis CROCKER gives the 
date of Russell's birth as 23 Oct 1810], married Jane LISTER and resided in 
Montrose Township, Dane County, WI, after 1842, his death taking place at 
Alexandria [Douglas County], MN, 28 Jun 1892, while visiting a daughter; (2) 
Hollis was the next and (3) our subject, William Wallace, the third.

William Wallace CROCKER was born in Salem, Washington County, NY, 06 Jun 
1831. He was only 11 years of age when the family came to WI. On account of 
the accumulation of farm work at this time he had only 15 days of schooling 
after coming to WI. After the death of his father he engaged to work as a 
farm hand, receiving from $6-11 per month, excepting the two months of 
harvest in one year, when he received $13. He [William Wallace CROCKER] was 
married on 20 Jul 1854 to Miss Mary Ann SHARMAN, daughter of Richard and Ann 
(LIMB) SHARMAN.

Mrs. William Wallace CROCKER, nee Mary Ann SHARMAN, was born in Derbyshire, 
England, 26 Oct 1834. The family came to the U. S. in 1849, settling in the 
town of Albion, Dane County, WI. The SHARMAN family lived on an estate in 
England, which had been in the family for 431 years. They settled on a farm 
in Dane County, WI, and there the parents of Mrs. SHARMAN [correction: the 
parents of Mrs. CROCKER] passed their declining years, the father, who was 
born 02 Apr 1808, died 13 Dec 1867, his death resulting from an accident from 
a runaway team. The mother was born 28 Nov 1812, and died 07 May 1857. They 
had a family of five children: (1) William, a farmer who died in Crawford 
County [WI], near Seneca; (2) Mary Ann, wife of William Wallace CROCKER; (3) 
Amy, married James JALLINGS and resides in Fillmore County, MN; (4) Isaac, 
resides in Montrose Township [Dane County], WI; and (5) Eliza, married 
William W. MORSE, and resides in Gage County, NE.

After marriage William Wallace CROCKER settled on the farm where he now 
resides, having previously purchased 80 acres and built a home on the same. 
He has made many improvements on the farm, where he now owns 150 acres. In 
all these years the country has changed very much and it seems difficult to 
believe that at the time of the settlement of the family here our subject's 
brother, Hollis, had to drive 117 miles in order to obtain flour for family 
use. William Wallace and [p 196] Mary Ann (SHARMAN) CROCKER have had nine 
children: (1) Amy, born 28 Nov 1855, died 26 Jan 1856; (2) Eliza, born 06 
Dec 1856, married Andrew ELDER and resides in Montrose Township, Dane County, 
WI; (3) Isaac, born 19 Sep 1858, died 06 Jun 1875; (4) Abraham, born 16 Jul 
1860, died 03 Jul 1863; (5) Abraham (the second of that name), born 17 Aug 
1863, resides at home; (6) Richard, born 29 Jul 1865, died 28 May 1875; (7) 
Wallace, born 05 May 1868; (8) Benjamin, born 03 Apr 1870, died 05 Jul 1872; 
and (9) Minnie, born 26 Oct 1873. Mr. and Mrs. CROCKER and their children 
are prominent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics William 
Wallace CROCKER is a Prohibitionist, although formerly he was a Republican, 
but since 1884 he has been identified with the former party. He is a 
stockholder in the Montrose cheese factory No. 1, which was the first factory 
of its kind in the township. Mr. CROCKER has interested himself in 
everything that has tended toward the improvement and growth of his section 
of country and is a man much esteemed by all.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly