Source: The Lewis Publishing Co., Vol. III p.3 1923
Author: The History of
Florida: Past & Present
CRAWFORD, Hon. H. CLAY. One of the
distinguished men of Florida, whose long and honorable career in public life
has, with great responsibilities, brought him the universal esteem and
confidence of his fellow citizens, is Hon. HENRY CLAY CRAWFORD, who for
twenty years has served in the high office of Secretary of State. He
came to this office well equipped, with years of early commercial training,
and later, from a long period of close familiarity of the official business
of the StateDepartment, having been chief clerk under his father, who
preceded him in the office of Secretary of State. During his long and
efficient term of service in this capacity, a wide and intimate acquaintance
with the leading figures in political, business and social life in the state
was inevitable, and when he became secretary and in the interests of his
fellow citizens assumed greaterresponsibilities, he had little to learn
in the way of diplomacy.
Secretary CRAWFORD was born at Bainbridge,
Decatur County, Georgia, April 5, 1856. His parents were Dr. JOHN LOVICK
and ELIZA E. (WALKER) CRAWFORD, the former of whom was born in Greene
County, Georgia, and died in 1902, at the age of eighty-six years, and
the latter, born in North Carolina, died in November, 1901, when aged
seventy years.
Dr. JOHN L. CRAWFORD was reared at Covington, Georgia, and
received his medical training and degree at Augusta, afterward located in
Wakulla County, Florida, where he acquired a large amount of land and
operated three plantations. He continued the practice of medicine until
1881, in the meanwhile becoming a prominent factor in democratic politics
and a leading citizen of Crawfordsville, Wakulla County, which was named in
his honor. He served as a member of the Florida state senate for
eighteen consecutive years, and then accepted the appointment of
Secretary of State, in which office he continued until the time of his
death. He was not only a wise statesman but a good business man, and
Wakulla County owes much to his energy and enterprise in the way of
substantial development.
HENRY CLAY CRAWFORD was the fourth in his
parents' family of six children. He had public school advantages at
Crawfordsville and high school training at Bainbridge, Georgia. He was
too young to be personally concerned with the issues that precipitated
the war between the states, but the outcome affected the family fortunes
to some degree and at the age of nineteen years he left school and became
self-supporting. For two years he served as a clerk in a general store
at Jacksonville, Florida, and then embarked in business for himself, with
a partner, at Crawfordsville, under the firm name of Crawford &
Walker, general merchants. The business was subsequently moved to
Tallahassee, but in 1879 Mr. CRAWFORD returned to Crawfordsville as
manager of the W. W. WALKER mercantile interests.
In 1889 Mr.
CRAWFORD received the appointment of chief clerk in the office of the
Secretary of State at Tallahassee, and this city has been his home ever
since, this period including great development in city and state.
One
might say that Secretary CRAWFORD was brought up in a political atmosphere,
for his father was very active in politics all his life, first as a Whig
and later as a democrat, and by precept and example taught that an
intelligent interest in one's country's government was almost a
religious duty.
Upon the death of his father, in 1902, Mr. CRAWFORD
was appointed to serve out his unexpired term, and in 1904 he was elected
Secretary of State, in which office he has continued ever since through
reelection. He has always been a loyal supporter of the principles and
candidates of the democratic party.
At Crawfordsville, Florida, in
1881, Mr. CRAWFORD was married to Miss ANNA MORING, who was born in
Wakulla County, near that place, and died at Tallahassee in 1908. She was a
daughter of the late JOHN S. MORING, an extensive planter in Wakulla
County. Mr. and Mrs. CRAWFORD became parents of six children: WILLIAM
BLOXHAM, who is a practicing attorney at Orlando,
Florida; JOHN THOMAS
GAVIN, who is a prominent member of the bar at Jacksonville; GENEVIEVE, who
is a student in the department of domestic science and research work in the
Florida College for Women; GLADYS, who resides at home; HENRY CLAY, Jr., who
served with honor in the United States Navy during the World's war, has
been assistant chief clerk in the Secretary of State's office since his
return to civil life; and GEORGE GWYNN, who was in the air service during
the World's war, is also a clerk in the secretary's
office. Both young men
have very creditable military records.
Mr. CRAWFORD very often in his long period of public
service, has proved to be a man of moral courage as well as extreme
efficiency, and his sincerity and broad-mindedness have been very
generally recognized. For many years he has been active and
prominent in the order of Knights of Pythias, has been chancellor
commander of the Tallahassee Lodge, and in 1909 was grand chancellor
commander of the Grand Lodge of Domain Florida, Knights of
Pythias. He has extensive land holdings in the state and
owns hunting preserves and fishing grounds, and frequently, in season,
hospitably entertains friends who are interested, like himself, in
these sports. Mr. CRAWFORD wasreared in the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and has always belonged to this religious body.