WILLIAM E. CRAFT, a representative of one of the prominent pioneer families of Washington county, was born in 1816 in this county. His great-grandfather, John Craft, was a native of Maryland, and removed to Washington county before the Revolution, being among the first settlers of the locality. He reared four sons, viz.: Lawrence, John, Thomas and William. Lawrence Craft was born in 1750. He married Annie Thompson, a native of Winchester, Va., and became the father of five children: John, Thomas, William, Linda (wife of Benjamin Hoagland) and a son who died in infancy. William, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in 1789 in Morris township, Washington Co., Penn. He married Mary Elliot, who was born in 1794, a daughter of William Elliot, an old pioneer of this section. To this union eleven children were born, as follows: Betsy, Lawrence, Annie, William E., Martha, Melinda, Jane, David, George, Isaac and Mary. Of these, nine lived to maturity. Martha, Jane, David, George and William E. are at present the only surviving members. William E. Craft was born on his father's farm, where his boyhood was passed. He was first married in 1853 to Martha, daughter of John Cooper, of Morris township, and to this union were born three children: Alice (wife of W. S. Waters, of Franklin township), born October 7, 1856; Harriet, born August 31, 1858, resides with her father, and Martha Jane, born November 14, 1860, wife of Randolph Rush, of Prosperity. Mrs. Craft died December 2, 1860, and on June 14, 1866, Mr. Craft was married to Mary J., daughter of George McCarrahan. To this union were born children as follows: Ida D., born July 10, 1867; Maggie E., born April 30, 1869; William E., born July 25, 1872, and Edgar, born January 30, 1876, all living at home. The mother of these children died August 24, 1891. The farm owned by Mr. Craft, lying along what is known as Craft's creek, two and one-half miles west of Prosperity, is a fine one, and yields a good income. Mr. Craft has always voted with the Democratic party, though he is not an active politician. He is a worthy member of the Mt. Zion M. E. Church.

Text taken from page 1332 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed February 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project. Published February 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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