Ethan Allen Crawford (1792 - 1846)

Born 1792 in Guildhall, Essex, Vermont, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Lucy Anne (Howe) Crawford — married 2 Nov 1817 in New Hampshire, USA

Descendants

Died 22 Jun 1846 at about age 54 in Coos County, New Hampshire, USA

Biography

Born in 1792 in Guildhall, Vermont, the son of Abel Crawford, he grew to be nearly seven feet tall. His family moved to White Mountain Notch, New Hampshire about 1793. He married Lucy Anne Howe 9 Nov 1817. After the death of his father-in-law, Capt. Eleazar Rosebrook, who had moved to New Hampshire soon after the Crawfords, he inherited the Rosebrook property in New Hampshire. He and his father Abel Crawford, built the inn, the Crawford House at the head of what came be known as Crawford Notch. They also built the road up Crawford Notch and other linked roads, and Ethan built the first bride path up Mount Washington in 1821.

Although they hosted many travelers and guided climbers up the mountains, they were not very good businessmen. Ethan was jailed for debt and lost his property and Abel's large farm and Crawford Tavern were foreclosed a few years after his death.

PIONEER OF CRAWFORD NOTCH, NH Nicknamed "The Mountain Giant", Ethan Allen Crawford was essentially the first guide for visitors wishing to climb Mt. Washington as well as the first innkeeper in the notch. He was key in creating a road through the notch and prided himself in making the area comfortable and accessible to visitors. His trail up Mt. Washington still exists as the historic "Crawford Path." His many accomplishments and heartbreaks can be read about in his wife Lucy Howe Crawford's "The History of the White Mountains." Ethan was the son of pioneer Abel Crawford and his wife Hannah (Rosebrook) Crawford, for whom the notch was technically named. Abel settled (and is buried) in what is called "Notchland", south of the actual notch.

The story of their successes and failures is told in Lucy Anne Howe Crawford's History of the White Mountains, first published in 1846 and reprinted a number of times afterwards.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Sources

• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 03 December 2018), memorial page for Ethan Allen Crawford (1792–22 Jun 1846), Find A Grave Memorial no. 60891511, citing Crawford Cemetery, Carroll, Coos County, New Hampshire, USA ; Maintained by Jessica (contributor 46802577) .

1. ↑ Daniel Wait Howe, Howe Genealogies, Genealogies of Abraham of Roxbury, James of Ipswich, Abraham of Marlborough and Edward of Lynn, Massachusetts", Vol. 2, (Boston: NEHGS, 1929), pp.406-408.
2. ↑ History of the White Mountains, by Lucy Anne Howe Crawford, 1846
3. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #60891511 for Ethan Allen Crawford