The Crow farmstead is located on the upper reaches of Maple Creek about three miles from Charleroi and the same distance from Belle Vernon. It was the birthplace of Hugh B. (1881), David T. (Jan. 4, 1882), Walter D. (Jan. 22, 1883), Nora May (1885), and Curtis L. (February 23, 1889).
The Crow farmstead was purchased by Jacob Spahr who later died and the farm was divided, we are told, into small plots for each of the heirs. This division took place shortly after its sale by James T. Crow.
By a deed dated March 30th, 1900, James T. Crow and his wife Mary of Fallowfield, and George M. Crow and his wife, Rebecca, of Monongahela, as parties of the first part and A. Jutte, W. C. Jutte and G. M. Thies of Pittsburgh, as the second part. The deed conveys 44½ acres of land in Fallowfield and includes all mineral rights as well.
James T. and his twin brother, George, purchased from their father, Benjamin Crow, the same tract of land on May 18, 1875, for the sum of $4450. It appears that James T. later bought out his brother’s share and did not have him or his wife sign any release.
The next event in the story is a deed of conveyance by John Frye, executor of the estate of Sarah Crow, deceased, and the committee of Margaret Crow, a weak-minded person to Benjamin Crow, their brother, for 56 acres in two tracts of land located in Fallowfield. This record carried the date of January 31, 1868. The consideration mentioned $4180.
The will of Sarah Crow, deceased, of which John Frye was the executor, was next found. She was considerate of the Maple Creek Presbyterian Church, donating the sum of $300 to that institution. Sarah donates sundry articles to a half-brother, James Jackman. She also gives a like number of things to her sister Margaret J. Crow. But last and not least in this will is the sum of $1 donated to her brother, Benjamin. She evidently did not think so well of him.
The writer (Curtis L. Crow) was unable to find how Sarah and her sister, Margaret, came into possession of this real estate. Either of two events occurred. Her father, George Sr., deeded it to them previous to his death or willed it to them. In the latter case, the writer was unable to locate the will.
George Crow, Sr. purchased from his brother, Joseph Crow, on July 29, 1857, a tract containing 105 acres in Fallowfield Township for the sum of $ 4200.
We are told that it originally belonged to a family named Fox. What particular branch of the Fox family this farm formerly belonged, the writer is unable to state. A private burial lot was located on this farm just above the barn and we are told that it belonged to the Fox family as a burial lot. After the sale by the Crow family in 1900, Jacob Spahr notified the Fox descendants to repair the fence surrounding this burial ground. They failed to respond and a result, Spahr plowed it under. The writer can well remember the lot and the surrounding fence, but does not know who are interred there.
The information concerning the Fallowfield Crows has been gathered from various sources. Volunteer consultants have furnished a part. From Boyd Crumrine’s History of Washington County we have gained other facts. Doctor Alfred Creigh’s History of the same area has been referred to in several cases. The Census of 1790 has been very useful as well as the Pennsylvania Archives. From church and cemetery records other information has been gained. Much time has been consumed and many letters are necessary in gathering facts for a family no matter how small it may be. The writer gratefully passes along to any and all the facts herein contained.