"An Illustrated History of Whitman County, state of Washington." San Francisco:
W. H. Lever, 1901.  p. 299.
 
UPTON EUGENE CRONK

     an enterprising farmer living five miles west of Elberton, a pioneer of
1880, is a native of Ohio born July 7, 1850.  When four years old, he was taken
by his parents to Iowa, and in that state he received his educational
discipline.  When he reached man's estate, and the time came for him to
inaugurate independent action he naturally turned to the business, which had
elicited his earliest interest and in which his youthful energies had found
their first field of activity, namely, farming.  He was numbered among the
thrifty and successful agriculturists of his neighborhood until 1877, when he
moved to Oregon, locating in Yam Hill county.  Two years later, he changed his
residence to Clark county, Washington, whence the next year he came to Whitman
county.
     Shortly after his arrival here, Mr. Cronk took a homestead in that locality
where we now find him and engaged in farming, bringing to his enterprise in the
new home, the valuable experience gained during his residence in two other
states.  While he is not as extensively engaged in agriculture as many others,
he is rightly ranked among the most thrifty and energetic of the farmers of his
part of the county, and under his skillful husbandry his fine land is made to
produce the excellent crops of which it is capable.  In addition to his home Mr.
Cronk owns some very desirable property in Elberton.
     As a man and citizen, our subject's standing in the community is a very
enviable one, and he enjoys in abundant measure the esteem and regard of his
neighbors.  He is a prominent and active member of the Methodist Episcopal
church of Elberton.
     In the state of Iowa, on July 8, 1872, Mr. Cronk married Miss Addie Wood, a
native of New York, and to them have been born four children: Maud, now wife of
Jefferson Griffith, residing near Fallon; Herbert; Homer and Mabel.
     Since the above was written, there has come a sadness in the home of our
subject as deep as it was sudden.  Their oldest son, Herbert, was employed by
the Seattle Logging Company as fireman of a donkey engine, near Port Crescent,
this state.  During the operation of removing the engine from one portion of the
work to another, it was placed on a logging truck, which was pushed by a
locomotive.  In the course of this work, the engine overturned, falling on
Herbert Cronk, its entire weight resting on his body from the chest downward.
After an hour of rapid work he was taken from this terrible position and
conveyed by special engine to the bay and from there to Port Angeles by tug to
the nearest doctor.  But just as the whistle blew for the wharf, his spirit took
its flight to his Maker.  The remains were embalmed and returned to the
sorrowing parents, and now rest in the Bethel cemetery at Tennessee Flat.  The
accident occurred on May 5, 1901.
     Herbert W. Cronk was born near Oto, Iowa, April 17, 1876, and was four yeas
of age when his parents came to this county.  He was a bright, kind hearted boy,
especially fond of animals and a lover of good music, having attained
considerable skill in operating on the guitar and in rendering vocal selections
in later years.  He was ever found in his place in the Sunday school and was of
pure habits and ways, free from the vices so common in the rushing age.  His was
a home life; even after arriving at his majority, he continued with his parents,
being a comfort and stay.  He was generally beloved and esteemed by all.  The
foreman wrote of him that he never used profane language; the company's
secretary extolled him for uprightness and integrity, and the paper said:  "He
was a young man of excellent habits and well and favorably known."  He was
engaged to be married to Miss Lair, and excellent lady, who is left with his
parents to bemoan his untimely demise.  It was his intention to return to his
home in a few days but the fateful accident came and his plans remained forever
unfulfilled.  Of him it was said, "He was a Christian," which is no small source
of comfort to the sorrowing ones behind.
 
 
Transcriber's additional notes:
 
Census
1860, July 5; Clinton Co, IA; Waterford Twp, Charlotte PO, p 105
Ezra Cronk, 40, NY, farmer, 700 / 200
Huldoh, 33, NY
Agnew, 11, m, OH, att. school
William, 9, m, OH, att. school
Mathias Fritz, 40, NY, farm hand
Emily, 32, NY
Frank, 11, NY, att. school
Gusta, 9, NY, att. school
Frylinda, 5, IA
Anass, 2, IA
 
1870, July; Woodbury Co, IA; Sioux City PO, p 358
Ezra Cronk, 49, NY, farmer, 3000 / 1600
Huldah, 40, NY, keeping house
Eugene, 20, OH, works on farm, att. school
Willis, 17, OH, att. school
Carrie, 6, IA
Udorah, 2, IA
 
1880; Whitman Co, WA; Farmington dist. 2, p 358
Upton Cronk, 29, OH, NY, OH, farmer
Ada, wife, 27, NY, VT, MA, keeping house
Emily Maud, dau, 6, IA, OH, NY
Herbert W, 4, IA, OH, NY
Platt Mead, 22, IA, IN, __, farm laborer
 
1883; Whitman Co, WA, p 26
N. E. Cronk, 32, m, OH, farmer
E. M., 30, f, NY, house keeper
E. M., 9, f, IA, att. school
H. W., 7, m, IA, att. school
 
1900, June 18; Whitman Co, WA; Elberton Pct, p 157
Upton Cronk, 49, July 1850, OH, NY, OH, mar 28 yrs, farmer
Addie M, wife, 47, NY, VT, MA, mar 28 yrs, 5 children-4 living
Herbert W, son, 24, April 1876, IA, OH, NY, single, farm laborer
Henry H, son, 16, Dec 1883, WA, OH, NY, att. school
Clara M, dau, 10, May 1891, WA, OH, NY, att. school
 
1910, April 25; Whitman Co, WA; North Colfax, Pct, p 59
Upton E. Cronk, 59, OH, NY, OH, 2nd mar, farmer
Hellen, wife, 67, ENG, ENG, ENG, 2nd mar, 10 children-6 living
 
1920, January 19; Whitman Co, WA; North Colfax, p 68
U. E. Cronk, 69, OH, NY, OH, retired
Ella, wife, 77, ENG, ENG, ENG, to US 1890, Na. 1910
 
     
* * * *

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in October 2006 by Diana Smith.

Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.