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Lewis M. Crow Source: History of Illinois and Her People, by George W. Smith, M. A., in Six Volumes. Chicago and New York: The American Historical Society Inc. 1927. page 344. Lewis M. Crow, whose home is at Grand Tower, is one of the best known citizens of this section of the Mississippi Valley. For many years he was on the Mississippi as a steamboat man, and is one of the comparatively few old river men still found whose recollections go back to the time when the river was one of the greatest arteries of traffic in the United States. Mr. Crow's father, James Crow, was born in 1824, and settled in Jackson County at a time when Brownsville was its only post office. James Crow married Melissa Logan, of the noted Logan family of southern Illinois. She was a native of Holly Springs, Mississippi. Lewis M. Crow was born at Carbondale, Illinois, October 11, 1858. He first attended a schoo on the west side of Carbondale, his teacher being Lucretia Brush. He was eight years old when the family moved to Grand Tower, a beautiful village located on the banks of the Mississippi. Her father was an employee of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, having charge of the handling of freight between the railroad and the river boats at that point and was freight agent of the Grand Tower Mining & Manufacturing Transportation Company on wharf boats. Thus the river and its traffic exercised an early fascination upon Lewis M. Crow. As soon as old enough he began making trips on the river boats and in time had worked up to and qualified as chief engineer, a position of great responsibility, requiring nerve and brain. He was engineer on some of the noted boats along the river in that day and saw some of the famous races that made steamboat travel so exciting. Mr. Crow left the river when he became postmaster of Grand Tower on April 1, 1899. He was appointed by President McKinley, succeeding Tiffin Jenkins. Mr. Crow has held the office of postmaster a period of twenty-seven years, his being one of the longest continuous services in an office of that kind in this part of the state. While postmaster he also served as cashier of the Bank of Grand Tower from 1905 to 1917, entering that bank soon after it was organized by Charles C. Huthmacher. Since 1917 he has given all his time to his duties as postmaster. Mr. Crow for many years was a member of the local school board and is a veteran member of the Masonic Order. He married Dora A. East, daughter of James A. East, of Jackson County. His son, Lewis M. Crow, Jr., was in the railroad artillery service in France during the World war as a duty sergeant. He is now a trusted employee of the National City Bank of New York City in its Chicago branch.
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Lewis M. Crow

Source: History of Illinois and Her People, by George W. Smith, M. A., in Six Volumes. Chicago and New York: The American Historical Society Inc. 1927. page 344.

Lewis M. Crow, whose home is at Grand Tower, is one of the best known citizens of this section of the Mississippi Valley. For many years he was on the Mississippi as a steamboat man, and is one of the comparatively few old river men still found whose recollections go back to the time when the river was one of the greatest arteries of traffic in the United States.

Mr. Crow's father, James Crow, was born in 1824, and settled in Jackson County at a time when Brownsville was its only post office. James Crow married Melissa Logan, of the noted Logan family of southern Illinois. She was a native of Holly Springs, Mississippi.

Lewis M. Crow was born at Carbondale, Illinois, October 11, 1858. He first attended a schoo on the west side of Carbondale, his teacher being Lucretia Brush. He was eight years old when the family moved to Grand Tower, a beautiful village located on the banks of the Mississippi. Her father was an employee of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, having charge of the handling of freight between the railroad and the river boats at that point and was freight agent of the Grand Tower Mining & Manufacturing Transportation Company on wharf boats.

Thus the river and its traffic exercised an early fascination upon Lewis M. Crow. As soon as old enough he began making trips on the river boats and in time had worked up to and qualified as chief engineer, a position of great responsibility, requiring nerve and brain. He was engineer on some of the noted boats along the river in that day and saw some of the famous races that made steamboat travel so exciting.

Mr. Crow left the river when he became postmaster of Grand Tower on April 1, 1899. He was appointed by President McKinley, succeeding Tiffin Jenkins. Mr. Crow has held the office of postmaster a period of twenty-seven years, his being one of the longest continuous services in an office of that kind in this part of the state. While postmaster he also served as cashier of the Bank of Grand Tower from 1905 to 1917, entering that bank soon after it was organized by Charles C. Huthmacher. Since 1917 he has given all his time to his duties as postmaster.

Mr. Crow for many years was a member of the local school board and is a veteran member of the Masonic Order. He married Dora A. East, daughter of James A. East, of Jackson County. His son, Lewis M. Crow, Jr., was in the railroad artillery service in France during the World war as a duty sergeant. He is now a trusted employee of the National City Bank of New York City in its Chicago branch.

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