When victory crowns a great general in slaying men, the world bows; how much more in the great battle of life should we acknowledge credit to the man who has won in spite of adverse circumstances, gaining his success by his wisdom, thrift and hard labor, as has the subject of this article, aided by his estimable wife. An account of how he labored and won will fittingly form a part of this history.
William E. Crumpacker was born in Umatilla County, Oregon, on August 21, 1869, being the son of Henry D. and Rachel (Frazier) Crumpacker. The father was born in April, 1840, came west to Missouri when a small boy, grew up on a farm, served in the Civil War and came west to Oregon. The family came to Washington, after the birth of William, then went to Yamhill County, Oregon, then removed to Columbia County, Washington.
Our subject gained his education in the various places where he was brought up, and when seventeen started out for himself. He worked on various ranches and in 1890 went to Moscow and ranched in the vicinity for two years. Next we see him in Kendrick as night clerk. In November, 1896, he filed on the land where his family home now is, two miles east from Nezperce. In 1897, he got in seven acres of wheat for hay. That fall he worked harvesting and lost all his wages, his employer becoming bankrupt. Mr. Crumpacker freighted that winter and in 1898 he sowed twenty acres of crop. He worked that fall three months harvesting and that gave him a good start. But when he came home the house had been burglarized, everything of value being stolen. Again, he took up for another winter the trying labor of freighting and in 1899 he was fortunate enough to get in eighty acres of crop, but market was forty miles away. The next year saw one hundred acres bearing a fine crop, and as the railroad came to Kamiah, the bright sky on his financial horizon began to show through. Mr. Crumpacker has since rented his farm, removed to Nezperce where he is now operating a first class hotel. He has a good patronage, his farm is well stocked, having some excellent blooded cattle and he is enjoying the success that labor and wisdom have gained for him, in spite of setbacks.
In Kendrick Mr. Crumpacker married Miss Anna, daughter of Michael and Lizzie (Normoyle) Sweeney, natives of Limerick, Ireland, and Cornwall, Pennsylvania, respectively. Mrs. Crumpacker was born in Kansas. To this happy union there have been born four children, Elva O., Alary E., Orville, and one infant, unnamed.
Mr. and Airs. Crumpacker are highly respected people, stand well in the community and are citizens of worth and honor.
Back to: Nez Perce Biographies
Source: An Illustrated History of Northern Idaho, Embracing Nez Perce, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties, Western Historical Publishing Company, 1903