Crego, Richard Jay

RICHARD JAY CREGO was born 19 March 1819 in Clarence or Newstead, Erie County, New York, son of Richard Crego and Martha Gallop. In the winter of 1834, father Richard Crego with two sons Richard J. and Farron S. set out with ox teams and sleds from their home in New York. Overland they traveled through Canada and arriving in Jackson County, Michigan in the latter part of the winter. The following spring the father secured land from the government. Upon it, he and his sons built a log cabin to shelter the family upon their arrival. In June 1835, the father returned alone to New York, and the next month, accompanied by his wife and the seven children who were with her, made a second journey to Michigan. This time they took a boat from Buffalo to Detroit and then overland, bringing teams with them. During their absence, the two boys whom he had left at the new home,(Richard age 16 and Farron age 21) had been carrying on the work of improvement as best they could and as time passed on, the different members of the family assisted in the development and improvement of the property.

Richard J. first married SARAH MARIA REDFIELD sometime between 1840 and 1850. She was born on 18 October 1822 in Massachusetts. They settled in Liberty Township, Jackson County, Michigan. There they are found listed on the 1850 federal census. He was a farmer with a real estate value of $1,200. They had no children. She died on 01 May 1854 in Liberty Township.

Richard J. then married MARY ELECTA REED around 1856, probably in Jackson County. She was born on 21 October 1833 in West Sparta, New York, daughter of Joseph Barney Reed and Mary Ann Pickett. [A side note - for many years I did not know the identity of Mary's parents. A family history written by my grandmother said that her name was "Mary Electa", surname unknown. Then I found the synopsis of a DAR application that indicated that her parents were Joseph & Mary Ann Reed. To confirm that, I then found the transcription of the marriage record of Richard J and Mary Electa Reed from a newspaper indicating they had been married in Hanover Michigan. I then uploaded all my information in my genealogy database to rootsweb.com. A distant relative contacted me and had original pictures and letters from Joseph B Reed. One of them was a letter which mentioned that their daughter Mary Electa. All the pieces fit together!]

They had 4 children, all surnamed CREGO and all born in Liberty Township, Jackson County, Michigan:

1) Franklin Cortez; born 1856. Married in 1879 Garolina (possibly Carolina) McGregor.

2) Adelsia J.; born 1858. Married 24 Jan 1881 in Jackson County, Michigan to Archibald McIntire.

4) Fred B.; born 09 Sept 1863. Married 13 Jan 1885 to Mary Lillian Sheldon. Died 16 Mar 1933 in Saginaw, Mich.

This family is all found on the 1860 federal census, still living at their farm in Liberty Township. He is listed with a real estate value of $4,500 and personal property value of $1,200. In June 1865, father Richard Crego died. Richard J. inherited the father’s farm in Columbia Township, Jackson County, Michigan and with his family moved to there. On 10 Sept 1866, wife Mary died.

Richard J. then married ANNA E. PARKER around 1867, probably in Jackson County. She was born on 19 Sept 1839 in New York. They had 2 children, all surnamed CREGO and all born in Columbia Township, Jackson County, Michigan:

This family is all found again on the 1870 federal census, living on their farm in Columbia Township. He is listed as a farmer with a value of real estate of $4,000 and personal property with a value of $3,000. Wife Anna died on 02 Nov 1870 of consumption (tuberculosis).

Richard J. died on 08 October 1872 at his farm in Columbia Township of typhoid fever. He and his wives and parents are buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Napoleon, Jackson County, Michigan. Richard J. died intestate and on 21 October 1872 a Petition for Administration was filed by brother Chauncey and lists 5 surviving children as heirs.

In 1880, the following children are found living with relatives: (so far I have only found 1 child)

Richard J. Crego was not only a successful farmer, but also a politician. Most Michiganders were opposed to slavery, a reflection of their New England heritage. A new political party, the Republican, was formed in the mid 1850’s to oppose the spread of slavery and won immediate support in Michigan. Some claim that the Republican party was founded in Jackson in 1854. Richard J. was first a Whig and then became a Republican. He was a Supervisor of Liberty township for 8 terms (probably from 1856 – 1864). He also was elected Representative from Jackson County in the state legislature in 1860 and served from 1861-2 and 1863-4. In 1864 he was elected Senator from the twelfth district (Jackson County) and served from 1865-6

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This web site was last updated on October 30, 2009