HON. ALBERT W. CRANDALL

 Bio-Pen Pictures
SURNAMES:  BROWN, PETTINGILL, GREEN,

was born in the town of Gaines, Orleans county, Western New York, in 1835.  His parents, John L. and Hannah (Brown) Crandall, moved into that State in 1814 or 1815, when it was still a wilderness, and carved out there a home for themselves.  Mr. Crandall attended the Albion Academy at Albion, the county seat, spending several years there preparing for college.  He entered the University of Rochester, and graduated with honors in the class of 1862.  Among his classmates at the university was Albion W. Tourgee, the author of the well-known “Fool’s Errand.”

            During the time Mr. Crandall was preparing for college he taught school for several terms, being at one time principal of one of the public schools of the city of Buffalo.  After graduating he studied law in Albion, with the legal firm of Church & Sawyer.  Mr. Church was afterwards the chief judge of the Court of Appeals of New York State.  Mr. Crandall was admitted to the Bar in 1863, and until 1878 practiced law in Albion.  In that year he came to California, stopped at San Jose, and went on to Los Angeles, where he remained until in 1880; he returned to San Jose, and has resided here since that time, enjoying a large practice.  In Albion Mr. Crandall had built up a profitable and enlarging practice, but ill health compelled his removal to this State, preferring to sacrifice his professional interests there rather than to jeopardize his health.  During his residence in Los Angeles he lived an almost out-of-door life, riding and driving about the country until his health was perfectly restored, finding this particular life an incentive to remaining there for a time.

            In 1880, having completely recovered his health and strength, he returned to San Jose, and has since engaged actively in the practice of his profession, and having also a fondness for outside and open-air employments, he purchased, with Mr. Gaines, an eighty-acre ranch, which is mostly planted to vines.  This is situated on the Branham road, just west of the Alameda road, near the Five Mile House.  The vines comprise both wine and table grapes.  The latter have always paid well, while the former, which are mostly made into dry wines (red and white), are also on a satisfactory paying basis.

            Mr. Crandall married Miss Maria Pettingill, of Monroe County, New York, in 1863.  Her parents, Reuben and Clarissa (Green) Pettingill, were natives of New Hampshire, moving into New York State about 1816.  Mr. Pettingill was well known as “Deacon Pettingill,” having for more than forty years been prominently connected with the Baptist Church at Ogden, New York.  There is only one child from this union, namely, Albertine, born in 1865, now living with her parents in San Jose.

            Mr. Crandall is a member of Friendship Lodge, No. 210, of the Masons of San Jose.  He is a Republican in politics, and earnestly in favor of a high protective tariff.  He was chairman of the Central Committee of this county during the campaign of 1884, and is now senator for the Thirty-first Senatorial District of California, having been elected by a triumphant majority.  It should also be stated that Mr. Crandall was chairman of the County Central Committee of the Republican party in his county in New York State, during several political campaigns, and also held several civil offices while there, being collector of tolls on  the Erie Canal for two terms, clerk of the Board of Supervisors, clerk of the Probate Court, and was once nominated for district attorney, but declined.

Pen Pictures From The Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated. - Edited by H. S. Foote.- Chicago:  The Lewis Publishing Company, 1888. p. 97

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

SANTA CLARA COUNTY HISTORIC BIOGRAPHIES

SANTA CLARA COUNTY HISTORY