Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1920-09-23
ENGINE KILLS
P.H. CROSSMAN
Early Resident Of Baraboo Meets
Death On Railroad Tracks Near
Canning Factory
fFrom Mondays daily

(From Mondays daily
This morning about 10:3O o'clock
P. II. Crossman was killed Dy a 10
comotiye about a mile west of the sta
tion at Baraboo. From statement by
the engineer the indications are ne
threw himself in front Of the engine.
The remains were brought to the
passenge station by those employo
on the road and later taken to the
undertaking parlors OF Blackburn,
Scheible & Dyrud. He was struck IN
the back, this being about the only
injury on his body
Since the death Of his mother ana
his sister, Miss Grace Crossman,
some years ago he has lived much
alone. During the past two years
Principal w. L. Gates and family or
Lyons have occupied his house. Re-
Gently he sold his property to z. @.
Watkins of the town Of Sumpter for
$4,000 and since then had been busy
getting ready to give possession. Al
first he thought of going to New
Haven, Connecticut to reside with
nephew but recently he had about
decided to purchase house in Bara-
boo and remain here.
Some years ago the late W. IL.
Garfield, long a neighbor, wrote an
article about the Crossman family
from which the following information
is taken:
Among the earliest settlers in 3Sauk
county were III. F. Crossman and wife
and the father of H. F. and Lyman G.
Crossman. Before locating on Sauk
Prairie, their. first landing plac ip the,
state had been at Madison, where Mrs.
Frank Crossmana then Marcia "A.
Smith, had two sisters, Mrs. Simon
Mills and Emaline Smith, afterwards
Mrs. George P. Delaplaine. The ar
rival of the Crossman family on Sauk
Prairie must have been about 1887
Lyman c.. Crossman remained re-
sident Of Sauk Prairie until his death.
Early in the forties Frank Crossnan
moved over the bluffs into BaraboO
valley He was interested in the upper
mill water power and saw mill, just
about the village Of Lyons, and was at
one time sheriff of Sauk county Not
later than the spring Of 1854 he caught
the gold fever at that time and made
the trip overland to California. He
was destined never to see Baraboo and
his family again. With the wife, re
naming here to make the struggle for
existence, were five children from one
and one-half to ten years Of age. The
last of the family was the one just
killed
Mrs. Smith Crossman was a care
full financier and faithful mother.
They lived for number of years in
the village of Baraboo, Grace was
fond of books and became fine
German scholar and also taught it.
She taught a kindergarten school for
a number OF years in their residence,
the first school of the kind taught in
the county. Her mother built a fine
residence in Lyons and died soon af-
ter its completion. Grace took in
charge a state circulating library,
but soon died. Percy, a steady, in
dustrious man, was educated as
druggist and worked at that bust
ness for a number of years in Bara-
boo and Lodi Not liking a confining
life he entered into several out of
door occupations. To spice up life he
and r. r. Remington made boat
trip from Portage down the Fox river
to Lake Winnebago. Again in the
summer OF 1904 he launched canvas
boat on Fourth Lake to make a trip
alone through the lakes into Rock
river and ended his trip by a visit
to the st Louis worlds fair.
He was fond of the out of doors
and made more than one excursion
down the rivers.
He was active in the social affairs
at Lyons, especially the church. Years
ago he was much interested in the
Free Congregational church and other
organizations in Baraboo.
Mr.. Crossman was aged about ~
years. His death came as great
shock to the community.