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Salem Pioneer Cemetery ~ David Watson Craig ~ part of the Marion County Pioneer Cemeteries of Oregon
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David Watson Craig
LAST NAME: Craig FIRST NAME: David MIDDLE NAME: Watson NICKNAME: 
MAIDEN NAME:  AKA 1:  AKA 2:  AKA 3: 
TITLE: Mr. GENDER: M MILITARY: 
BORN: 5 Jul 1829 DIED: 17 Dec 1916 BURIED: 21 Dec 1916
ETHNICITY:   OCCUPATION:  Farmer, Printer, Journalist
BIRTH PLACE:  Kentucky
DEATH PLACE: Salem, Marion Co., Oregon
NOTES: 
OSBH DC (Marion County 1916) #616 - David Watson Craig, male, widowed, b. 5 Jul 1829 in Kentucky, d. 17 Dec 1916 in Salem, Oregon at the age of 87 years, names of parents not identified by informant, interment stated as having taken place at Portland Crematorium 21 Dec 1916, , undertaker Webb & Clough, informant F. S. Craig of Salem, Oregon.
1870 CENSUS shows D. W. Craig, age 39, b. Kentucky, his wife W. L. age 34, b. Michigan and a son, Senter Craig, age 7 b. in Oregon and a sister-in-law E. S. Watrous, age 26, b. in Michigan
1880 OR CENSUS - David W. Craig, age 47, occupation farmer, b. Kentucky, and his wife Wealthy, age 44, b. Michigan, and Sumpter Craig, age 17, b. Oregon. Also enumerated with the family is Mirim [sic?] Newton, age 22, b. Oregon, occupation school teacher; BIOGRAPHICAL: "This was long before the day of typewriters. There were at least two best spellers in Oregon in those days. Asahel Bush was one of them. D. W. Craig was the other. And that was an art then. (F. Sumpter Craig, son of the pioneer best speller and newspaper worker, is one of the present best spellers of Oregon; he is appropriately, proof reader for the state printing office.)" From: Oregon Statesman 23 Mar 1941 4:1 (Bits for Breakfast, by R. J. Hendricks)
DEATH CERTIFICATE: 
OBITUARY: 
DAVID W. CRAIG DIES SUDDENLY AT SALEM HOME. 
Friend and Office Associate of Abraham Lincoln Had Notable Career. 
Well Known as Newspaper Man Which He Had Followed Since 11. 
David Watson Craig, a former legislator, pioneer newspaper man of the Willamette valley, a close friend of the martyred president, Abraham Lincoln, and known as the father of the Republican party in Oregon passed away quietly at the home of his son, F. S. Craig, 310 Belleview street, Sunday. He was 87 years old, although he has never been known to mention his age. 
The body will lie in state today and tomorrow from 10 until 4 o'clock at the establishment of Webb & Clough. No services will be held in Salem as the funeral will take place in Portland at the crematorium Thursday at 1:30 o'clock. The members of the Masonic lodge of Oregon City will have charge of the services. 
Championed Abolition Cause. 
In early days Mr. Craig warmly championed the movement against slavery and did much to place Oregon among the free instead of the slave states. With W. L. Adams he has been paid the tribute of being founder of the Oregon Republican party. He was a member of the lower house of the legislature in 1880. 
Before the civil war, Mr. Craig studied law in the office of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Ill., and during the war proved to be one of the strongest supporters of Lincoln. His friendships among statesmen and politicians both in Oregon and the east were innumerable. 
Since the age of 11 years, Mr. Craig has been a newspaper man. He first began his work as an apprentice in the office of the Hannibal Journal, at Hannibal. Missouri, where he was made foreman when 15 years old. He remained there for seven years, attending school a part of the time. 
Served Under Fillmore. 
Moving to Springfield, Illinois, in 1848 he became a reporter on the Illinois State Journal, and under the late Simon Francis of Portland, who was the editor and owner of the paper, young Craig became an editorial writer. For a short period in his life the call of politics was strong and in 1850 he was admitted to the legal bar in Illinois through the instrumentality of Abraham Lincoln and J. H. Mathey, clerk of the Springfield court. Under President Fillmore he held a clerkship in Washington, D. C. With the change of administration and incoming to office of President Franklin Pierce, Mr. Craig left the legal field and lured on by the fascination of newspaper life he started west via the Isthmus of Panama. He stayed on the isthmus for six months on the Panama Daily Star as an assistant editor and foreman. He came to Oregon, November 25, 1853. 
Public Work Began. 
His early activities in Oregon were varied. Upon his arrival in Salem, Dec. 2, 1853, he found employment under A. N. Bush. The territorial legislature was just starting its session and the resourceful lad started public work. In addition he did some teaching. A little later he took charge of the Oregon Argus, a newspaper at Oregon City, under W. L. Adams. He remained there for eight years, the later half of the time as proprietor of the paper. 
The Argus was moved to Salem in May, 1863, where its publication was continued with J. N. Gale as a partner. To support President Lincoln during the Civil war the Argus was united with the Statesman in October of the same year, which at the time was owned by A. N. Bush. After having become the sole proprietor of the Statesman he sold it in 1866, and started the Daily and Weekly Record. 
Takes Charge of Statesman. 
With S. A. Clarke, he bought the Willamette Farmer which he published until 1880, when Mr. Craig's interest was sold to Mr. Clarke. Later he took charge of The Statesman under W. H. Odell and continued with the paper until April, 1893, although it was sold to R. J. Hendricks, its present manager, by Mr. Odell and Mr. Byers. After fifty years in the profession, Mr. Craig retired in 1893, although he continued writing for newspapers. 
He was married to Miss Wealthy L. Waterous in Oregon City, September 16, 1861. Upon her death in 1913, he moved from his farm south of Salem to the city to make his home with his son, F. S. Craig, editor of the Pacific Homestead. He also leaves two grandchildren, Eunane and Charles W. Craig. 
Oregon Statesman 19 Dec 1916 1:2 & 2:2. 

THE LATE DAVID W. CRAIG 
In the passing of David W. Craig, who died at the home of his son, F. S. Craig, in this city on Sunday, Salem loses one of her very oldest residents, and one of her brightest minds. Mr. Craig first came to Salem sixty-three years ago, and he was actively engaged in newspaper work, from the "case" to the foremanship and from reporter to editor-in-chief and proprietor, for over forty years, most of the time in The Statesman; and, after his retirement he continued to contribute to newspapers, until about three years ago. Mr. Craig was one of the best posted men in all Oregon. He had a keen mind and a remarkable memory. He was familiar with the great classical writers, in the original, in Greek and Latin and German and French, as well as English. He had a good collection of their books on his shelves, and he was their daily companion in thought. Mr. Craig was the soul of courtesy and kindness. He was modest and retiring to a fault, and his natural regard for the rights and feelings of others robbed him of that push and forwardness that might have forced him to higher places in the public eye, on account of his culture and worth. Up to a few years ago, there was scarcely a word in the English language he could not spell correctly and define, nor scarcely an outstanding event in history, even local history, that was not available in his retentive memory, without reference to books. David W. Craig has left a world he loved, in which he had no enemies; in which he regarded all as his friends, and in which all who knew him held him in the same high regard. 
Oregon Statesman 19 Dec 1916 4:2. 

Funeral In Portland at 1:30 p.m. Services over David W. Craig, pioneer resident of Salem, who died Sunday will be held this afternoon at 1:30 o'clock at the Portland crematorium. The funeral will be in charge of Multnomah lodge No. 1 of Oregon City. 
Oregon Statesman 21 Dec 1916 5:3.
INSCRIPTION: 
David W. Craig 
1829 - 1916 

(on same monument with Wealthy L Craig and E. S. Waterous - "Incinerated" inscribed at bottom of monument)
SOURCES: 
OSBH DC (Marion County 1916) #616 
S&H pg. 16 
1870 OR CENSUS (Marion Co., Salem, pg. 3)  
1880 OR CENSUS (Marion Co., Mehama, pg 158B) 
OS 19 Dec 1916 1:2 & 2:2 
OS 19 Dec 1916 4:2 
OS 21 Dec 1916 5:3.
CONTACTS: 
LOT: 167 SPACE:  LONGITUDE:  LATITUDE: 
 
 

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