Salem Pioneer Cemetery ~ John Henry Croisan ~ part of the Marion County Pioneer Cemeteries of Oregon
John Henry Croisan
LAST NAME: Croisan FIRST NAME: John MIDDLE NAME: Henry NICKNAME: 
MAIDEN NAME:  AKA 1:  AKA 2:  AKA 3: 
TITLE: Mr. GENDER: M MILITARY: 
BORN: 1816 DIED: 13 Sep 1875 BURIED: 14 Sep 1875
ETHNICITY:   OCCUPATION:  Hop Farmer
BIRTH PLACE:  Munich, Bavaria
DEATH PLACE: Salem, Marion Co., Oregon
NOTES: 
1860 OR CENSUS - C. Croizan, female, age 8, b. Oregon, is enumerated with H., male, age 43, occupation farmer, b. , and M., female, age 29, b. Illinois, along with M., female, age 12, b. Oregon, G.H, male, age 10, b. Oregon, E. M., female, age 5, b. Oregon, and M., female, age 1, b. Oregon. 1860 OR CENSUS (Marion Co., Santiam, FA #3403) 
BIOGRAPHICAL:
John Henry Croisan went by the name Henry. His parents were French and at the time of the Huguenot massacre in France, fled to Germany, and again to Bavaria where they were safe. They lived in Bavaria until 1839 when the family came to the United States, landing at New Orleans and from there travelled up the Mississippi River to Peru, Illinois. Henry's father became sick with yellow fever during this journey, died and was buried beside the river. In 1846 Henry started across the plains to Oregon. On the journey he met and married Mary Hall, daughter of Reason B. Hall. It was a double marriage ceremony (June 18, 1846) and the other participants were Morgan Savage and Frances Ann Brisbin. Ten days later the company divided, one party known as the Donner party going to California, another going to Oregon by way of The Dalles, and the third going to Oregon by the southern route, sometimes known as the Applegate cutoff. John and Mary went by the southern route and they were met by hostile Indians, heavy rains, hunger, illness and death, and Henry Croisan and Jess Boone were delegated to go for help from Dr. McLoughlin at Oregon City, and he gave them flour and supplies. The Croisan family finally arrived in the Willamette Valley in February instead of the targeted date of October. They stayed for a short time with the Reason Hall family in Buena Vista, moved to a donation land claim three miles south of Salem on the river. Henry secured employment from the Methodist Mission hauling logs to their mill. In 1848 he went to the gold mines and had some success on the Feather River. He got scurvy in the mines and with the Jory brothers came by boat from San Francisco to Astoria. The storms were so bad that it took 40 days before the barque could cross the bar. By that time Henry was so weak they lowered him into a small boat to take him ashore. They had no idea he would live, but they took him to a hotel kept by a German. They told this German that father was dying of scurvy, and the hotelkeeper went out and gathered a lot of green onions and father ate all he could. He also had him eat raw potatoes and other vegetables. In a week or two he felt strong enough to travel home. He met his wife at the Joe Suver place in Polk County, and after several weeks they traveled on to their Donation Land Claim in Salem where he intended to build a cabin. He found another settler had jumped his claim, built a good cabin, cleared some of the timber and put up fences, so he paid him $800 in gold dust for his improvements. They moved onto the claim March 2, 1850. Henry and Mary had the following children: Martha, born in Salem in the fall of 1848, married Albert Wilson George, born at Buena Vista in 1849, married Verbena Clark, Caroline, born on the DLC, married John Bushnell, Edward M., born on the DLC, married Ella McNary, Henrietta, born on the DLC, died in childhood (buried in Salem Pioneer) Clara, born on the DLC, married Ray Farmer. (several children buried in Pioneer)
OBITUARY: 
DIED--Monday evening, September 13th, on his farm three miles south of Salem on the Willamette river, Henry Croysant, aged about sixty. Mr. Croysant was an old settler, and lived on his donation land claim. His death was sudden though he had complained somewhat for sometime previous. He was a good man and estimable citizen. 
Oregon Statesman 15 September 1875 3:4.
INSCRIPTION: 
Henry Croisan 1816 -1875
SOURCES: 
DAR pg 29 
OS 15 Sep 1875 3:3 
Marion Co., OR Probate File #548 (Henry Croesynt/Crohoisen/Croisan)
CONTACTS: 
LOT: 051 SPACE:  LONGITUDE:  LATITUDE: