Samuel L. Cronk, veteran of the Civil war, and retired farmer, now living in Buffalo, was born in Steuben county, New York, son of Philip and Mary (Lawrence) Cronk, natives of Pennsylvania, who some years after the birth of Samuel L. moved back to Bradford county in their native state and there spent the remainder of their days.
Philip Cronk as a young man was a blacksmith. Later in life he took up farming. Himself a soldier of the Civil war, he gave five sons to the service. The children in the family were as follows: Joseph, Adeline, Edgar (veteran), Malissa, Samuel L. (veteran), William (veteran), George (veteran), Josiah (veteran), Mariah (twin to Josiah) and Calvin.
Of these sons, William came to Wright county in the fifties and located in Rockford township. Samuel L. came to Minnesota in 1859 and visited his brother at Rockford, but spent the larger part of his time in the vicinity of Red Wing. In 1861 he enlisted in Company H, Third Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and served within a month of four years. He went south with the regiment and was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland. He was captured at Murfreesboro, but was soon afterward paroled and sent to fight the Indians in the vicinity of Wood lake. Later he was again sent south with the regiment and assigned to the Army of Tennessee. He was mustered out of the service in Arkansas, paid off at Ft. Snelling and discharged. After the war he came to Wright county and followed his trade as a carpenter wherever he could find work. He was one of those who assisted in erecting the Wright County Court House in 1877.
He also built the first Presbyterian church in Buffalo. Later he secured eighty acres on the banks of Lake Pulaski, cleared up the land, erected buildings and did some farming. In 1896 he retired and moved to Buffalo, where he took up his residence in a house which he had erected about 1875. Mr. Cronk became a member of the Masonic lodge at Rockford, but when the lodge was organized at Buffalo, December 12, 1879, he became one of the charter members of Nelson Lodge, No. 135, A. F. & A. M., and was the first Tyler of the lodge. He is also a member of the G. A. R. His wife is a member of the Eastern Star and of the Relief Corps.
The family worships at the Presbyterian church. Mr. Cronk was married, as a young man, to Matilda Stokes, a native of England, who died and left him one son, Arthur. In November, 1869, Mr. Cronk married Harriett Gilchrist, by whom he has two children, Willard and Irene. The parents of Mrs. Cronk were Archibald and Elizabeth Gilchrist, who brought her from Indiana at the age of eleven years and located on eighty acres lying on the township line between Buffalo and Monticello.
HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY MINNESOTA
BY FRANKLYN CURTISS-WEDGE
VOLUME I ; CHICAGO ; H. C. COOPER, JR. & CO. ; 1915
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Enlisted as a Private in Company H, 3rd Minnesota Infantry on September 30, 1861, aged 28. Re-enlisted on December 31, 1863. Was mustered out of service at Devall's Bluff, AR on September 2, 1865.
Samuel L. Cronk, veteran of the Civil war, and retired farmer, now living in Buffalo, was born in Steuben county, New York, son of Philip and Mary (Lawrence) Cronk, natives of Pennsylvania, who some years after the birth of Samuel L. moved back to Bradford county in their native state and there spent the remainder of their days.
Philip Cronk as a young man was a blacksmith. Later in life he took up farming. Himself a soldier of the Civil war, he gave five sons to the service. The children in the family were as follows: Joseph, Adeline, Edgar (veteran), Malissa, Samuel L. (veteran), William (veteran), George (veteran), Josiah (veteran), Mariah (twin to Josiah) and Calvin.
Of these sons, William came to Wright county in the fifties and located in Rockford township. Samuel L. came to Minnesota in 1859 and visited his brother at Rockford, but spent the larger part of his time in the vicinity of Red Wing. In 1861 he enlisted in Company H, Third Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and served within a month of four years. He went south with the regiment and was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland. He was captured at Murfreesboro, but was soon afterward paroled and sent to fight the Indians in the vicinity of Wood lake. Later he was again sent south with the regiment and assigned to the Army of Tennessee. He was mustered out of the service in Arkansas, paid off at Ft. Snelling and discharged. After the war he came to Wright county and followed his trade as a carpenter wherever he could find work. He was one of those who assisted in erecting the Wright County Court House in 1877.
He also built the first Presbyterian church in Buffalo. Later he secured eighty acres on the banks of Lake Pulaski, cleared up the land, erected buildings and did some farming. In 1896 he retired and moved to Buffalo, where he took up his residence in a house which he had erected about 1875. Mr. Cronk became a member of the Masonic lodge at Rockford, but when the lodge was organized at Buffalo, December 12, 1879, he became one of the charter members of Nelson Lodge, No. 135, A. F. & A. M., and was the first Tyler of the lodge. He is also a member of the G. A. R. His wife is a member of the Eastern Star and of the Relief Corps.
The family worships at the Presbyterian church. Mr. Cronk was married, as a young man, to Matilda Stokes, a native of England, who died and left him one son, Arthur. In November, 1869, Mr. Cronk married Harriett Gilchrist, by whom he has two children, Willard and Irene. The parents of Mrs. Cronk were Archibald and Elizabeth Gilchrist, who brought her from Indiana at the age of eleven years and located on eighty acres lying on the township line between Buffalo and Monticello.
HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY MINNESOTA
BY FRANKLYN CURTISS-WEDGE
VOLUME I ; CHICAGO ; H. C. COOPER, JR. & CO. ; 1915
_____
Enlisted as a Private in Company H, 3rd Minnesota Infantry on September 30, 1861, aged 28. Re-enlisted on December 31, 1863. Was mustered out of service at Devall's Bluff, AR on September 2, 1865.
Inscription
FATHER
CO. H 3RD MINN. VOL.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
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