George Crawford Anderson
George Crawford Anderson was born in Warren County, Ohio, on the 14th of January, 1834. Of his paternal ancestors but little is known. His grandfather, John Anderson, came to Pennsylvania from the north of Ireland about the year 1780. In 1779 he emigrated to Kentucky, settling six miles below Lexington, where, on the 6th of March, 1800, James Anderson, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born. In 1806 the family came to Ohio, and settled down in the wilderness a few miles east of the present site of Loveland, in Clermont County, where the grandparents died, having reared a family of twelve children.
About the year 1825 James Anderson and Julia Dunham were married at Lebanon, Warren County, Ohio. To them were born Rudolph Warren, Oscar Josephus, Semantha Adeline, and Adelbert Huntington (the subject of this sketch), whose hame, after the death of his mother in 1835, was changed to George Crawford, on his adoption by George B. and Adeline C. Carwford, his maternal aunt.
Two years after the death of Mr. Crawford in 1844 he was taken by James Anderson—his father—to Hamilton County, Ohio, where he had again married, and was then living. While living with his father the surname Anderson was added to that of George Crawford. since which time he has been written and known as George Crawford Anderson. His father died, and his adopted mother having in the mean time married Mr. Isaac Harrison, a woollen manufacturer living two and a half miles east of Sidney, Shelby County, Ohio. He came in 1848 to live with her. Here he learned the woollen manufacturing business, and received a common school education, and in 1856 was married to Ruth Maxwell. In 1857 he bought the woollen mill of Mr. Harrison, and began manufacturing on his own account. In 1862 he removed the woollen machinery to the east bank of the Miami River at Sidney, Ohio, where he engaged with B. W. Maxwell in woollen manufacturing. During this year his wife died. Of their three children one, Adelbert H., had preceded its mother in 1861. Another, Willie A., survived her but two months. The eldest, Benjamin Warren, is still living, and graduated in 1883 at Wooster University, preparatory to entering a theological seminary.
G. C. A. was again married in 1865 to Permelia Harris. There are five children from this union: George C., Jr., Frank D., Harris H., D. Rea, and Julia, all living. Mr. Anderson continued in the woollen business until 1872. Since then he has engaged in the purchasing of wool, Western emigration, and fire insurance, and has for years been identified with the local boards of the town, township, and corporation.
Through his maternal grandmother, Betsy Dunham, whose maiden name was Huntington, his ancestry can be traced back 250 years to one Simon Huntington, who sailed from England in the year 1633 with his family of seven persons, but who died of smallpox at sea, and received an ocean burial. His widow, Margaret Huntington, with her family of children were landed in Connecticut. It is evident from a letter received by her from her brother that they came from London. Through this line of ancestry came Samuel Huntington, of Connecticut, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Also Samuel Huntington, one of the Governors of Ohio.
From History of Shelby County, Ohio; R. Sutton & Co, Philadelphia PA, 1883