My Genealogy Hound

Christopher J. Crahan, night foreman of the roundhouse of De Soto, was born in St. Louis, Mo., in 1856. His father, Byron Crahan, was born in Ireland, and came to the United States in his youth. He located in St. Louis, where he was second engineer of Beecher Sugar Factory. In 1858 the factory blew up, and Mr. Crahan, together with four others, was killed. Mrs. Catherine (Biggy) Crahan, mother of our subject, was born in Ireland in 1827, and after the death of Mr. Crahan, in 1867, she married Joseph Burk; the latter was born in Ireland in 1840, came to the United States in 1856, and in 1869 located in De Soto, where he has since been in the employ of the Iron Mountain Railroad. Christopher J. Crahan was educated in the Christian Brothers’ school at St. Louis, and at the age of thirteen came to De Soto, where he began working in the railroad shops, wiping engines. In six years he was given a position as fireman of a locomotive engine, and after eight years was promoted to the position of engineer. For the past five years he has been night foreman in the roundhouse. In 1882 he married Miss Jane Ball, daughter of John Ball, of De Soto. Mrs. Crahan was born in Rio de Janerio, South America, in 1860. Three children have blessed this union, viz.: Katie, John and Christopher. Politically, Mr. Crahan is a Democrat. He is a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. Mr. and Mrs. Crahan are members of the Catholic Church.