# Benjamin Crowley > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Benjamin_Crowley > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Benjamin_Crowley.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Crowley > Source revision: 1310719062 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Pioneer settler of Arkansas, USA}} {{Infobox person | name = Benjamin Crowley | image = Crowleys Ridge State Park Shiloh Cemetery Paragould AR 05.jpg | alt = | caption = Crowley's grave in Shiloh Cemetery at [Crowley's Ridge State Park](/source/Crowley's_Ridge_State_Park) south of Paragould, Arkansas. The inscription reads "Benjamin Crowley - 1758-1842 - The man for whom Crowley's Ridge is named." | birth_name = Benjamin Crowley, Jr. | birth_date = {{circa|1758|lk=yes}} | birth_place = [Halifax County, Virginia](/source/Halifax_County%2C_Virginia) | death_date = {{Death year and age|1842|1758}} | death_place = [Greene County, Arkansas](/source/Greene_County%2C_Arkansas) | resting_place = Shiloh Cemetery,
[Crowley's Ridge State Park](/source/Crowley's_Ridge_State_Park) | occupation = Landowner | known_for = [Crowley's Ridge](/source/Crowley's_Ridge) | spouse = Catherine Annie Wiley }} '''Benjamin Crowley''' ({{circa|1758|lk=yes}} – 1842) was a 19th-century American pioneer and the namesake of [Crowley's Ridge](/source/Crowley's_Ridge). ==Early life and westward migration== Crowley was born in [Halifax County, Virginia](/source/Halifax_County%2C_Virginia), the son of Benjamin Crowley and Sarah Strong. By 1787, he was living in [Oglethorpe County, Georgia](/source/Oglethorpe_County%2C_Georgia), to which the Crowley and Strong families had migrated. On August 9, 1808, he [patented](/source/Land_patent) {{convert|200|acre|ha}} in [Christian County, Kentucky](/source/Christian_County%2C_Kentucky). He was listed living there on the [1810 census](/source/1810_United_States_census). By June 16, 1817, Benjamin was listed in [Lawrence County, Arkansas](/source/Lawrence_County%2C_Arkansas) where he was the administrator of his son John's estate. ==Crowley's Ridge== On October 12, 1819, Benjamin Crowley purchased land from Solomon Hewitt for $200 on the [Spring River](/source/Spring_River_(Arkansas)) about two miles (3 km) above the mouth of the [Eleven Point River](/source/Eleven_Point_River), on the North side of said Spring River where Benjamin was currently living. On November 27, 1820, Benjamin Crowley was issued a [land bounty](/source/Land_grant) of {{convert|160|acre|ha}} for his service in the [War of 1812](/source/War_of_1812). The land was in [Phillips County, Arkansas](/source/Phillips_County%2C_Arkansas). He was listed as a [Matross](/source/Matross) in Hobart's Company of [Light Artillery](/source/Light_Artillery_(United_States)). In 1821 he moved to and founded [Crowley's Ridge](/source/Crowley's_Ridge). In 1832 he founded the Post Office for Greene County, which was formed in 1833. On August 16, 1838, Benjamin Crowley had {{convert|80|acre|ha}} bounty land, his son, Wiley, had {{convert|40|acre|ha}}. Benjamin died in 1842 and is buried at Pioneer Cemetery, also called Shiloh Cemetery. In the 1930s, the [Civilian Conservation Corps](/source/Civilian_Conservation_Corps) built numerous buildings on [Crowley's Ridge State Park](/source/Crowley's_Ridge_State_Park) which encompasses his estate. They also constructed a monument where he was buried. Benjamin Crowley helped found [Greene County, Arkansas](/source/Greene_County%2C_Arkansas), was its first postmaster and also founded the first church. He has many descendants living on Crowley's Ridge to this day, and his land, now Crowley's Ridge State Park, is a very popular tourist destination. Arkansas also built the [Crowley's Ridge Parkway](/source/Crowley's_Ridge_Parkway), linking many of the parks and popular attractions throughout eastern Arkansas. ==Personal life== On December 15, 1795, he married Catherine Annie Wiley, the daughter of Peter Wiley and Mary Sharkey. Catherine was born c. 1771 in [Augusta County, Virginia](/source/Augusta_County%2C_Virginia) and died in 1850 at Crowley (present day [Walcott](/source/Walcott%2C_Arkansas)) in [Greene County, Arkansas](/source/Greene_County%2C_Arkansas). Their children were: #Thomas Crowley (March 18, 1796 – bef 1829) who married Cynthia Campbell #Samuel Crowley (February 28, 1798 – March 13, 1837) who married Sarah Lamb and Sarah Hutchins #John Crowley (February 28, 1800 – 1816) #Wiley Crowley (March 27, 1803 – abt 1847) who married Lucy Capps #Polly Crowley (April 5, 1805 – abt 1841) who married Abraham Pevehouse #Benjamin Crowley III (November 1, 1807 – bef 1830) who died building a military road #Margaret Crowley (May 15, 1810 – ?) who married Charles Robertson and John McDaniel #Sarah Crowley (1812–?) who married Thomas Lamb ==References== Census records, tax lists, "Fathers of the Ridge," by George Rowland; "A History of Greene County," (13 newspaper articles) by Benjamin H. Crowley; Bureau of Land Management. {{Portal bar|Arkansas|Biography}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Crowley, Benjamin}} Category:1758 births Category:1842 deaths Category:American pioneers Category:Crowley's Ridge Category:People from Arkansas Territory Category:People from Greene County, Arkansas Category:People from Halifax County, Virginia Category:United States Army personnel of the War of 1812 Category:People from colonial Virginia --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Benjamin Crowley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Crowley) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Crowley?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.