Edwin B. Crocker
Encyclopedia
Edwin Bryant Crocker was a California Supreme Court Justice and founder of the Crocker Art Museum
in Sacramento
, California
.
. He earned a degree in civil engineering at Rensselaer Institute
in Troy, New York
. He went on to study law in Indiana
. While there, he started a practice that earned him a reputation as an abolitionist. Upon his second marriage, to Margaret Rhodes on July 8, 1852, Crocker and his wife moved to Sacramento, California.
When they arrived in Sacramento, Crocker resumed his legal career. He was also involved in politics. In 1854, he became the chair of the Republican Party
. In 1863, then-Governor Leland Stanford
appointed him as a Justice of the California Supreme Court. The next year, Crocker agreed to serve as legal council for the Central Pacific Railroad
, a company run by the Big Four, which included Edwin's younger brother, Charles Crocker
.
The stress of all of his work took a toll on Crocker. He suffered from a stroke in June of 1869. He retired from his other pursuits and took up less stressful hobbies. Crocker and his family traveled throughout Europe
and collected art. His family renovated their home to include an art gallery. Their home and the art that they had acquired would eventually become the Crocker Art Museum
.
in Sacramento, California.
Crocker Art Museum
The Crocker Art Museum is one of the leading arts institutions in California, and the longest continuously operating art museum in the West. Located in Sacramento, California, the Crocker has been an art innovator since 1885...
in Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Biography
Crocker was born in Jamesville, New YorkJamesville, New York
Jamesville is a hamlet in De Witt, Onondaga County, New York, United States, part of the greater Syracuse area.The history of the community is documented in the book Water, Wheels and Stone: Heritage of the Little Village by the Creek, Jamesville, New York, written by Jean Schutz Keough, and...
. He earned a degree in civil engineering at Rensselaer Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
in Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
. He went on to study law in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. While there, he started a practice that earned him a reputation as an abolitionist. Upon his second marriage, to Margaret Rhodes on July 8, 1852, Crocker and his wife moved to Sacramento, California.
When they arrived in Sacramento, Crocker resumed his legal career. He was also involved in politics. In 1854, he became the chair of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. In 1863, then-Governor Leland Stanford
Leland Stanford
Amasa Leland Stanford was an American tycoon, industrialist, robber baron, politician and founder of Stanford University.-Early years:...
appointed him as a Justice of the California Supreme Court. The next year, Crocker agreed to serve as legal council for the Central Pacific Railroad
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
, a company run by the Big Four, which included Edwin's younger brother, Charles Crocker
Charles Crocker
Charles Crocker was an American railroad executive.-Early years:Crocker was born in Troy, New York, to a modest family and moved to an Indiana farm at age 14. He soon became independent, working on several farms, a sawmill, and at an iron forge. In 1845 he founded a small, independent iron...
.
The stress of all of his work took a toll on Crocker. He suffered from a stroke in June of 1869. He retired from his other pursuits and took up less stressful hobbies. Crocker and his family traveled throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and collected art. His family renovated their home to include an art gallery. Their home and the art that they had acquired would eventually become the Crocker Art Museum
Crocker Art Museum
The Crocker Art Museum is one of the leading arts institutions in California, and the longest continuously operating art museum in the West. Located in Sacramento, California, the Crocker has been an art innovator since 1885...
.
Death
After his stroke, Crocker's health never fully recovered. On June 24, 1875, he died in Sacramento. He is interred in the Sacramento Historic City CemeterySacramento Historic City Cemetery
The Sacramento Historic City Cemetery , located at 1000 Broadway, at 10th Street, is the oldest existing cemetery in Sacramento, California. The cemetery is located at the highest point in Sacramento...
in Sacramento, California.