Coe Isaac Crawford (January 14, 1858 – April 25, 1944) was an American attorney and politician from

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...

. He served as the sixth Governor and as a U.S. Senator.

Biography

A native of

Volney, Iowa Volney is an unincorporated community in Allamakee County, Iowa, United States. History Volney was platted in 1856. By the 1870s, Volney contained gristmills, a sawmill, and a cooperage business. Volney's population was 60 in 1902, and 99 in 192 ...

, Crawford graduated from the

University of Iowa College of Law The University of Iowa College of Law is the law school of the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, Iowa. It was founded in 1865. Iowa is ranked the 28th-best law school in the United States by the '' U.S. News & World Report'' "Best Law Sch ...

in 1882 and practiced law in

Independence, Iowa Independence is a city in, and the county seat of, Buchanan County, Iowa, United States. The population was 6,064 in the 2020 census, an increase from 6,014 in 2000. History Independence was founded in 1847 near the center of present-day Buch ...

before moving to

Pierre Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of N ...

in 1883. Active in politics as a Republican, Crawford served as Hughes County's prosecuting attorney in 1887 and 1888. In 1889, he was elected to the Territorial Council, the upper house of Dakota Territory's legislature. After South Dakota achieved statehood in 1889, Crawford served in the

South Dakota State Senate The Senate is the upper house of the South Dakota Legislature. It consists of 35 members, one representing each legislative district; it meets at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre. Composition :''92nd Legislature (2019)'' Officers Li ...

, and was

Attorney General of South Dakota The Attorney General of South Dakota is the state attorney general of the U.S. state of South Dakota. The attorney general is elected by popular vote to a four-year term and holds an executive position as the state's chief legal officer. In 1992, ...

from 1893 to 1897. In 1906, Crawford was the successful Republican nominee for governor, and he served from 1907 to 1909. In 1908, he ran successfully for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Crawford served one term, 1909 to 1915, and was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1914. After leaving the Senate, Crawford resumed practicing law in Huron, South Dakota. He practiced until 1934, when he retired. Crawford died in

Yankton, South Dakota Yankton is a city in and the county seat of Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 15,411 at the 2020 census, and it is the principal city of the Yankton Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the entirety of Y ...

in 1944, and was buried at Oakland Cemetery in

Iowa City, Iowa Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the tim ...

Early life and education

Crawford was born by Volney, in

Allamakee County, Iowa Allamakee County () is the northeasternmost county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,061. Its county seat is Waukon. History Allamakee County was formed on February 20, 1847. The derivation of the name is ...

. He attended the common schools and received additional instruction from a private tutor. In 1882, he graduated from the

with a

LL.B. Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

degree. He began his practice in

, moving to

, in what was the

, in 1883. He was twice married; firstly to May Robinson and then to Lavinia Robinson. He had five children.

Career

He was the prosecuting attorney for

Hughes County, South Dakota Hughes County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 17,765, making it the least populous capital county in the nation, and the twelfth-most populous county in South Dakota. Its ...

in 1887 and 1888. In 1889, he was elected to the Territorial Council, the upper house of the Dakota Territorial Legislature. When South Dakota was admitted as a state in 1889, he was elected as a member of the first

. He went on to serve as the state Attorney General from 1893 to 1897. He ran for the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

seat for South Dakota in 1896, but lost the election. He then moved to Huron, South Dakota, and served as an attorney for the

Chicago & North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...

from 1897 to 1903, when he resigned. He was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the position of Governor of South Dakota in 1907, and served in that capacity through 1909. He ran for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

that year, and won the election. He served in the Senate through 1915, and lost his bid for renomination in 1914. He then returned to Huron and the practice of law until 1934, when he retired from active business and political life.

Death

He died in

in 1944. His burial was in Oakland Cemetery,

References

External links

National Governors Association
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Crawford, Coe I. 1858 births 1944 deaths People from Allamakee County, Iowa Republican Party United States senators from South Dakota Republican Party governors of South Dakota South Dakota Attorneys General Republican Party South Dakota state senators Members of the Dakota Territorial Legislature District attorneys in South Dakota 19th-century American politicians People from Pierre, South Dakota People from Huron, South Dakota Iowa lawyers South Dakota lawyers University of Iowa College of Law alumni