Benjamin Crowley
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Benjamin Crowley II was born circa 1758 in Halifax County, Virginia. He was the son of Benjamin Crowley I and Sarah Strong. By 1787, he was living in Oglethorpe County, Georgia where the Crowley and Strong families had migrated. On 15 December 1795, he married Catherine Annie Wiley, the daughter of Peter Wiley and Mary Sharkey. Catherine was born circa 1771 in Augusta County, Virginia and died in 1850 at Crowley (present day Walcott), Greene County, Arkansas.
On 9 August 1808 he patented 200 acres (0.81 km²) in Christian County, Kentucky. He was listed living there on the 1810 census. By 16 June 1817, Benjamin was listed in Lawrence County, Arkansas where he was the administrator of his son John’s estate.
On the 12th of October 1819 Benjamin Crowley purchased land from Solomon Hewitt for $200 on the Spring River about two miles (3 km) above the mouth of the Elevenpoint River, on the North side of said Spring River where Benjamin was currently living. On 27 November, 1820 Benjamin Carley was issued a land bounty of 160 acres (0.65 km²) for his service in the War of 1812. The land was in Phillips County, Arkansas. He was listed as a Matross in Hobart’s Company of Light Artillery. In 1821 he moved to and founded Crowley's Ridge. In 1832 he founded the Post Office for Greene County, which was formed in 1833. On 16 August 1838, Benjamin Crowley had 80 acres bounty land, his son, Wiley, had 40 acres. Benjamin died in 1842 and is buried at Pioneer Cemetery, also called Shiloh Cemetery. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps built numerous buildings on 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, was it's 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, linking many of the parks and popular attractions throughout Arkansas.
Their children: 1. Thomas Crowley (18 Mar 1796-bef 1829) who married Cynthia Campbell 2. Samuel Crowley (28 Feb 1798-13 Mar 1837) who married Sarah Lamb and Sarah Hutchins 3. John Crowley (28 Feb 1800-1816) 4. Wiley Crowley (27 Mar 1803-abt 1847) who married Lucy Capps 5. Polly Crowley (5 Apr 1805-abt 1841) who married Abraham Pevehouse 6. Benjamin Crowley III (1 Nov 1807-bef 1830) who died building a military road 7. Margaret Crowley (15 May 1810-?) who married Charles Robertson and John McDaniel 8. Sarah Crowley (1812-?) who married Thomas Lamb
Sources: 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.
