Thomas Crutchfield Sr.
Thomas Crutchfield Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Chattanooga | |
| In office 1849–1850 | |
| Preceded by | Henry White Massengale |
| Succeeded by | Milo Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1801 Rockbridge County, Virginia |
| Died | 1850 |
| Spouse | Sarah Cleage |
| Children | 4 including Thomas Crutchfield Jr. and William Crutchfield |
Thomas Crutchfield Sr. (1801–1850) was American politician who served as mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Biography
[edit]Crutchfield was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia and later moved to Greenville, Tennessee.[1] He moved to Chattanooga in the 1830s during the removal and relocation of the Cherokee population.[2] He assisted in the first survey of the city and helped to clear and layout the city's streets.[2][3] He then established a brick kiln with his brother-in-law near the Tennessee River.[2] He established one of the first hotels in the city,[2] the Crutchfield House, directly across from the Union Depot.[4] It quickly became a gathering place for local politicians and leaders.[3] In 1848, he was elected mayor serving in 1849.[2] While mayor he presided over the rapid expansion of the city and lobbied for Chattanooga to be the northern terminus of the Western and Atlantic Railroad being built Georgia.[2] In 1850, he died while traveling to Nashville.[2] He was succeeded by former mayor Milo Smith.
Personal life
[edit]He was married to Sarah Cleage; they had four children.[1]
His son, Thomas Crutchfield Jr. would later serve as mayor in 1859.[3] His son, William Crutchfield represented the 3rd congressional district of Tennessee in the United States House of Representatives for one term (1873–1875).
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Goodspeed's History of Tennessee - William Crutchfield". hctgs.org. 1887. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g "1849 Thomas Crutchfield, Sr". chattanooga.gov. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
- ^ a b c Mines, Linda Moss (April 18, 2020). "Mines: Chattanooga leadership in the 19th-century". Chattanooga Times Free Press.
- ^ "American Roads Travel Magazine". www.americanroads.net. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-10-12.