John Crane

The Handbook of Texas calls Crane probably a native of Virginia who moved to Tennessee, where he was a private in the cavalry and a sergeant in the militia in the War of 1812. He settled in what is now Walker County in 1834 with Joseph Vehlein's colony and raised a company of volunteers for the Siege of Bexar in 1835. In the Runaway Scrape he cared for his own family and his son-in-law's. He served in John M. Wade's cavalry company from June 30 to September 30, 1836, and was killed at the Neches in July 1839.

What the plaque says

John Crane In 1830, John Crane applied to be a part of Joseph Vehlein's Colony. Reportedly from Virginia, he was a veteran of the War of 1812. He moved his wife and seven children to what is now Walker County, Texas, in 1834. There, he organized men and became a part of the Texas Revolution. He fought at the Siege of Bexar in December 1835. The next year, he was involved in the Runaway Scrape and also served in the Texas Army in John M. Wade's Cavalry Company. Following the Texas Revolution, Crane remained with the army. While Republic of Texas Sam Houston encouraged settlers to coexist with Native American tribes, Mirabeau B. Lamar's subsequent administration took steps to remove the Indians from the land. The resulting conflicts became known as the Cherokee War. It culminated in the 1839 Battle of the Neches, fought in Henderson and Van Zandt counties. Communication had broken down between representatives of the Republic and Chief Bowles (or Duwali) of the Cherokee tribe. Companies under the leadership of Kelsey H. Douglass, Edward Burleson and Gen. Thomas J. Rusk engaged Bowles' forces on July 15, 1839, on what is today known as Battle Creek. John Crane and a Doctor Rogers were both killed. The fighting continued the following day, when Chief Bowles was also killed. His death led to the eventual expulsion of his people from Texas. Crane and Rogers are believed to be buried in unmarked graves outside of Chandler on part of the battlefield (now private property). Although some elements of Crane's military service are unknown, including his military rank, he remains an important figure in Texas history. Today, he is remembered as a patriot and early Texas settler, a pioneer in the Republic of Texas. (2004)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Tyler Rose Garden and Rose Museum — 10 mi
  More than 38,000 rose bushes of about 600 cultivars in a free city garden, beside a museum of the Texas Rose Festival, which began in 1933, and of the rose industry.
• Goodman-LeGrand House and Museum — 12 mi
  A Tyler house begun in 1859 as four rooms, enlarged by the Goodman family over 73 years, and left to the city in 1939 with its furnishings, in a garden that fills a city block.
• Camp Ford Historic Park — 14 mi
  A free county park north of Tyler on the site of the largest Confederate prison camp west of the Mississippi, with a kiosk, an interpretive trail and a historical society museum downtown.
• Tyler State Park — 17 mi
  A 985-acre park eight miles north of Tyler, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1935 to 1941 around a 64-acre spring-fed lake, with more than 13 miles of trails.

More markers nearby

• Cherokee Exodus from Texas — steps away
• Yarborough Home — steps away
• Old Rock Hill Cemetery — 3.8 mi
• Smith County — 7.2 mi