William Thurlow Craswell (1898-1945) Fire Chief for thirty-one years, was born at Casselton, North Dakota, the son of William Craswell, an Englishman, and Frances Lewis Smith Craswell from Virginia. William Craswell was the first Postmaster in Casselton. The family came to Valley City in 1880 where Mr. Craswell was street commissioner in 1885, City Justice 18851887, City Auditor and Clerk of the School Board until his death in 1901. His son William T. Craswell then twenty-three years old, took over both the City Auditor and Clerk of the School Board positions. William T. Craswell graduated from Valley City High School in 1896, in the first graduating class with David Ritchie, Edward Mason and Dena Wegner. In 1907 he became bookkeeper and later manager of the North Dakota Independent Telephone Co. He served eleven years as City Treasurer, Auditor for twenty-two years under eight Mayors, and manager of the Municipal Utilities office, taking with him his staff consisting of May Skretting and Della Nelson. William T. Craswell was a volunteer fireman for forty-four years and Fire Chief for thirty-one years, during which time he established a Fire Prevention and Education program involving local citizens and school children, which resulted in Valley City receiving forty-three Fire Safety awards for cities under 20,000; State and National Honorable Mention awards; also five first place awards given by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Fire Protection Assn.
Mr. Craswell loved the outdoors, fishing and hunting. He died while hunting with his wife and R. J. McDonald November 11,1945.
William T. Craswell married Jeanette Dedrick, June 11, 1911 at Valley City, North Dakota. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Dedrick of Dunlap, Iowa, and came to Valley City from Chicago January 3, 1909 as Assistant to Mr. Robert Carson, Dean of Music at Valley City Normal School. She had studied with Mr. Carson in Chicago. Jean Craswell was a much sought after and popular contralto soloist; she sang for school programs, War Bond drives, weddings, funerals and traveled State wide with Minnie J. Nielson leading the singing at Teacher's Institutes. She also traveled with Miss Topping, head of the Florence Crittenton Home. During this period Jean Craswell sang in seventy-five communities in North Dakota.
Father Sailer and Father Baker arranged the time of the mass at St. Catherine's church to allow Mrs. Craswell to direct the catholic choir and to sing as contralto soloist with the quartette composed of J. B. Meyer, bass; Jessie Froysaa, soprano; Lynn McMullen, tenor; directed by Knute Froysaa at the Congregational Church. Mrs. Craswell became ill in 1921 and while this ended her singing career, her interest in music is retained.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 50