Carl Beaconsfield Craven came to Carrington to practice law in April 1902. He was born March 30, 1880 at Kellogg, Iowa, the son of Amos Belden and Almira Craven, both of English ancestry. He obtained his law degree from Drake University, Des Moines and practiced a year in Thomson, Iowa, before coming to Carrington. Before his arrival here he married in 1904 the former Lucy Mae Alvey born March 14, 1883 in Fayette County, Iowa.
Besides his law practice in Carrington he conducted a real estate, insurance and collection business and was the first abstracter in the county. In partnership with E.D. Lum he purchased the Foster County Independent from the Estabrooks in 1907. The latter was the editor until the newspaper was sold to George P. Collins in 1906. In 1908 Craven and Lum moved their offices and newspaper plant to the basement of the building on Central Avenue which today is the Independent office and printing establishment. Attorney Craven maintained his offices on the upper floor of the building until 1925 when he purchased the old Foster County State Bank building on Main Street.
Carl B. Craven was a leader in the political, civic and fraternal affairs of the city, county and state. He was appointed States Attorney in 1908 when the incumbent John W. White resigned. He then served as an elected officer for three terms (1909 - 1914). He was mayor of Carrington from 1917 to 1919. His special interest in community affairs was in fire prevention. He was chief of the Carrington Fire Department for many years and for a term president of the State Firemen's Association. He served as president of the Kiwanis Club, was a member of the Chamber of Commerce and promoter of the Annual Junior Fair. He was a member of the Masons, Knights Templar and a Shriner.
Carl B. Craven married Lucy Mae Alvey at Forest City, Illinois, in 1901. They had six children: Lucile (Mrs. John Harper), Alvey, Bruce, George. Their eldest son Lyle, born in 1902, died December 12, 1909. His first marriage ended in divorce and he married Minnie Pepple November 3, 1921; they were the parents of three children: John, James and Barbara. Carl Craven died in 1941. The first Mrs. Craven married as her second husband Charles Page of Carrington; she died August 3, 1955.
Source: A History of Foster County 1983 Page 217