Coe I. Crawford

Coe I. Crawford

Coe Isaac Crawford (born January 14, 1858 in Volney , Allamakee County , Iowa , †  April 25, 1944 in Huron , South Dakota ) was an American politician and the sixth governor of South Dakota from 1907 to 1909 . He also represented this state as a senator in Congress .

Early years and political advancement

Coe Crawford attended local schools in his home in Iowa and was also privately tutored at times. He then studied law at the University of Iowa between 1878 and 1882 . After being admitted to the bar, he first practiced in Independence . In 1883 he moved to Pierre , Dakota Territory , where he opened a law firm. In 1886 Crawford became a district attorney in Hughes County . After that he was a member of the last territorial governing council of the Dakota Territory.

After South Dakota became a member of the United States in 1889, Crawford was elected to the new state's first Senate . Between 1893 and 1897 he was Attorney General of South Dakota. In 1896 and 1904 he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the US Congress. After moving to Huron, he became a lawyer for a railroad company between 1897 and 1903. In 1906 Crawford was elected as the Republican Party candidate for the new governor of South Dakota.

Governor and US Senator

Crawford's two-year term began on January 8, 1907. During this time, the Primary Law was passed, which introduced into law the system of prefixes that is still used today. Firms were banned from giving money transfers to political candidates. The power of the Railway Committee has been strengthened and maximum legal working hours have been set for railway employees. Another law required candidates and parties to disclose their campaign expenses. In 1908 two Indian reservations were opened to the white population.

Crawford was elected to the US Senate in 1908. His tenure in Washington, DC began on March 4, 1909, two months after the end of his tenure as governor of South Dakota. He remained on this body until March 3, 1915. He was a member of several Senate committees. In 1914 he was no longer re-elected and therefore left Congress. He then retired to Huron, where he worked as a lawyer again until 1934. He then retired. He died in 1944. Coe Crawford was married twice with a total of five children.

Web links

• Coe I. Crawford in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
• Coe I. Crawford in the database of Find a Grave (English)
• Coe Crawford in the National Governors Association (English)