| Birth Name: | Henry Howland Crapo |
| Order: | 14th |
| Office: | Governor of Michigan |
| Term Start: | January 3, 1865 |
| Term End: | January 6, 1869 |
| Lieutenant: | Ebenezer Grosvenor 1865-67 Dwight May 1867-69 |
| Predecessor: | Austin Blair |
| Successor: | Henry P. Baldwin |
| Order2: | 5th |
| Office2: | Mayor of the City of Flint |
| Term Start2: | 1860 |
| Term End2: | 1861 |
| Predecessor2: | William M. Fenton |
| Successor2: | Ephraim S. Williams[1] |
| Birth Date: | May 24, 1804 |
| Birth Place: | Dartmouth, Massachusetts[2] |
| State Senate3: | Michigan |
| District3: | 24th |
| Term3: | 1863-1864 |
| Party: | Republican |
| Relations: | William Crapo Durant, grandson |
| Children: | Rebecca, Rhoda Crapo[3] William W. Crapo |
| Residence: | Grassmoor, Gaines Township Flint, Michigan |
| Occupation: | Lumber, railroad |
| Profession: | Businessman |
| Death Place: | Flint, Michigan |
| Signature: | Signature of Henry Howland Crapo (1804–1869).png |
Henry Howland Crapo (pronounced Cray-poe; May 24, 1804 – July 23, 1869) was a businessman and politician who was the 14th governor of Michigan from 1865 to 1869, during the end of the American Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction.
Henry Howland Crapo was born to Jesse and Phoebe (Howland) Crapo in Dartmouth, Massachusetts on May 24, 1804. Jesse was of Huguenot descent and a farmer. Crapo took every opportunity to learn especially new words. He taught himself how to be a land surveyor from a book. After working as a surveyor, he became a teacher at the village school at Dartmouth. With a new high school, Henry passed the test to be principal of the new school.[4]
He moved to New Bedford in 1832 at the age of 28 years. There, he returned to being a land surveyor, sometimes an auctioneer and entered the whaling business. He soon was involved in the town's government, being elected to various positions, Town Clerk, Treasurer, and Collector of taxes. He continued as Collector for 15 years until New Bedford became a city, then served the city as Treasurer and Collector of taxes for two or three years.[4]
Crapo was a Justice of the Peace in New Bedford for many years. In 1841 he ruled in favor of the train conductor whom David Ruggles, who was Black, had sued for assault and battery after being violently thrown off a train for sitting in the first-class, "whites only" car. Crapo stated that train conductors had the right to do so, "the right being implied in the very nature of things and supported by common sense."[5] Later that year he delivered a similar decision against the Black abolitionist minister Thomas James, ruling "that custom was law, and that by custom colored people were not allowed to ride in cars in company of white people." James appealed the case and the Massachusetts Supreme Court reversed Crapo's decision, declaring, according to James, "that the word "color," as applied to persons, was unknown to the laws of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, and that the youngest colored child had the same rights as the richest white citizen."[6]
Crapo was elected Alderman of New Bedford, and became Chairman of Council Committee on Education. In the latter role he prepared a report upon which was based the order for the establishment of the free Public Library of New Bedford. On its organization, Mr. Crapo was chosen as a member of the board of trustees. This was the first free public library in Massachusetts, if not in the world. The Boston Free Library was established, however, soon afterwards. While a resident in New Bedford, he was much interested in horticulture, and to obtain the land necessary for carrying out his ideas he drained and reclaimed several acres of rocky and swampy land adjoining his garden. Here he started a nursery, which he filled with almost every description of fruit and ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers, etc. In this he was very successful and took great pride. He was a regular contributor to the New England Horticultural Journal, a position he filled as long as he lived in Massachusetts. As an indication of the wide reputation he acquired in that field of labor, it may be mentioned that after his death an affecting eulogy to his memory was pronounced by the President of the National Horticultural Society at its meeting in Philadelphia, in 1869. A fine barque built at Dartmouth, of which he was part owner, was named the "H. H. Crapo" in compliment to him.[4]
In 1858 Crapo moved to Flint, Michigan, primarily due to investments in pinelands, and became Flint's mayor in 1860.[7] His family established a lucrative lumbering business in the area, which by the beginning of the Civil War was one of the largest individually owned lumber firms in the state.[8] He served as mayor until 1861. He was instrumental in the construction of the Flint and Holly Railroad, and was President of that corporation until its consolidation with the Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad. The line is now the CSX Saginaw Subdivision and leased by Lake State Railway.
In 1862, he was elected to the Michigan Senate to represent 24th District from 1863 to 1864.
In 1864, he was nominated on the Republican ticket for Governor of Michigan and won the election. He was re-elected in 1866, holding the office for two terms and retiring in January 1869.
While serving his last term he was attacked with a disease. A successful surgical operation was performed which seemed rapidly to restore him, but he overestimated his strength, and by too much exertion in business matters and State affairs suffered a relapse from which there was no rebound. Crapo died at the age of 65, nearly seven months after leaving office, at his home in Flint, and is interred there at Glenwood Cemetery.[9]
He married Mary Ann Slocum (1805-1875) on June 9, 1825, in Dartmouth, MA. Their son, William W. Crapo was born on May 16, 1830, in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts.[10] He became a lawyer and then served Massachusetts as a representative at the state and federal levels.[11] A daughter married James C. Willson, a doctor and mayor of Flint.[11] His daughter, Rebecca, married William Clark Durant and their only son, William Crapo Durant (Billy Durant), became the leader of Flint's carriage and an automobile industry pioneer who founded General Motors.[12] Crapo's granddaughter, Letta Crapo Smith, daughter of Lucy Crapo, was a well-known painter in the Detroit area.[13]
Children of Henry and Mary: