Background
His father was Rufus Crain, a physician, a judge of the Court of Common Pleas for sixteen years, and a near relative of General Israel Putnam. He entered his father"s office as a student of medicine, and practiced for about two years.
His father was Rufus Crain, a physician, a judge of the Court of Common Pleas for sixteen years, and a near relative of General Israel Putnam. He entered his father"s office as a student of medicine, and practiced for about two years.
Then he gave up the practice of medicine, and occupieded himself with agriculture, his landed interests in Warren being considerable. Their sons were Dunham Jones Crain (1831–1908) and Doctor William Baker Crain (d 1907). He was a member from Herkimer County of the New York State Assembly in 1832, 1845 and 1846, and was Speaker in 1846.
He was Sheriff of Herkimer County from 1840 to 1843.
In 1852, he was a presidential elector on the Democratic ticket, voting for Franklin Pierce. In 1860, he ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor of New New York
Crain was politically a Democrat of the Jeffersonian school. He was many times a delegate to Democratic National Conventions, and often represented his party in state conventions.