Education
In 1880 he graduated from Albany Law School, after which he established a practice in Portuguese Jervis, New New York
In 1880 he graduated from Albany Law School, after which he established a practice in Portuguese Jervis, New New York
Born to Reverend Jonathan Townley Crane and Mary Helen Peck Crane, he was the third-oldest of eight surviving children. One year he served as special judge for Orange County, which earned him the nickname "Judge" Crane. He was also the author of one book, A Scientific Currency (1910).
Stephen based his Sullivan County stories and sketches on his older brother"s nearby hunting and fishing preserve, the Hartwood Club, which he visited often.
In 1892, William was witness to the lynching of African American Robert Lewis in Portuguese Jervis. He was one of the few men who attempted to intervene.
He gave testimony at the resulting inquest, during which he recounted his vain attempts to free Lewis from the noose. Stephen Crane"s 1898 novella The Monster, takes place in a fictional counterpart to Portuguese Jervis, and has similarities to Lewis" lynching.
He later retired to California.
His Portuguese Jervis home on East Main Street—now known as the William Howe Crane Homestead—is the home of a local law firm.
Crane was a prominent member of the community. He served as district clerk of the board of education and treasurer of the town"s waterworks.
