Robert Temple Crouch 5 ((Thomas Harris 4, John 3, Richard 2, Richard 1) born 1821 in Pb. Chesterfield Co., Virginia; death 1/12/1897. [1][11] Married Belle Armstrong 1859.
The children of Robert Temple and Belle (Armstrong) Crouch were:
1. Thomas Temple Crouch 6 born May 6, 1860 Goochland Co., Virginia [2] [3][8]2. Clara A. Crouch 6 born circa 1867 Goochland Co. Virginia [3] Married Maynard B. Pierpoint. [5][6]
3. Lucy Moore Crouch 6 born in Goochland Co., Virginia; married Edward DeVere Burr [3][4] Their son Richard T. Burr born abt 1899 and died Mar 29, 1934 in Miami, Dade, FL. [10]
4. Bell A. Crouch 6 born March 9, 1873 Court House, Goochland Co. Va. [9]
[1] Birth Date / Death Date / Rank:
Samuel Bassett French (1820-1898), attorney, judge, Confederate officer, and editor, was a Norfolk native who lived in Chesterfield County and Richmond. (Accession 21332) Between 1890 and 1897 and in preparation for an intended biographical dictionary to be titled Annals of Prominent Virginians of the XIX Century, French compiled biographical information on almost 9,000 men, often obtaining information either from the subject or members of the immediate family.Robert Temple Crouch Born Richmond 1831; Died Richmond 1/12/1897.
Civil War Service:
Captain. Robert T. Crouch Enlisted in the Goochland Grays on 20 May 1861 at Manakin for one year. 1st Lieutenant. Appointed Quartermaster 11 August 1861. Retired 8 February 1863 as Captain. Died 12 January 1897.
[2] 1860 Census - Goochland County, Virginia
Robert T. Crouch ....Age 39 .....Male ........Farmer .......Real Estate 6,300 .......................................Born VirginiaBelle Crouch ...........Age 34 .....Female ...........................................................................................Born Virginia
Thomas S. Crouch ..Age 1/12 ..Male ..............................................................................................Born Virginia
(Thomas Crouch's middle initial on line 22 of the 1860 census is shaped the same way as the 'S' in Samuel on line 32 of the same page of the 1860 census record which is why it's shown as an 'S' in this record. It is not shaped like the 'T' in his father's middle initial.)
[3] 1870 Census - Goochland County, Virginia
Robert T. Crouch ....Age 50 ......Male ......Farmer .........Real Estate 1,600 ..Personal Estate 300 .....Born VirginiaBelle Crouch ...........Age 40 ......Female ..Keeping House ................................................................Born Virginia
Thomas T. Crouch ..Age 10 ......Male ......At Home ..........................................................................Born Virginia
Clara A. Crouch ......Age 3 ........Female ..At Home...........................................................................Born Virginia
Lucy M. Crouch ......Age 1 .......Female ...At Home...........................................................................Born Virginia
(Thomas Crouch's middle initial in the 1870 Census is not shaped like the 'T' in his father's middle name, does not look like the 'S' in Susan on line 2 or the 'S' in Samuel on line 34 of the same page. It could be a 'T' but I have some doubt.)
[3a] 1880 Census - Tuckahoe, Henrico County, Virginia (copied from a transcibed record - need actual)
Robert T. Crouch ....Age57.....Male...Widowed.................................................................................Born VirginiaLucy A. Crouch.......Age 42....Female...Sister........Keeping House....................................................Born Virginia
Thomas T. Crouch...Age 18... Male......Son...........Clerk in Grocery..................................................Born Virginia
Clara A. Crouch........Age.13....Female...Daughter.....At Home............................................................Born Virginia
Lucy M. Crouch.......Age 11....Female...Daughter.....At Home............................................................Born Virginia
Bell A. Crouch..........Age 7......Female...Daughter.....At Home............................................................Born Virginia
(Robert T. Crouch's age is listed as 57. Did the person who transcribed confuse a 9 for a 7 or did the census taker make a mistake?)
[4] "Bun"
the story of Edward DeVere BurrFlorida Pioneer, Chairman of the Dade County Commission
facts, legends and rumors as told to great-grandson Robert Adams Burr
Edward DeVere Burr, affectionately know as "Bun" to his family and friends, was a pioneer of Arch Creek, Florida. The moniker, it is told, was derived from the fact that as an infant, his ears were rather large and the family wondered aloud whether he might first walk or hop like a bunny. By all accounts, Bun Burr was a magnanimous fellow that spent the best years of his life serving his community well. An articulate, considerate and often humorous gentleman, Bun always had time to listen and offer advice to family and friends.
From the day he joined the county commission in January, 1915, he was the dominate force in Dade politics, serving as chairman of the commission from 1917 to 1921. During his tenure, East Dixie Highway (US1), the Miami Canal Highway, Ingraham Highway, The Bay Causeway, Tamiami Trail and a myriad of bridges and public roads were conceived and constructed and millions of dollars of bonds were issued for infrastructure improvements in Dade.
His most significant contribution was to connect all the disparate settlements of Dade with modern roads, then connect these communities to others throughout the state. Between 1910 and 1920, the population of Dade County quadrupled. Much of this growth can be attributed to aggressive improvement of infrastructure.
Edward DeVere Burr was an Arch Creek pioneer, but was the fourth generation of his family to call Florida home.
He came south as a six year old child. Along with older brother Richard and younger brother Raymond, sisters Mary Marian and Sarah Caroline (Carrie), parents Richard Hudson Burr and Margaret Marion Fenwick, grandfather Edward DeVere Burr and Great Aunt Mary McDaniels, they left the comfort of their Georgetown, Washington D.C. community to settle the wilds of Florida.
Father Richard went to college in Pennsylvania and at Georgetown. After graduating, he worked for U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, DC as third auditor. Grandfather Edward, a Yale Graduate, was a distinguished commissioner for the District of Columbia and formerly the Indian Agent of the State of Maine.
In Washington, the family could trace its roots back to Governor Alexander Spotswood of Virginia and Quaker pilgrims that first settled North America in the 1640s. Revolutionary War hero Colonel Benjamin Temple of the Virginia Dragoons is a noted ancestor. I've also heard the Burr family once owed property where our nation's capital building now stands.
After the Civil War, Americans turned once again to the task of exploring the continent, many heading west in search of gold, riches or wide open spaces. But Richard Hudson Burr dreamed of living the frost-free life in Florida and raising his family in a sub-tropical setting.
Enticed by rumors and legends of life in paradise, of balmy winters that cured a dozen ailments, of a land where an abundance of exotic, delicious fruit fell from trees only to rot on the ground, Richard yearned to build a new home down south. He was eager to try his hand at growing exotic palms, orchids and other flowering plants, tropical fruits and winter vegetables.
Leaving the family behind and traveling south with best friend (and brother in-law) Frank Fenwick, Richard set out to explore the possibilities. Traveling to Florida in 1875 was not for the faint of heart. Along the way, both men contracted yellow fever and were hospitalized in Charleston, South Carolina. Frank died shortly thereafter and Richard recovered. He subsequently continued to Florida, returning to Georgetown with wonderful stories and invigorated enthusiasm for the prospect of a new life as a rustic pioneer.
The next year found them traveling far inland of the great peninsula on the St. Johns River, heading toward the small settlement of Windsor, just east of Gainesville in Allachua County. Windsor was attracting the attention of many Florida-bound families. It had a church, a school, a store and the basic infrastructure necessary to sustain the Burrs in their hopeful mission as pioneer farmers.
Edward, his siblings and extended family enjoyed the mild winters and sunny climate of Florida. The census of 1880 found them settled in Allachua county with a new baby sister named Helen, but his father had a keen interest in moving further south. He learned of an emerging community along the Peace River, just south of Bartow named Homeland, where rich growing land was inexpensive and plentiful. By 1886, the Burrs were moving south again, settling on a beautiful tract known as Kissingen Springs, a small watering hole that fed into the mighty Peace River. Legend has it that an agreement between the Seminoles and settlers would insure a peaceful coexistence if each stayed on their own side of the river.
Edward was a teenager when the family settled in Homeland. He attended the little school that remains there today, along with the original church and a collection of pioneer structures at Homeland Pioneer Park, just west of Route 17. His father created quite a showplace of exotic plants and fruit trees, experimenting with the cross-breeding of several species of palms to create his own unique variety.
The Burrs were active in civic affairs and were known to host wonderful social events at their place near the springs. Among others in the area, the Burdines family called Homeland home.
Edward's grandfather, his great aunt Mary and his mother passed away during the years the family lived in Homeland and are buried in the old Homeland Cemetery, just east of Highway 17. Although they enjoyed their adventures in horticulture and life in Homeland, it was difficult to make ends meet in the remote wilds of Florida. The devastating freeze of 1895 wiped out the majority of their hard earned labor from the previous decade.
News that Henry Flagler had extended his railroad to Dade County in the same year and the prospects that Miami might become a boom town was enough to convince Edward's father to explore further south again. By 1897, Richard once again led his family south this time to the shores of Biscayne Bay.
Edward met and married Lucy Moore Crouch of Goochland, Virginia and their first child Margaret was born before leaving Homeland. Soon, the whole family was moving to Dade County. Richard, jr. settled Little River. Brother Raymond went to Goulds and Edward found a beautiful homestead property on Little Arch Creek. Sisters Carrie, Helen and Marian married prominent leaders in Dade County and the Burr brothers each made their mark as pioneers in their respective communities.
Edward's father, Richard Hudson Burr died in 1902 in Little River. The family had earlier purchased the first plot in the old Miami Cemetery and there laid their father the grand adventurer, the bold explorer, the nature lover to rest.
Richard, jr. established a store and served as postmaster to Little River before being elected to the state legislature and serving a long term as state railroad commissioner at a time when the building of railroads in the Sunshine Sate was the highest priority. With great success and popularity in public service, he was urged to run for governor of the state in 1903.
Brother Raymond established a very successful farming operation in Goulds as the railroad completed its southern migration there in 1903. Today, Burr's Berry Farm on Hainlin Mill Drive is known far and wide as a required stop for tourists and locals who enjoy the incredible strawberries, delicious milk shakes and home-made jellies and jams produced just as they were nearly a century ago.
Edward and Lucy saw a wonderful future and great opportunities in Arch Creek. Farming the prairie and selling fertilizer to other farmers, the Burrs made steady progress as pioneer farmers. Son Richard Temple Burr was born in Miami in 1900. Soon after, sister Mary came along and before 1907 the family had built a large comfortable home on Little Arch Creek which still stands today at 11900 NE 16th Avenue. Son Robert Spotswood Burr rounded out the clan in 1908 and the Burrs settled into making the most of their pioneer life on Biscayne Bay.
In 1901, Edward organized land owners and farmers in the neighborhood. By 1903, they had dug a canal that provided access to the bay from almost a mile into the prairie lands. Along with eleven other families, they established the first congregational church. Edward was among the first trustees of the new Arch Creek school house and he established the Knights of Pythias lodge to provide community service.
In 1910, Edward and C.F. Kalch built a packing plant at Arch Creek, mostly to accommodate the plentiful produce of local tomato farmers.
Situated next to the train station at Arch Creek, the packing plant was a hub of activity during the harvest seasons. Men, women and children all worked overtime to insure that fresh fruits and vegetables were loaded onto the daily train cars that carried their produce north.
On the Burr property on Little Arch Creek, the family enjoyed the gentle bay breezes and copious shade of majestic oak trees that covered their homestead. The children attended the Arch Creek School and the Burrs became very active in civic affairs. Pop Wiggins, the self-proclaimed best barbecue chef in the world, would often fire up a pit of coals at the Arch, cooking large quantities of fresh beef, pork, chicken and quail and people would come from miles around to enjoy these pleasant outings along the creek.
Edward's mother Lucy and sisters Margaret and Mary soon gained well-deserved reputations for their baked goods, home-made jellies and jams and other delicious recipes. The boys, Dick and Spot, enjoyed hunting and fishing in the vast expanse of undeveloped woods that surrounded their property on the creek.
As Edward enjoyed the maturing fruits of his labor and the family established roots in the community, he turned his attention to public service. There was much work to be done to transform the pioneer wilderness into the burgeoning metropolis that he foresaw for South Florida.
In 1915, E.D.V. Burr was elected to the Dade County Commission on a platform of building the necessary infrastructure to embrace the rapid growth and increasing population of South Florida. From his first day on the board, he established himself as the leading proponent of road and bridge building. Some suggested this was because he owned the first automobile in Arch Creek, but his real motivation was to link the disparate settlements in Dade County together in order to promote commerce, agriculture, tourism and social interaction.
In January of 1915, Dade County extended all the way to the Palm Beach County line, including Ft. Lauderdale. His first order of business was a motion to build a modern $25,000 steel bridge over the New River at Andrews Avenue, replacing the old wooden structure that had long outlived its usefulness. Dade County and the City of Ft. Lauderdale shared this cost and the project was completed in less than one year.
In October of 1915, Broward County was established by the state legislature and members of their new county commission met with the Dade counterparts to consider how best to divide their assets and obligations. That same month, Coral Gables founder George E. Merrick replaced commissioner F.A. Bryan as the representative of district one. Together with Burr, the two of them proposed the lion's share of road and building projects, and issued the bonds to pay for them, setting the pace for a decade of grand improvements throughout the county.
Another seminal event that occurred in October of 1915 was the suggestion of building a road westward across the everglades. The Miami-Marco portion of the Tamiami Trail was a grandiose project that would require years of work and large sums of money in an effort to better connect Dade County to other growing population centers in Florida. The name is derived from the route it would span Tampa to Miami.
Even more critical to Burr was the eastern route along the coast of Dade County, soon to be named East Dixie Highway. This newly paved path linked the settlements of Lemon City, Little River, Biscayne and Arch Creek through Burr's district, as well as the upstart sub-divisions known as Fallasen Park, Elmira, Acadia, Biscayne Heights and Aqua Vista. This eastern road, built on a high ridge, also allowed wonderful views of Biscayne Bay and was the preferred route for travelers visiting the area by car.
By contrast, West Dixie Highway, the original military trail that linked Ft. Lauderdale with Ft. Dallas on the Miami River, passed through a number of low lying prairies and was subject to flooding all too often.
This high ridge that defines the eastern and western coasts of Florida, was long used by indigenous settlers, then later, modern pioneers as a dependable north-south path. Soon dubbed the Ingraham Highway, the route south of Miami and Coconut Grove was further enhanced by building a bridge over Snapper Creek.
Not a commission meeting went by that a number of roads were not requested to be declared as public highways, to be constructed to the standards set by the commission and maintained in perpetuity for the benefit of the public. When citizens would petition the commission for such roads, a group of viewers would be appointed by the commission to evaluate the route and report back their findings. These connecting series of roads allowed farmers to get their crops to market before spoiling, increased the value of land surrounding them and raised the tax roles of a fast-growing Dade County to the greater benefit of the public.
Citrus Canker was a top priority of growers and the state agriculture department. On behalf of growers, the commission strongly urged the state to establish an experimental station to study the issue and provide growers with support in its eradication.
From time to time, citizens would come before the board to request relief for the poorest of their neighbors. The commission would often grant payments of $9 a month for individuals or $18 a month for families considered destitute. The commission also operated a property popularly known as the poor farm, where those of limited means were offered work in exchange for food, shelter and basic medical attention. Some elderly folks and children were provided one-way transportation by the commission to points north when relatives would accept responsibility for their care.
Roads were largely built with the labor of state and county convicts. Dade County operated several convict camps at this time and the inmates were designated to work on projects specified by the commission. Convicts could also be leased to landowners and construction companies, but owing to the urgent need for road building, the commission generally preferred to prioritize their use to public projects.
The county commission also made a priority of purchasing the latest road building equipment, replacing out-date stream driven tractors and rollers with modern gasoline powered units, which were kept busy at all times improving the public roads.
The process for issuing bonds to pay for improvements involved canvassing the public in each district as to whether they would approve tax increases to pay for improvement bonds. If 25% of freeholders and registered voters in a designated district were in favor of such consideration, the commission would call for public elections for such matters, prepare the ballots and assign overseers and clerks in each voting district to carry out the elections. The commission would later meet to count the votes, validate the election and announce the results.
In December of 1915, commissioners requested from the War Department, permission to build a causeway across Biscayne Bay. By utilizing spoil islands created by the dredging of Government Cut, the plan was to connect Miami and Miami Beach with a modern thoroughfare that would replace the aging wooden Collins Bridge. This enormous project, spanning almost two miles across the bay, would include steel bridges at east and west entrances to the causeway, a pedestrian walkway and light rail components as well as the broad road to accommodate increasing traffic needs. The bond issue, for $600,000 was far and away the largest in Dade County history and would have a major impact on the ability to move building materials, provisions and automobile traffic between island and mainland.
In an effort to clean up the waterfront along Biscayne Bay, seawalls were constructed and the commission was asked to declare these newly filled additions to shoreline properties to be the titled in the name of respective property owners, rather than to the county or city of Miami. It was decided this was in the best interest of the public, as well as the land owners.
Each commissioner was to receive an equal share for his district of monies budgeted for road and infrastructure improvements each year. Edward saw to it that Arch Creek, Little River and the areas now known as Greater North Miami received their fair share of improvements, including new concrete bridges over Arch Creek, Little Arch Creek and Little River.
The temperance movement was gaining influence and commissioners were asked to hold a special election to determine the public's preference as to the sale of alcoholic beverages in Dade County. The final tally was 635 in favor and 1138 opposed, so Dade County was officially declared a dry county in December of 1915.
In 1916, Burr championed extensions to the Miami Canal Highway westward, the Ingraham Highway to Homestead, the initial work on Tamiami Trail toward Lee County, East Dixie Highway into Broward County and a myriad of other roads, deemed priorities to an ever-expanding Dade County.
In 1917, Edward was unanimously elected chairman of the commission. His proactive leadership set the standard in his community and throughout South Florida, providing the necessary precursor to the coming land boom of the 1920s.
In September 1917, Mr. F.C.B. LeGro and his Biscayne Bay Islands Company requested permission from the commission to construct two islands in Biscayne Bay, to be connected by bridges to the coming causeway. These properties, later to be known as Hibiscus and Star Islands, would become the homes for leading businessmen, movie stars and notorious gangsters in later years and are today considered some of the most desirable properties in Dade County.
In November 1917, a request was made to cut a channel through Baker's Haulover so as to allow fresh water from Arch Creek, Little River and Dumbfoundling River to flow to the ocean more easily. Since the dredging of Government Cut and the creation of spoil islands and the causeway, it was proposed that Biscayne Bay, north of the cut, was retaining fresh water to the detriment of bay oysters, and otherwise creating foul odors and unsanitary conditions for those that lived along the shoreline in the North Bay area. The dredging was funded in 1919 in the amount of $48,000 with the federal government asked to contribute to the effort.
In 1918, before the end of World War I, steel was a precious commodity. In order to procure steel to build the two bridges that would connect Miami and Miami Beach via the new causeway, commissioners appealed to the War Department Priorities Division to explain the urgent need for these vital materials. The War department agreed and permission was given to the construction company to procure the steel and proceed at once with the building of these bridges.
In January of 1919 E.D.V. Burr was once again elected as Chairman of the County Commission by unanimous vote. He continued to oversee major projects and lead Dade County toward its rightful place as a strategically important and geographically influential community in the 20th century.
Edward passed away in 1937 at the Burr home on Biscayne Bay at 402 NE 22nd Street, surounded by family and friends. "Bun" is buried, along with wife Lucy Moore Crouch Burr, father Richard Hudson Burr, brother Richard Hudson Burr, jr. and son Richard Temple Burr in the old Miami Cemetery in the Burr family plot. His grandson Richard Child Burr lives in central Florida and great-grandsons Richard Temple Burr II and Robert Adams Burr, and great-great grandson Robert Vincent Burr still live in South Florida.
Edward's legacy, as a pioneer of Homeland, Little River and Arch Creek, as well as his service to the Dade County Commission, is embodied in the restoration of his historic home on Little Arch Creek. Thanks to the efforts of Rick Ferrer and Ivan Rodriguez of the Dade County Historic Preservation Department, the interest of the Greater North Miami Historical Society and the Cornerstone Group, the well-respected developer of the Bay Winds community now erected on the old Burr property, Edward DeVere Burr's significant contributions to South Florida will be remembered and appreciated for years to come.
[5] "Bun" the story of Edward DeVere Burr
Photo on Burr web page with caption identifying two ladies as Lucy Moore Crouch Burr and Clara Crouch Pierpoint (Lucy's sister.)
[6] Virginia Marriages 1785-1940 - Clara A. Crouch , age 20, born 1867 in Goochland County, VA married Maynard B. Peerpout, age 20, born 1867 Georgia on 17th May 1887 in Henrico County, VA.. Clara A. Crouch's parents were Ro. T. Crouch and Bella Crouch and Maynard B. Peerpout's parents were Jas. Peerpout and Eliza Peerpout.
[7] Pierpont Genealogy and connecting lines - Particularly Rev. John Pierpont
Maynard Boardman Pierpont, born in Valdosta, GA, November 17, 1866, married in Richmond, VA., May 17, 1887, Clara A. Crouch. He died in Pensacola, Fla., July 17, 1897. Their children are(a) Robert Crouch Pierpoint, born March 12, 1888.
[8] Virginia Births and Christenings, 1853-1917: Thomas T. Crouch born May 6, 1860; Goochland, Virginia; the son of Ro. T. and Belle Crouch.
[9] Virginia Births and Christenings, 1853-1917: Bell Crouch born Mar 9, 1873 at Court House, Goochland, VA; the daughter of R.T. and Bell Crouch.
[10] Florida Deaths, 1877-1939: Richard T. Burr born abt. 1899 in Miami, FL.; died 29 Mar 1934 Miami, Dade, FL. the son of Edward D.V. Burr (born Washington, D.C.) and Lucy M. Crouch (born Richmond, VA.). He was a salesman who resided at 640 N.E. 71st St.; Miami, Dade, FL. and he was buried in the City Cemetery, Miami, FL. on 31 Mar 1934.
[11] Louisiana Biography & Obituary Index
Robert Temple Crouch, died 1897, age 76 years, male
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If you are a descendant of Richard Crouch of Goochland County, Virginia, have information different, or in addition to what's shown above (birth information, baptistry info, marriage bonds/certificates, wills, obituaries, deeds, court records, etc..) please forward to Joe Crouch and I will edit and or add it to this site.