Louisiana AHGP

Part of the American History and Genealogy Project

William Carey Crane

William Carey Crane was born in 1816 in Richmond, Virginia and died in 1885 in Independence, Texas. Rev. Crane attended Mt. Pleasant Classical Institute, Richmond Academy, Virginia Baptist Seminary (now Richmond College), Hamilton Literary and Theological Institute and Colgate. He received his A.B. and A.M. degrees from George Washington University and Doctor of Divinity from Mt. Lebanon University. Dr. Crane was ordained in 1838 and became a cofounder and vice-president of the Mississippi State Historical Society and a prolific historical writer. Dr. Crane was one of the delegates from the Mississippi Convention to the formation of the Southern Baptist Convention and presented the resolution on the separation from the northern churches. He served as pastor in Montgomery, Alabama and as president of the Mississippi Female College and Semple Broaddus College before relocating to Louisiana in 1860. He was pastor at Homer Baptist Church from 1860 to 1861, succeeded G. W. Hartwell as president of Mt. Lebanon University and was president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention for the years 1860, 1861 and 1862.

While pastor at Homer, he was co-editor of the Mississippi Baptist and was the first president of the Louisiana Historical Society. He served as pastor of Mt. Lebanon church from 1860 until 1863, at which time he was requested to resign. The reasons for this request could be various. The Civil War had disrupted mail service so that incoming members could not receive letters from many war torn areas.

The church at Mt. Lebanon had allowed such persons to join that church in full fellowship and some disagreement about that practice could have been the cause of the request. Mt. Lebanon also had recently dropped services for its black members and his reaction could have caused some dissension. The fact he had been a general agent for the now suspect American Tract Society could also have caused conflict. These troubled times could have produced any number of areas for conflict, including the possibility of heresy. We may never know. It is certain, however, that Dr. Crane was a well respected pastor and theologian of the day. He streamlined and shortened business meetings and encouraged the incorporation of Homer Baptist church. and continued to encourage missionary activity and support of the Southern Baptist convention when the local association did not. Special offerings to support local missionary activity were sent regularly from our church.

In 1861 he went to Minden and served one year as the pastor of Minden's church and of the church at Saline. Homer was left without a preacher at that time. Dr. Crane moved to Texas in 1864 and became president of Baylor University using his private funds to help the university survive the trying years of Civil War and Reconstruction. He became a major influence in education in Texas and was credited with many reforms. Dr. Crane served as president of the Texas State Teachers Association, led in the establishment of Sam Houston Normal Institute, reorganized the Texas school system following reconstruction, helped establish the University of Texas and wrote the definitive biography of Sam Houston. The church minutes reveal the interesting fact that a delegation of character witnesses was sent from the church to Mt. Lebanon in the trial of Dr. Crane, possibly for some supposed heresy. Charges against him were subsequently dropped. 12

Biographical Sketches| Claiborne Parish | AHGP

Source: Author's Notice: I hereby give permission for the free dissemination of any and all material included within the book and permit any non profit use of that material. Should any agency wish to use the material in a profit context, permission must be secured from the church body of First Baptist Church, Homer, LA 71040.  By Barbara Smith, Homer, Louisiana.