Lawrence William Crehore: The Man Who Changed the Face of FallonLawrence W. Crehore III
 | | Lawrence William Crehore |
It’s 1912 as we look down a still unpaved Maine Street where deep trenches are being dug for the installation of water and sewer pipes. A scant few years ago one could only have imagined what it would be like to have electricity, water and sewer in every home in Fallon. Just how did this modernization come to be?
Fallon’s city administration realized that they needed professional help in the form of an engineer in order to fulfill this dream. The city fathers, lead by Mayor George Sherman and councilmen John Oats, J.C. Jones and Wm. S. Pyle, passed Fallon City Ordinance #32 authorizing the city to borrow $15,000 to be used to design and install the new utilities. January 1912, E.P. Osgood was appointed acting city engineer. Mr. Pyle would soon resign from his councilman duties and Joe Jarvis would join the team.
With the dream in motion, E.P. Osgood resigned to go on to other ventures and July 13, 1912, found W.H. Reavis taking over temporary responsibilities for the construction of the sewer system. It became evident that the emerging City of Fallon needed another employee who was a self-starter, adventurous, hard working, a people person, a visionary who was willing to start with a clean palette, to fill the position of city electrician; someone to design and construct a sewage treatment plant. The man they needed was closer than they had imagined. He was located in Lovelock, Nevada! This man was Lawrence "Larry" William Crehore, my grandfather.
Larry Crehore was born October, 6, 1880, in Marquette, Wisconsin, to William Lawrence and Katherine Vine Crehore. In 1884 tragedy befell the Crehore family with the death of William. Katherine now faced a task she had never given much thought to, raising a four year old son without the help of a husband. Drawing from deep within her heart she set to the task with the determination only seen in mothers of the young. In time she would meet and fall in love with Andrew Jackson Aikens. Andrew worked as publisher and editor of The Milwaukee Journal. They married and Katherine’s life was once again full. This union was blessed by the birth of a second son, Andrew Jackson "Jack" Aikens, Jr. Jack and Larry filled the house with joy and the noise of two happy brothers living life in a time when all things were wonderfully new. Much to the awe of Katherine, they brought wonders home in their pockets, jars or cupped in their little hands to show Mommy. Toads, garter snakes, lizards, lightning bugs, spiders and rolly-pollies all become pets for a day. Young minds full of imagination, soon to be enhanced by public school attendance, worked to guide these boys through their youth.
During the years of schooling that followed both Larry and Jack learned to question and dream. And by the time their primary education had come to an end both realized that the wave of their future was only going to happen through a higher education.
Larry went on to enter the University of Wisconsin in 1900, graduating in 1902 as an engineer. He worked as an electrical engineer in northern New York state where he built the first electrical plant. He also did engineering work in Texas and Kentucky. Next his mining interests brought him west from his home in Marquette, Wisconsin. He arrived in Lovelock, Nevada, in 1907 where he busied himself with the mining of bat guano from the Lovelock Cave. No doubt it was during this period in time he adopted the signature clothing style that he would wear throughout his entire life; jodhpurs and knee high lace-up boots which protected his legs from the elements, brush and reptiles.
On a special day in 1911, while Larry was mining the guano deposits, he uncovered a treasure not left by bats. He and his associates had been attracted to the cave some twenty miles south of Lovelock by stories told to them by local Indians of early warfare in which the Paiutes had been victorious. They had trapped their enemies in the cave by closing the exit and starting fires inside, thus causing them to be smothered and burned.
He would recall that it was under sixteen feet of guano that they came onto the mummy of a red-headed Indian seven feet tall, and mummies of a small woman and child. The large mummy had a rope around his neck tied exactly as a buckaroo’s lariat noose. Near the bodies were wonderfully woven baskets, jugs that would still hold water and nets that looked as though made of modern white string but were of wild hemp and had been used for trapping rabbits. There was a basket of seeds or grain, hundreds of tule duck decoys, and the walls of the cave were painted with symbols. His find would be described a few years later by the Hye Foundation of Indian Research as the most prolific source of Indian relics ever found in one place. These treasures have been radio carbon dated as early as 4,700 years to 145 years before the present.
It was through Larry’s efforts that the Smithsonian Institution, in 1926, requested the Department of Interior to set aside forty acres of public land for further archaeological research of the Lovelock Cave. In later years Crehore said he had no idea whatever happened to all of the relics.
Following this Pershing County experience, the multi-talented Larry was called to a new challenge in Fallon. In 1912, Larry was appointed city electrician with the responsibility for designing, constructing and putting into perfect working order the city system of -- forty lights. What pride he must have felt when on Saturday night, September 21, 1912, the electric current was turned on and the city was a blaze of light! In appreciation of his work, he was appointed Fallon’s first city engineer on August 13, 1913, a position which he would hold until June of 1923 -- through five administrations -- thus allowing Fallon to come galloping into the 20th century.
While things were going well in Nevada for Larry, his stepfather, Andrew Jackson Aikens, died in Madison, Wisconsin. Once again, Katherine found herself alone. Out of love and concern for his mother, Larry brought her west to live with him in Fallon. At this time, another of his talents came to the forefront as he designed and had constructed for himself and his mother a lovely home, in an area surrounded by pastures, at 625 West Williams Avenue. They would live here together for approximately five years when he would deed the property over to Katherine. Within a few years she would sell this place and move into another home, also designed by her son, a block up the street, where she lived until her death in 1941.This home, located at 727 West Williams, was then occupied by the Wendell Nelson family and presently houses Just Country Friends store.
 | | Katherine's second home, later occupied by the Wendell Nelson family, presently houses "Just Country Friends." This photograph was taken before the addition was added to the west side of the home. |
The original structure, known for decades to follow as the Aikens house, would become home to many prominent local families and was later remodeled to accommodate a medical facility. Owners have been Elizabeth Carter; Florence Gendron, an artist; C.B. Likes; Mr. and Mrs. E.M. Dawes, Mr. and Mrs. John L. Dynan, and Percy G. Dobson who were mining people; Clarita Fortune Davis; Carl and Bette Dodge and Kenneth and Sig Nickle. Businesses housed here have included: Eileen’s [Cooper] Style Shop; Dr. Gary Ridenour; Dr. Kim Adamson and, in 2002, the building is known as White Rose Medical Clinic.
It was obvious from the beginning of his residency here that Crehore was a very civic minded person. At the organizational meeting of the Fallon Volunteer Fire Department on August 30, 1915, Larry was elected assistant secretary. He would serve his community as a fireman until his retirement in 1945.
One of Fallon’s most eligible bachelors, Larry met and fell in love with Gladys Willis, the daughter of local homesteaders William Murphy and Ida Brown Willis, who had come to this valley in 1905. Gladys, a native of Hale, Missouri, attended local schools and the University of California at Berkeley. She and Larry were married during August of 1917 in San Jose, California.
Earlier that same year the United States found itself involved in World War I. Larry enlisted in the United States Army, and while serving in the Army Corps of Engineers rose to the rank of Captain. He was stationed for a time at Fort Monroe, Virginia. While he was away in the Army, the City of Fallon officials held open his position as city engineer. Upon his return from the war effort, he resumed his work at city hall and settled into the next chapter of his life. On December 13, 1919, Larry and Gladys were blessed with their first born, Lawrence W. Crehore, Jr. Being in the business of designing things, the new father set about planning a beautiful home for his own family. By now, he had settled upon an architectural style and constructed the home located at 90 South Allen Street with his trademark porch pillars and eyebrow arches. Today the home is occupied by Ray and Pam Donahue.
Over the years their family would grow with the addition of a daughter named Patricia Vine, who arrived August 31, 1922, and a third child, Margaret Knapp, who tried to beat the new year, but was born on January 6, 1925.
Times were hard in those days, and yet at the same time full of fun. Families would take walks together on the alkali flats looking for and finding arrowheads left by generations of Native Americans who traversed the country eking out a far tougher existence than we can even imagine today. Picnics were a common family activity and one had only to look about, to see the joy of being alive during these times. Just as the Iron Horse had linked the East to the West, so the advent of the automobile would link the masses. Being a fairly new item, whenever there was a parade, you would find every automobile in town parading the streets and Larry’s wife, Gladys, presented herself as quite the lady in the family’s Olds touring car.
Now settled down to the life of a civilian, he broadened his involvement in community activities. Larry was a charter member of the Churchill Post of the American Legion and served as their spokesman on many occasions. He was also an early patron of Myrtle Chapter - Order of Eastern Star. Serving as a director, he became very active in the Chamber of Commerce and was a diligent supporter of the Lincoln Highway and the commerce road committee. When John and Nellie Oats donated land for a city park, Larry was there to supervise the planting of the trees and when Fallon won the right to become the home of the Nevada State Fair, he designed and supervised the construction of the main pavilion and other buildings. Later on, his organization membership interests included the Rotary Club.
Larry’s fascination with America’s first transcontinental highway opened another avenue for his talents. On August 7, 1922, he obtained a three-month’s leave of absence from his city job and left town with a tractor and other road-building equipment for White Pine County. He had taken over a sub-contract for the construction of about ten miles of road comprising part of the Lincoln Highway work originally let to Nevada Contracting Company. After several extensions of his leave of absence, he chose to continue with road graveling, etc. and resigned from his city position. On June 5, 1923, William Young was appointed the new city engineer. Following the conclusion of his road contracting interests in 1925, Larry would launch into another venture. He opened a general engineering consultant business, located in the family home, which he would pursue until his death. His newspaper and telephone book ads appeared from 1928 - 1949 and advertised his skills as a consulting engineer, state water right surveyor and electrician.
While Larry’s genius kept him on the constant go, his wife Gladys was making her mark upon the community as a devoted wife, mother and much respected school teacher. She taught school in Fallon for twenty-one years, beginning her career in a one-room schoolhouse and finishing her last ten years as an eighth grade teacher at Oats Park. While her students found her very staid, we grandchildren enjoyed her delightful sense of humor. Whenever we would write letters to Grandma, she would always grade our work and return it with the appropriate "A," "B," or "C" grade. Her contemporaries recall her love of Coca-Cola.
With the 1940s came the realization that the European conflict was growing. Larry began to work with the Red Cross as a way of giving and helping others where he could. Their son, Lawrence W. Crehore, Jr., enlisted in the U.S. Army. While stationed in the Philippines, Larry, Jr. was captured. Fortunately he would be one of the six hundred survivors of the infamous Bataan Death March. The Fallon newspapers carried articles telling of young Larry’s trials. How his folks must have worried and the stress caused by this ordeal no doubt contributed to Larry, Sr.’s future health problems. Following the war, Larry, Sr. purchased a small green army jeep. Neighbors remember seeing the slightly-built, bespeckled gentleman zipping about town in his modest means of transportation. In 1948 he suffered a very severe heart attack and he never regained his health. While a patient in the Churchill Public Hospital on April 2, 1950, Larry suffered a final heart attack and died during the early morning hours. The April 5th edition of the Fallon Standard showed his photo as they very eloquently reported his passing and traced his many contributions to his adopted home town. He was laid to rest in East Lawn Cemetery, Sacramento, California. The newspaper editor’s final tribute: "Mr. Crehore was one of the best informed men in the community and always alert to what was going on. He was a kind and helpful neighbor."
Gladys continued teaching for a few years after Larry’s death. In 1955 she moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, to live with her daughter, Pat Wilton. Following her death on July 20, 1976, her remains were taken to Sacramento to be laid to rest beside her beloved husband.
The Drawer of Plans
Lawrence Crehore was not a licensed architect, yet he systematically set about drawing plans for buildings, using his distinctive style of columns, pillars and eyebrow arches, which would change the face of Fallon and leave an incredible legacy. We cannot be sure just how many buildings he designed but there is documentation for the following:
With the successful completion of the three beautiful homes he had constructed for his own family, Larry was called upon by Del and Neva Williams, owners of The Fallon Eagle newspaper, to fulfill their long-cherished hope of erecting a new home for their printing and publishing plant. During the fall of 1928 he drew the plans for the brick building which still stands at 42 East Williams Avenue. The building, which was completed the next spring, was erected by A. Henrikson and A. Mustard, contractors, with Crehore as superintendent. Wanting to take advantage of the ambient light, the building featured a glass front and mainly Fenestra glass windows on the east, which allowed for an abundance of light to enter the business. The layout of the equipment was done by the American Type Founders Company of San Francisco. Justly proud of their new home, the Williams’ introduced their building to the public in a special article in the April 18, 1929, edition of The Fallon Eagle. The Eagle had finally landed! Today the building, with its graceful arch over the front door proclaiming "The Fallon Eagle," houses a glass shop, apartments and a tatoo parlor.
When the new Fallon City Hall had its grand opening on April 4, 1931, it became known that it was Larry Crehore who had installed the lights at the building entrances, had laid out the plan for the sidewalks and had designed the wonderstone water fountain and fish pond south of City Hall which would bring pleasure to generations of Fallonites. During this same period of time, he was working as a consulting engineer on behalf of the city on plans for developing a surface water supply. By the end of September, the water originating from the river sump wells north of town was declared safe for public use, both before and after chlorination.
Fallon’s population was growing and in order to provide better services, the firm of Roe and Kaiser decided the time had come to build a new mortuary. Crehore was chosen to design and be the building supervisor for the structure. He chose a modern 1930s type architecture that had become popular by designers of business blocks and hotels across America. On this job A. Henriksen was the contractor, William G. Pierce the sub-contractor and John Huttman was in charge of painting. The main doors opened off of First Street and the interior space provided dignity and quiet.This mortuary would serve the residents of Fallon and the surrounding area through the ownership of Kaiser, Erb and Dottie Austin, and the Smith Family until the turn of the new century. In 2002 it houses Logos Christian Academy.
During the summer of 1932, Charles McKay, who owned the Fallon Ice and Fuel Company, commissioned Larry to design a modern Texaco service station, in the Art Deco style of architecture, on the lot on the northeast corner of Maine and Williams Avenue which he had purchased from George Wingfield. A. Mustard was the builder and the concrete contractor was E.C. Burney. Bricks to build the station were hauled over from Wabuska from an old mill. Louie Moiola and Ramon Airrizabalaga were among the prominent businessmen of Fallon who over the years would operate this station. The landmark building was razed in August of 1957. The service station which replaced it was torn down a couple of years ago and the empty lot hopefully will soon become Fallon’s Millennium Park.
Larry’s design talents turned once again to the building of homes. In June of 1938 Wayne B. and Ann Mills moved their family into a unique two-story English type house located at 1140 South Taylor Street, that had been designed by Crehore and built by Magnus Carlson. Wayne Mills passed away in June of 1998, sixty years later. At age 90 Ann continues to live in her little "castle."
July 20, 1938, saw the completion of a lovely stuccoed home, featuring a porch with his trademark pillars, which he designed for Edgar and Orva Williams Smith. The home was originally built on Liberty Street by Magnus Carlson, but in time the address was changed to 65 South Bailey Street. This classic home is now occupied by Ernie and Beverly Ferguson.
The original two-story brick Old High building, located at 255 East Stillwater Avenue, was the home to primary school classes from 1918 - 1939. At that time it became increasingly evident that this building and a similar one at West End were not appropriate structures for primary pupils. During the spring of 1938, Larry sketched the ground plan for the proposed primary school building program. After the first of the four two-room cottage style school buildings was completed in April of 1939, Old High was torn down and its bricks were used to build another. These buildings were constructed with pupil safety the first consideration. The outer walls are of brick, stucco coated, with superstructure and all partitions made of steel. More than sixty years later, the Cottage Schools are still in use!
The November 15, 1939, edition of The Fallon Standard tells about the completion of the new Catholic Church parsonage, just north of the church at 275 South East Street. Architecturally a conservative California bungalow type, this six-room residence, with a spacious porch, was sturdily built of pressed brick. A revolutionary new type of window sash, with metal seals to protect against the weather, was used. This is just another example of Crehore’s far-sighted attitude for keeping up with the latest styles and materials. Over the years the parsonage’s chapel was the scene of many local weddings. The porch, with its sturdy brick pillars, has been enclosed and today the former parsonage is a private home.
And finally, in 1939, A. D. Drumm, Jr. called upon Larry to design a Cape Cod home for his recently-widowed mother, Luella Drumm, at 105 South Bailey Street. At this time Mrs. Drumm was serving Churchill County as an Assemblywoman in Carson City. She would continue to live in the home until the late 1950s when her health failed and she moved into a rest home. The little house, which was constructed by Ogden and Myles, is still occupied today.
 | | The Crehore family home, at 90 South Allen Street. |
Larry no doubt continued to draw plans, allowing people’s dreams to come true, but World War II would soon be upon the scene and building supplies would become very scarce. Looking back, the most amazing aspect of his brilliant career is that so many of the buildings he designed are still in use and their classic design and excellent construction have stood the test time. |
