George Washington Crouse

George Washington Crouse (November 23, 1832 – January 5, 1912) was an American businessman, American Civil War veteran, and Republican politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1887 to 1889. His congressional service, during the Fiftieth Congress, took place in a significant period of American history as the nation continued to adjust to the post–Civil War era and rapid industrial growth, and he contributed to the legislative process while representing the interests of his Ohio constituents.

Crouse was born in Tallmadge, Summit County, Ohio, on November 23, 1832. He attended the common schools of the area and, after completing his own education, taught school for five years. In his early adulthood he moved to Akron, Ohio, which would remain the center of his professional, political, and personal life. His early experience as a teacher and his subsequent move to a growing industrial city helped shape his later involvement in local government and business.

Crouse began his public career in county offices, serving as a deputy in the offices of the Summit County auditor and treasurer from 1855 to 1858. He was elected auditor of Summit County in 1858 and held that position until 1863. In 1863 he served as county treasurer, further solidifying his reputation as a capable local official. That same year he entered the business world as manager of the Akron branch of C. Aultman & Co., a firm engaged in the manufacture and sale of the “Buckeye” mower and reaper, an important agricultural implement in the era’s expanding farm economy.

During the American Civil War, Crouse served in the Union Army, reflecting the strong Unionist sentiment of his region. In 1864 he enlisted as a sergeant in Company F, 164th Ohio Infantry. His unit was assigned to duty in the defenses of Washington, D.C., where he served in the fortifications around the capital during a critical phase of the conflict. After the war, he returned to Akron and resumed his business and civic activities.

Crouse’s business career advanced rapidly in the postwar years. When Aultman, Miller & Co. was organized in 1865 as a separate corporation from C. Aultman & Co., he became its secretary and treasurer. Over time he rose to the presidency of the company, playing a leading role in the management of this important agricultural machinery enterprise. His prominence in business paralleled his growing influence in local affairs, and he became one of Akron’s leading citizens in the late nineteenth century.

In addition to his county offices, Crouse held a series of important local and state positions before entering Congress. He served as a member of the Akron city council and was its president for four years, helping to guide municipal policy during a period of urban growth. He also served for four years on the city’s board of education, reflecting his longstanding interest in public schooling that dated back to his own years as a teacher. At the county level, he was commissioner of Summit County in 1874 and 1875. His political career extended to the state legislature when he was elected to the Ohio State Senate, in which he served from 1885 to 1887.

Crouse was elected as a Republican to the Fiftieth Congress and served as a Representative from Ohio from March 4, 1887, to March 3, 1889. As a member of the House of Representatives, he participated in the democratic process and contributed to the legislative work of the period, representing the interests of his Akron- and Summit County–area constituents during a time of industrial expansion and political realignment. A member of the Republican Party, he served one term in office and declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1888, choosing instead to return to his prior business pursuits and local interests after leaving Congress.

In his personal life, Crouse married Martha K. Parsons of Kent, Ohio, on October 18, 1859. The couple had five children: Martha P., Julia M., Mary R., Nellie J., and George W., Jr. His family maintained connections that extended beyond the United States; his daughter Mary married David Marshall Mason of Scotland, who later became a Member of Parliament at Westminster, linking the Crouse family to political life on both sides of the Atlantic.

George Washington Crouse spent his later years in Akron, continuing to be associated with his business interests and remaining a respected figure in the community he had helped to shape through both public service and industrial leadership. He died in Akron on January 5, 1912, and was interred in Glendale Cemetery, a resting place for many of the city’s prominent citizens.