 |
 |
|
|
Crawford Moore, president of Idaho First National Bank from 1917 until 1939, was born in Boise City on October 22, 1871, the third child and first son of C. W. Moore, founder of the bank. He grew up primarily at the family’s Grove Street home, later known as the DeLamar House. John Ridenbaugh was a boyhood friend and lifelong acquaintance. Crawford did not go to college; however, he might have attended Mount Camel’s Pass in San Francisco for a while after high school. He was appointed a director of the Idaho First National Bank in 1895. He soon left Boise because his father thought practical experience would furnish Crawford the best business background. C.W. Moore backed him in the cattle business in Colorado. Crawford had cattle and windmills in his ranching operation in Colorado, which was worth about $100,000 in about 1913, according to his nephew Laurence Bettis. Crawford enjoyed the ranching business. On December 10, 1902, Crawford married Mildred Fraser (the aunt of Robert Naylor, Jessie Little Naylor’s husband). They had two daughters, Catharine (“Kaki”) and Marjorie (“Mooney”). After C. W. Moore’s wife died he asked his son to run the bank. There was no question that Crawford would. His nephew, Laurence Bettis said, “That’s the way they ran things around here. They didn’t ask them what to do; they just told him. Mildred always said she thought Crawford would have been a lot happier if he’d never come back to the bank.”
Crawford devoted the rest of his career to the Idaho First National Bank.
His management style was intense. He
dominated every aspect of the bank’s decisions from his father’s death in
1916 until 1932. In his position as
one of three trustees of the C. W. Moore Trust, he wanted all trust monies
loaned back to the bank. William
Cunningham, another trustee, acted as bookkeeper between the Trust, the Western
Loan and Investment Company (the family’s holding company), and the bank. The
bank closed in the Depression on August 31, 1932. Harry Morrison was appointed
by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to reorganize the bank when it
reopened. The bank opened in October with 80% of its liquidity. Homer Pitner was
appointed to head operations although Crawford retained the title of president.
Pitner drowned on a fishing trip only a year and a half later. Crawford kept an
office and the title of President of the bank after it was reopened, but he was
paid by the Western Loan. The events surrounding the bank closing and hiring of Pitner to replace Crawford caused a family breach between Laurence Moore Bettis and J.W. Cunningham on one side, and Crawford on the other. Crawford died in June 1939. Mildred died in 1950. -- by Carol L. MacGregor (1990)
Sources: Anderson, Eloise. Frontier Bankers: A History of the Idaho First National Bank. Boise: The Idaho First National Bank, 1981. Bettis, Laurence Moore. Tape-recorded interview with the author, 1975. Moore family Bible in possession of the family. The Papers There are just three principal items in this file: a letter (photocopy) from Crawford Moore to his father, C.W. Moore, dated November 30, 1893; a party invitation from his daughter Catharine; and a photocopy of Crawford’s obituary. Box, 13 Folder 16 Miscellaneous Return to Moore-Cunningham-Bettis collection main page Return to Special Collections home page For questions or comments about this page, contact Special
Collections Department This page last changed: 10 September
2004
|
|
General Library
Information and Assistance: 208-426-1204 |
