Wallace W. Crapser, a well-known business man of the town of Summit, Schoharie County, residing at Charlotteville, was born in Jefferson, this State, on April 12, 1842, his parents being Robert and Rosetta (Gardner) Crapser. His paternal grandfather, Albertus Crapser, who was of Dutch lineage, died in Claverack at the age of seventy. He was by occupation a farmer, and in politics at first a Whig and later a Republican. He had a family of five sons and four daughters.
Robert Crapser, son of Albertus and father of the subject of this biography, was born and reared in Greenville, N. Y., but moved to Claverack in early manhood. He was first a Whig in politics and later a Republican, and was very active and influential in public affairs. When about sixty years of age he was drowned while sailing on the Hudson as a passenger aboard the Berkshire boat. In early life he taught school for some time during the winters, and worked at boating during the summers. Later he gave all his time to farming. At the age of thirty he married Rosetta, daughter of Andrew Gardner. She is still living at the age of seventy-eight, and makes her home with her son Wallace. The father had at one time two hundred acres of land under cultivation. He was a Justice of the Peace for many years. His religious preferences were Lutheran. He had only one other child beside his son Wallace — namely, Jesse, who was taken prisoner by the rebels at the battle of Gettysburg, and who subsequently died from the hardships of his prison life, being still under his majority at the time of his death.
Wallace W. Crapser received a good common-school training in Summit. He early began farming, and engaged in that occupation until 1894, being located about a mile above the village of Charlotteville on a farm of a hundred acres, and giving special attention to dairying. On the 1st of April, 1897, he practically retired from business. Mr. Crapser is one of the valued workers of the Methodist church, with which he has been connected for the last twenty years. He is a trustee and steward of the church, also class leader; and for three years he was superintendent of the Sunday-school. In politics he is a Republican, but he has never sought office, though warmly interested in the success of his party.
Mr. Crapser was first married to Mary J. Whorton. She died in 1891, having been the mother of two children, namely: Albert, who died at two years of age; and Charles, who resides with his father. Mr. Crapser married for his second wife Mrs. Mary Multer Dorwin, the widow of Philip Dorwin. Her former husband was a lawyer and a leading citizen of South Worcester, also a prominent Democratic worker. She is a daughter of J. D. Multer, a very successful dairy farmer of this region and a strong Republican and active Methodist. Mrs. Crapser has four sisters, namely: Martha, who is the wife of James Fox; Alice, who is the wife of Thomas Spangler; Elizabeth, who is Mrs. Bulson; and Rose, who is Mrs. Calvin Butts. Mrs. Crapser taught school for some time before her marriage. She is a member of the W. C. T. U. and one of the active workers in the church. Mr. Crapser has always been opposed to the liquor traffic, and is exceedingly temperate in all his habits.