In 1966 James Russell Crocker, a native son of Kansas, then living in California, published privately a Crocker Genealogy. His typewritten and mimeographed manuscript is based on research of William Adolph Walter (1901-1966) of Independence, MO, an active genealogist for more than 30 years, whose records included more than 50,000 3"x5" cards listing Crockers, filing cabinet of microfilm of census records, and several filing cabinets of correspondence.
In his introduction to his work, James Russell Crocker writes, "It was a pleasure for my son, William F. Crocker and myself, to visit Mr. William A Walter and his wife in May 1965. During this visit we made photocopies of more than 1400 pages of material on the Crocker lines. While this book lists over 2,000 Crockers in direct descent from Deacon William Crocker of Barnstable, Massachusetts, it merely forms a background for tens of thousands of Crockers in the United States who are descendants of this Crocker line.
"Mr. Walter was glad to make this material available to us on the provision that we could put it in some book form, so that his years of labor would be of some value to people interested in genealogy of the Crocker line."
Through the Crocker List, I was able to contact James Russell Crocker's granddaughter-in-law who made available to me a copy of his book. I am delighted to own the book, and find It useful in filling in blanks in my own books published by Heritage Books, Inc., "A Crocker Genealogy" Vols. I & II.
James Russell Crocker's book is found in many libraries in different parts of the country. It is also found in the hands of individuals. Some copies were located in second-hand book stores, some in thrift shops. My copy is an 8-1/2x11 paper-back, but I've seen a handsome leather-bound one in a private library. I have no idea how many copies were initially printed, how many were sold, how many given away.
In working with the book, however, I discovered almost immediately that no index of Crockers by given names had been provided that referred to the page numbers within the book. I decided to create such an index for my own use.
That Index is now complete and Dean Crocker has generously offered to make it available to Crocker researchers on the Crocker Cousins Gegealogy Page..
I hope many find it useful.
Andrea Leonard