Crump has an entry among index cards kept by Nathaniel R. Perkins, MD, who examined thousands of men who were going into the war, 1914-1918. Given by Mrs N. R. Perkins in accordance with instructions from her late husband, Dr. Nathaniel P. Perkins of 1122 Adams St, Dorchester.
Joseph W. Crump, 63 Idaho
Joseph William Crump was born in Boston on November 24, 1889, to Joseph and Jennie Graham Crump, both from Nova Scotia, Canada. He had a sister named Eva, who was seven years old at the time of his birth.
By 1900, the family was living at 63 Idaho Street, in the Lower Mills section of Dorchester. Joseph, the father, supported the family as a carpenter and by 1910, he was working as a carpenter at a chocolate factory, presumably the nearby Walter Baker Chocolate Factory. Eva had moved out, and the family had a boarder living with them.
Early on, Joseph seems to have been interested in travel. In 1912, he and a group of his buddies went on a cruise from Tenean Beach, Dorchester, to the Maine coast. In 1916, the Boston Globe reported that he had been the victim of robber in the Yosemite Valley, California, where he had travelled as part of an educational trip put on by the Southern Pacific Railroad.
Joseph William Crump registered for the draft in June, 1917. He was working for the Southern Pacific Railroad as a ticket agent. He was described as single, short, of slender build with brown eyes and brown hair, and already partially bald. His World War I service record adds two years to his age by recording his birthdate as November 24, 1887. In 1917, he also joined the Masons and indicated his occupation as assistant ticket agent. He served in 17 Co. 151 Depot Brigade from the time of his induction into the army on June 24, 1918, until his discharge from Camp Devens on December 4, 1919. His grade was Private.
Joseph married Martha E. Ware of 19 Hazelton Street, Mattapan, on May 28, 1919. The 1920 census reports that Joseph and Martha were living at 84 Southborne Road, Jamaica Plain; Joseph was an agent for the railroad. By 1922 Joseph’s listing in the Boston Directory shows that he had become the Manager of the ticketing department. Then in 1923 the Boston Directory indicates that Joseph had removed to Providence, Rhode Island. In 1930 the family was living at 62 Moorland Avenue, in the Edgewood section of Cranston, Rhode Island, and Joseph was a manager at a tourist agency. Joseph and Martha had a son, Stuart, 9 years old.
On his WWII draft registration, Joseph reported that he was living at 62 Moorland Avenue, Cranston, and that he was employed at Grinnell Company in Auburn-Cranston. He may have been working at Grinnell to help the war effort or because his travel business suffered during the war. In the 1930s he seem to have bought out the Colpitts agency where he had been the manager and continued as Crump Travel Service and later as Crump & Person. The Providence directories from the 1940s and 1950s show Joseph’s occupation as a travel agent at the Crump & Pearson Travel Agency.
Joseph died on November 20, 1963, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Sources:
Birth Record on Ancestry.com
Boston directories on Ancestry.com
Boston Globe 7/11/1912 and 7/7/1916, on Newspapers.com
FindaGrave.com
Massachusetts Masons Membership Cards on Ancestry.com
Providence directories on Ancestry.com
US Census 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 on Ancestry.com
US Social Security Death Index on Ancestry.com
WW I draft registration on Ancestry.com
WWII draft registration on FamilySearch.org