Episode 00: Where The River Flows

Welcome to the exploration of our family’s connections to Cedar Bluff and Linn County Iowa, the epicenter of Crawford-Haak Family history. This audio space exists to share what we know and imagine about our history, our people, where and how they lived, and what mysteries and (hi)stories our research can uncover.

Dating back to the 1830s the Crawford, McNee, and Rate (patrilineal) family farms were established in the area and continue to exist today in various forms. The Crawford Farm now consists of approximately five acres just north of the Cedar River in Cedar Bluff. For five generations the Crawfords lived and worked in this area, until my Father, Don O. Crawford, and his (3) siblings moved out of The State in the 1950s and 60s. Today, we Crawford-Haaks have relations all over the country, but in many ways, our American history began in Iowa.

Originally the land in the area belonged to the Ioway or Baxoje tribe - “The People of the Grey Snow” - who were driven westward during European settlement and expansion (see https://native-land.ca/ and search: Cedar Bluff, IA), as well as other first nations such as The Kiikaapoi, Sioux, and Ho-Chunk. These tribes embodied a combination of woodlands and plains cultures and contemporary members continue many community practices today, primarily in the State of Oklahoma.

These historic roots and related topics that spark our curiosity will be explored in future audio episodes. Thank you for listening!

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Note: This is an unedited, self-produced audio project. To get involved or provide more information about this topic please contact us.

Edits, corrections, and updates to this episode…

Audio Correction: “Ioway” or “Baxoje” translates to “The Grey SNOW People” vs. “SKY” (in the audio); a reference to winter homes which were often covered in smoke-stained snow.