History of Reedsburg and the Upper Baraboo Valley, by Merton Edwin Krug, Publ. February 1929 by the author. Printed by Democrat Printing Company, Madison, Wis., Page 472-473

ZACARIAH CRAKER , founder of the CRAKER family of this community, was a native of England, where his people had long been residents, and his mother, Miss Ann DICKENS was a sister of the father of Charles DICKEN's father, which made him the Victorian novelist's first cousin. Zacariah CRAKER grew to manhood in England, and was there married to Rodah Rebecca BARRETT, a relative of Elizabeth Barrett BROWNING, English poetess; the DICKENS and BARRETT genealogy would give the representatives of this family a very interesting story. In 1931, Mr. CRAKER brought his bride to Erie, New York, where he remained until 1844. At that time, coming by boat to Racine (it is said that while enroute the children were all taken ill with Scarlet Fever), the family settled in Spring Prairie, Wis., where the mother shortly after died. Mr. CRAKER took a second wife, in Walworth County, her maiden name being Elizabeth MARCHERL, and in 1853 moved to Reedsburg, settling on the farm now owned by Frank CADY, where three years were spent, moving in 1856, to Winfield.

By his second marriage Mr. CRAKER had several more children. Those by his first marriage, who may be mentioned here, are Eliza, Levi; and by his second, Walter and Albert. Eliza married James HALL and located near Kilbourne, where they resided for more than sixty years. Walter married Celestine PICKERING of Woodland, and has been in business in Reedsburg for thirty years. (See Walter CRAKER Family Records.) Albert married Debby GROVER of La Valle, and his daughter Blanch, wife of Amos JONES, resides in Reedsburg, he having taken the rest of his family to Idaho.

Levi CRAKER married Lucelia HURD. She was a daughter of Solomon HURD, a pioneer of the southern part of the town of Reedsburg, who came to this locality from Ohio in 1852, making the journey here with three modes of conveyance, coming part of the distance by boat, part by horses and completing the trip up the Baraboo Valley with an ox team. Mr. HURD was of the HURD family whose immigrant ancestor, Timothy HURD, is said to have brought Timothy and Herd grass seed to America from England, at a very early date. Mrs. HURD was before her marriage, Elizabeth JAYNE, of that family widely known for its publication, the Jayne Almanac. There were five children in the HURD family, but Lucelia, widow now of Levi CRAKER, was the only one who was to pass on the HURD ancestry to a local progeny. Mr. and Mrs. Levi CRAKER had a numerous family, as follows:

Luther, of Reedsburg, married Angie Harrie REBETY; Alma, widow of Walter WINCHESTER, Reedsburg; Adie, wife of Thomas MORLEY (see Family Records); Clarence, married Emma PLATT, Freedom; Frank married Martha RADLOFF, Winfield; Ruby, wife of Stanley HICKS, of Washington; Lester, Winfield; Earl married Eva GREENWOOD of Winfield, and residing at Holcom, Chippewa County; Merril, and Mable, wife of Adelbert HAMMERSON, both of Washington.

Extended notice of the PICKERING, HARRIS, MORLEY and GREENWOOD families is made elsewhere in this volume, See Index.

Submitted by Carol