The first of the Crapsters to migrate to the United States from Sweden was Ruliff (abt. 1730 – 1800). Ruliff settled in Somerset County, New Jersey, but soon acquired a large tract of land in the Taneytown area and built a home first known as "Locust Grove" and much later as ‘Sauble's Inn.’ The Crapster burial plot was on the family homestead. Undoubtedly, Ruliff and his wife were among the first persons interred there.

An article in the Gettysburg Times on February 9, 1965, stated, "According to a descendant, ‘the seven children of our pioneer ancestor were born at Locust Grove. Ruliff (a) and Abigail Crapster must be buried there. His son John (2) Crapster and his wife Susanna (Little) Crapster were buried there – but taken up to and buried in the Taneytown Reformed Cemetery. When this was done, some bones were found nearby, probably belonging to the lost graves.’" In life, John married Susannah Little (also called Klein), the daughter of Peter Little, founder of Littlestown. This second son inherited Locust Grove.

It should be noted that, ‘Klein’ is a descriptive surname often bestowed on someone of short or petite stature. The name derives from the German klein or Yiddish kleyn, meaning ‘little.’ Peter Klein originally laid out Littlestown in 1760, the town was first named "Petersburg." German settlers in the area came to call the town ‘Kleine Stedtle.’ As confusion between the town and a neighboring one also named Petersburg (now York Springs) grew, the town officially changed its name to Littlestown (essentially a translation of ‘Kleine Stedtle’ from German) in 1795.

John and Susannah's son, Basil (1787–1862), the beginning of a long line of Basils, left Taneytown for Howard County. There he surveyed land for many of the families responsible for the formation of Howard County out of the older Anne Arundel County. Basil's son, Abraham (1813-1855), returned to Taneytown where the family remained for generations.

Dr. Basil Long Crapster (1920-1991) was born to Basil and Ellen Bruce Long Crapster on July 3, 1920. He grew up in Taneytown and throughout his life maintained an interest in the history and the people of his birthplace.

After graduating from Mercersburg Academy in 1937, he entered Princeton University where he received his undergraduate degree in 1941. The following year he earned his master's degree from Harvard University, then served three years in Naval Intelligence during World War II. When the war ended, he returned to Harvard for a doctorate in nineteenth-century English history.

Armed with impeccable credentials and teaching ability, Dr. Crapster joined the faculty of Gettysburg College in 1949. He taught European history until his retirement in 1988. During his tenure at Gettysburg he wrote articles for history journals and local newspapers and received the prestigious Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching.

Dr. Crapster and his wife Joan (Tewksbury) Crapster often worked together in researching the history of Taneytown and the northwest quadrant of present-day Carroll County. The history of his family and Taneytown became the core of his research. He and his wife were frequent visitors to the Frederick County Courthouse where early Taneytown documents are filed. As his body of research expanded, so did his search area. His notes indicate he collected material in most Maryland courthouses and those of bordering states as well as in numerous historical societies.

The mass of information he accumulated covering the early history of the northwest quadrant of Carroll County is a tribute to his dedication to this project. Ultimately, his work filled a large file cabinet, and that material is now available to anyone visiting the Historical Society's Shriver-Weybright Research Library.

The Crapster files are divided into two sections: 1) research on dozens of families that lived in a wide area around Taneytown from its earliest days and 2) topics as diverse as schools, merchants, newspapers, and the French and Indian War. Most of the material is handwritten. Deciphering Dr. Crapster's writing can be challenging, but what researcher can resist access to content like this with the sources carefully noted.

Joan Crapster died in 1989, and Basil passed away two years later. Through the generosity of the Crapster children, their parents' research has been entrusted to the Historical Society of Carroll County. Truly, this legacy illuminates the past and provides the basis for continuing research in the future.

David Buie is a Taneytown resident who has a passion for Taneytown
 and its place in history.

Read other history articles by David Buie

Read other articles on Taneytown history