Crane, Frank

Cuello was excavated by Hammond and co-workers between 1975 and 1993. It is the earliest known Preclassic Maya site, with a Preclassic occupation from ca. 1200 BC to AD 300 as well as later Classic period (AD 300-900) remains the earliest pottery-using phase (Swasey, 1200-900 BC) has not yet been found at other Preclassic sites, but the Bladen (900-600 BC) and subsequent phases match occupations elsewhere in date and material culture. The Cuello excavations have been extensively described in the report edited by Hammond (1991). Of particular relevance here are the chapters on the ecology and subsistence economy (Ch. 4) by Miksicek and by Wing and Scudder, and on the human burials (Ch. 7), by Frank and Julie Saul. More recent publications have focused on the subsistence economy (Crane and Carr 1994) and on the human skeletal remains (Saul and Saul 1997). 

About 5 301 went vnth Mr. Boy Bickham over to see Fletcher Smith, the white school board member for this ward. On the way Mr. Bickham told me about the teachers. Professor, we have just cheap-grade teachers here. I asked him about the method of appointment. It seems that Mr. Stringfield won t send anybody to Star Creek whom the people don t like. Mr. Bickham was quite frank about Mr. Crane. Professor, he s just a cheap-grade teacher—about the best we knows about out here. He s in with these white folks. The white folks raised... 

There was only one white Crane who had any mulatto children. That was Samuel Crane, a minister in those parts, who rode the circuit. Long before the surrender he had two children, Irve and Frank, by a part Indian, part white, part colored woman named Maria. ° It was said that the preacher taught Maria how to read the Bible, and the folks used to joke Irve and Frank about the parts of the Bible that he particularly took pains to teach her. Anyway, she was a shifty woman, and she was uncommon smart. She raised her children strict and they turned out well. 

In the 1870 census Maria Crane 40) headed a household consisting of herself and two sons, Ervin (18) and Frank (14), both described as mulatto. 

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