Carolina Crabtree or Queen, possible maiden names, was born in New York about 1821. She married Alexander Curtain in 1853. They had 2 children and her race was mulatto in 1850 and 1860. Her father was born in England and her mother in New York. Carolina was living in Plattsburgh in the 1870 census and her race is now black. She was a house keeper. Carolina moved from Plattsburgh to Beekmantown when she completed the 1880 census. The Non-Population Schedules, which is the agriculture section of the census showed that she owned 52 acres of land valued at $1500.00 and had farm equipment/machinery and livestock worth $200.00 each. The estimated value of farm production was $255.00. Five tons of hay were harvested, had 2 horses and 4 milch cows, 3 calves dropped, made 400 pounds of butter, owned 2 swine and 20 barn yard poultry. It appears that her farm was a thriving one. Caroline had a granddaughter, brother, and mother staying with her. They were all listed as mulatto, except her mother, Mary, who is listed as black. When the 1900 census came out, she had moved to Burlington and was a boarder in the home of Jacob Bland, a Barber, who was black from West Virginia. Caroline is classified as black. Her parents birth places were listed as unknown. She was 79 and may no longer have remembered that information.
Carolina’s life in the 1900 may have been the result of a lawsuit that challenged her inheritance. The lawsuit occurred between May and October 1888 and Caroline lost the case. Her land was auction off, on October 8, 1888, at the Court House in the Village of Plattsburgh at 10:00 am. The referee for the auction was H.S. Johnson. No date was provided for her death, but her birth date was listed as August 25, 1820.
Caroline lived a full life, marrying the man of her dreams and owning property while supporting her family. Although her husband made her the executor of the estate, it held little weight. Woman did not own anything during this time period. They had to rely on their husband and with the death of the spouse many women were destitute. However, Caroline was a strong woman and was willing to step up and do the hard work that was required.