1881 – Dr. John L. Crawford took the oath of office as Florida’s Secretary of State on this date. He would serve in that position for over 20 years until his death in 1902 at the age of 86. Crawford, originally from Greene County Georgia, was a member of the Second State Assembly in the 1840s, and would later serve as a State Senator for 16 years representing Wakulla County before assuming the office of the Secretary of State in 1881. His son, Henry Clay Crawford succeeded him and served as Secretary of State from 1902 to 1929. Crawford served with many different Governors and legislators during his long career in public office and saw Florida grow from a territory into a state, and its’ population explode at the beginning of the 20th century. Crawford is interned at the Old City Cemetery in Tallahassee.