Isaac E. Crary was born Oct. 2, 1804 at Preston Conn. He received a good education, and graduated at Trinity college. In 1833 he came to Marshall, Calhoun County MI, and engaged in a successful law practice. He was a member of the first contstitutional convention of 1835; a Representative in the legislature of 1842, and again in 1846, when he was elected speaker. He ws elected the first and then the only member of congress from Michigan in 1835, and ws re-elected in 1837 and in 1839, serving six years as the sole Representative. In this position he secured the passage of the first law of the kind, giving section sixteen in every township of the state for the benefit of common schools. All previous grants had been given to townships and effected little good. It was by his advice that John D. Pierce was appointed the first superintendent of public instruction in this state. He was early and closely connected with the educational interests of the state. He always acted with the democratic party. He was a member of the state constitutional convention of 1850. He died May 8, 1854.