A Life Rooted in Family, Service, and the Santa Fe Railroad
Early Life and Family
Leon Russel Crawford was born on February 6, 1894, in Newton, Kansas, to Judson Foster Crawford and Josie Hammond Crawford. A local paper, The Daily Republican of Newton, marked his arrival with the brief notice:
“Born—To Mr. and Mrs. J. Crawford, of Allison Street, a son.”
When Leon was about five, the family moved to Dodge City, Kansas, where he spent the remainder of his life. Census records from 1895 through 1915 show Leon growing up alongside his siblings—Marion Crawford, Hugh Crawford, and Lois (Crawford) Noll—in the household of J.F. Crawford. He attended Dodge City schools and was remembered for his steady progress, with school reports from 1900–1909 documenting his education in the local public schools.
Early Career and Military Service
Before America entered World War I, Leon began working for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF) as a yard helper and switchman in Dodge City. That career would become a lifelong occupation.
When the United States joined the war in 1917, Leon answered the call to serve. On April 22, 1917, he enlisted at the Dodge City recruiting station and departed for Fort Logan, Colorado, the following day. Soon after, he was assigned to the 25th Anti-Aircraft Battery, 1st Anti-Aircraft Sector, where he served as a wagoner and second-class gunner.
Newspaper accounts proudly reported his service. A Dodge City Globe article from June 1917 described the Methodist Sunday School’s “Honor Roll” that included Leon and his brother Marion, both serving in the military.
While stationed in France, Leon participated in major campaigns including the Second Battle of the Marne (March–May 1918) and the Outer Defense of Paris (June–November 1918). In a letter home published in the Dodge City Globe, he explained:
“We can surely make it hot for the Huns when they come over us now… We were on some of the French ‘75’s… We helped dismount a German plane with two of them.”
After nearly two years of service, Leon returned home in March 1919. His telegram from Camp Stuart, Virginia, reassured his parents, “Arrived here all OK, am well and have written.” He received an honorable discharge later that month at Camp Funston, Kansas.
Marriage and Family
On December 24, 1919, Leon married Winnie Letha Currey in Dodge City. Their wedding, held at the home of Winnie’s brother, was officiated by Rev. C.M. Gray and attended by close family. The Dodge City Daily Globe reported:
“Mr. Crawford… was educated here and a few months ago was discharged from an honorable service with the army in the World War. The bride is well known among the younger set here and is greatly admired by all her acquaintances.”
Leon and Winnie made their home in Dodge City, where Leon resumed work with the Santa Fe Railroad. The couple had three children:
- Betty Jean Crawford, born and died on May 13, 1921;
- Eugene David Crawford (1927–2006), who later married Roberta Adell Briles; and
- Leon Russel Crawford II (1938–1961).
The young family was active in the First United Methodist Church, where Leon remained a lifelong member of the Baraca Sunday School class.
Career with the Santa Fe Railroad
Leon’s entire career was spent with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, beginning as a switchman and advancing to engine foreman. By 1935 he was supervising train yard operations in Dodge City, a role that demanded discipline and precision. His work records show a steady progression of service spanning over four decades.
In May 1960, after more than forty years on the railroad, Leon retired. The Dodge City Globe featured an article titled “Railroad Man Retires,” describing him “stepping down from the locomotive” while coworkers looked on. Following retirement, Leon received a 50-year veteran emblem from the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen.
Community and Later Years
Leon and Winnie lived most of their married life at 911 Second Avenue in Dodge City. They were well-known in the community for their church involvement and quiet hospitality. They celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in December 1969 with an open house at the First United Methodist Church, hosted by their son Eugene and his family.
Leon was also active in civic life, belonging to the Veterans of Foreign Wars and St. Bernard Lodge No. 222 A.F. & A.M. He was respected for his integrity, his dedication to his work, and his service to his country.
Final Years and Legacy
Leon sold the family home in 1976 and passed away later that year, on October 3, 1976, at Trinity Hospital in Dodge City at the age of 82. His obituary in the Dodge City Globe described him as “a resident of Dodge City almost all his life,” noting his long career with the Santa Fe and his World War I service.
He was laid to rest on October 6, 1976, in Maple Grove Cemetery, beside his infant daughter and son. His wife Winnie survived him until 1992.
Historical Context
Leon’s life spanned a remarkable period in American history—from the horse-drawn era to the dawn of space exploration. Born during the Gilded Age, he witnessed the transformation of transportation, serving first as a railroad switchman and later as a wartime soldier in the modern age of mechanized warfare.
The Santa Fe Railroad was the lifeblood of Dodge City, and Leon’s forty-plus years there reflected both the community’s economic foundation and the dependable work ethic of Kansas railroaders. His World War I service placed him among the “Doughboys” who brought the United States onto the global stage, while his lifelong connection to Dodge City reflected a generation’s rootedness in faith, work, and family.