Marvin Craig 1895 - 1906

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Here is buried Marvin Craig, a ten-year-old boy whose life and death deeply affected the Tonawanda community.

Marvin was the son of James Craig, a blind peddler who lived on Adams Street. Despite his young age, Marvin played an essential role in his family’s life. Newspapers described him as bright, dependable, and well known to local businessmen, whom he encountered daily while guiding his father through town so he could earn a living. For the Craig family, Marvin was not only a child, but a helper and protector.

On a July afternoon, Marvin accompanied his father to fish from the Lefalver & Company lumber docks at Gratwick along the Niagara River. While moving along the edge of the dock, the boy fell into the water. Unable to swim, he was quickly swept away.

James Craig heard the splash and desperately tried to reach his son, but disoriented among the stacked lumber and unable to see, he could not find the edge of the dock. His cries for help went unanswered for several minutes. Overcome with grief and panic, he attempted to harm himself, but nearby sailors intervened and stopped him.

Marvin’s body was recovered approximately an hour and a half later. His funeral was held at the First Christian Church on Broad Street, and he was laid to rest here in Tonawanda City Cemetery.

Marvin Craig’s grave tells a quiet but powerful story—of a child who carried great responsibility, of a family bound by dependence and love, and of a moment when the dangers of the river forever changed a household and a community.

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