Edwin L. Chalcraft was born on 13 November 1855 on his father's farm near Albion, Ill. where he lived until he married Alice Pickering in October 1880. Chalcraft was a teacher and county surveyor. Alice was also a teacher. The following summer they accepted an invitation from her brother to visit near Issaquah (Squak Valley), WA. They had planned to stay only for a short visit. In 1883 Chalcraft formed a partnership and opened a civil engineering firm. At the residents' request, Alice became the first teacher in the Valley. Around 1886 the economic conditions caused the closure of Chalcraft's firm. He entered government service as Superintendent of the Chehalis Indian Reservation and Boarding School. He had agreed to work there a year but remained until 1889 when he became superintendent of the Puyallup Agency near Tacoma, WA. In 1894 the Agency sent Chalcraft and Alice to superintend the Indian Training school at Chemawa near Salem, OR. In 1895 the Agency dismissed Chalcraft without apparent reason other than his Republican political affiliation. From 1895 until 1900, Chalcraft surveyed, managed a grocery store and a shingle mill in Mt. Vernon, WA. In 1900 Chalcraft was reinstated with the McKinley Administration and sent to Shoshone Reservation in Wyoming. Within a few months, Chalcraft was appointed to supervise the Native American Schools. In this capacity, he was responsible for inspection, evaluation of administration and correction of maladministration of all the schools in the country. In 1904 he requested and received reassignment to the Salem Indian Training School of Chemawa, OR. He, Alice and their children happily remained there until 1911. Chalcraft was removed based on several charges that he proved groundless. Although he was exonerated, he was transferred to Oklahoma. In 1914 Chalcraft was transferred to the Siletz Agency in Western Oregon where he pursued the normal duties of Superintendant. As he approached retirement in 1925, he recommended that the Siletz Agency be abolished with remaining functions integrated with the Chemawa Agency. The Commissioner complied with his recommendation. On 13 November 1925 Chalcraft retired after 41 years of service. They returned to Seattle, WA to live at their home on Cherry Street. Edwin Chalcraft passed away in 1943.
From the description of Washington State Library's collection of an excerpt of the autobiography manuscript of Edwin L. Chalcraft, circa 1930-1945. (Washington State Library, Office of Secretary of State). WorldCat record id: 294860055
