As a prominent California family, the Crockers supported many social and civic causes. Judge Edwin B. Crocker (1818-1875) practiced law and served on the State Supreme Court. He was the brother of Charles Crocker, one of the “Big Four” railroad barons, and acted as legal council for the Central Pacific Railroad. In 1885, his widow, Margaret (1822-1901), fulfilled their shared vision of creating a public art museum when she presented the E. B. Crocker Art Gallery and collection to the City of Sacramento and the California Museum Association, “in trust for the public.”

Judge Edwin B. Crocker (1818-1875)
Edwin Bryant Crocker was the eldest of five children born to Isaac and Elizabeth Clark Crocker. He grew up in Troy, New York, and attended the Rensselaer Institute (now Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) where he earned a degree in civil engineering. He later studied law in South Bend, Indiana, where he established an impressive practice and a reputation as a staunch abolitionist.

His first wife, Mary Norton, died in the late 1840s, leaving him with a young daughter. He married his second wife, Margaret Rhodes, on July 8, 1852 in New York. The ceremony was performed by Henry Ward Beecher and took place only a few days before the newlyweds booked passage to California, via the Isthmus of Panama. They arrived in San Francisco and made their way to Sacramento.

Once established in their new home, Edwin resumed his legal career. In 1854, he became the chair of the newly formed Republican Party, which was committed to promoting national unity, opposing the spread of slavery, and encouraging a transcontinental railroad. Party victory came with Lincoln 's election as President and Stanford's election as California governor in 1861. Because of his expertise in common law and his prominence in party politics, Edwin was appointed a State Supreme Court Justice in 1863. During the seven months of his service, he handed down a record number of opinions.

In 1864, Crocker accepted an offer to serve as legal counsel for the Central Pacific Railroad Company, a company organized by Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, Collis P. Huntington and Edwin's brother, Charles Crocker.

In June of 1869, Edwin suffered a stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. He retired from the railroad business and pursued other interests. These interests included renovation of the family's new home, commissioning an art gallery building, and embarking on a Grand Tour to Europe with his family from 1869 to 1871. The family moved into the new home in 1872, and installation of the galleries was completed in late 1873. Unfortunately, Edwin was not able to enjoy his collection or magnificent gallery for long, as he died on June 24, 1875.

Margaret Eleanor Rhodes Crocker (1822-1901)
Margaret, the youngest of twelve children, was born shortly after the death of her father. When her mother also passed away, Margaret went to live with a married sister, Anne Bender, in South Bend, Indiana. Here she sang in the local choral group, which is where she met Edwin and Mary Crocker. Following Mary's death, Margaret accepted Edwin's marriage proposal and joined him in the treacherous voyage to California.

During most of her married years, Margaret's activities were devoted to family, church and the community. Like her husband, she was an ardent abolitionist and devoted time and money to charitable causes. After her husband's death in 1875, Margaret emerged as a social and civic leader. Her most significant philanthropic act was to present the " Crocker Art Gallery " and the bulk of its collections to the City of Sacramento and the newly formed California Museum Association in May 1885. She maintained an active interest in the Gallery through membership on the CMA Board, and she provided scholarships to students attending art school in the Crocker galleries.

During the next several years, Margaret maintained residences in Sacramento, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Los Angeles and New York. In 1900, she donated her Sacramento home to the Peniel Rescue Mission, her last public gift to charity. She died on December 1, 1901 in New York, and her ashes were returned to Sacramento to be placed in the family plot at the City Cemetery.

> The Crocker Children