San Joaquin County
Biographies
JOHN GRATTAN
JOHN GRATTAN, one of the
Argonauts of this State, is a native of Albany, New York, born July 4, 1827.
When a mere child his parents moved to Pennsylvania, where he was raised. When
eighteen years of age he went to New York city, staying there about six months.
In the fall of 1846 he made another trip there and entered the office of his
brother Christopher, now a prominent citizen of Stockton, at the same time he
took up the study of medicine under Prof. J. W. Whitaker, an eminent physician
of that city, who started a private institute where a number of eminent
physicians gave medical lectures, among whom were Drs. Mott and Sherman, Prof.
Childs and others. John Grattan took two courses of lectures in that institute,
remaining there about eighteen months, when he abandoned his studies in that
direction and gave his attention to other matters. He remained in that city
until he came to California. Prior to that, having natural aptitude for
machinery, he was able in a short time to take charge of a stationary engine,
which was operating on the Delaware and Hudson Canal Railroad. He was the
youngest man on the road who had charge of an engine. March 31, 1849, he left
New York city in company with his brother, Dr. Grattan, and his wife, who was
the only lady on board the vessel, among some sixty five passengers. The vessel
was the Canton and was the property of the company, which was incorporated and
known as the Island City Mining and Trading Association, numbering fifty-two
persons. They reached San Francisco October 5, same year. They came via the
Horn, stopping at a few islands on the way; the voyage on the whole being very
pleasant. After disbanding at Stockton, the cargo that was left was divided
among the boys, and then eight of them, among whom was our subject, went work
and bought up their share.
Mr. Grattan first gave his attention to
speculating in Stockton, which resulted very profitably for him. He has seen
his share of mining experiences, although he has done no mining since 1851. He
was for a time connected with Dr. Grattan, who has started a private hospital
in Stockton, and at one time had the entire charge of 103 cases of small-pox,
out of which number only two patients died, which is a most fitting attribute
to his skillful manner of handling the disease. In 1855 he turned his attention
to farming, buying his present place of 160 acres, situated on the Cherokee
Lane road, six miles from Stockton, where he has since made his home.
Politically he has, since 1861, been a
staunch Republican, prior to that he had been a Democrat in national politics.
In matters of county election he does not believe in adhering strictly to party
views, but votes for the man that he thinks or knows to be best. The only
public office he ever held was that of Inspector of customs for the Federal
Government from 1872 to 1876; when he went into the office it was paying the
government $20 a year and when he went out of the office it was paying its own
expenses, which was brought about by the careful attention that he gave it.
Mr. Grattan was married, October 19, 1854,
to Sarah J. Davis, a native of Missouri, daughter of Judge Anderson Davis, one
of the oldest citizens of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Grattan are the parents of
six children, of whom only two are living, a son and a daughter.
During the dry season of 1864, when
everything was all dried up, Mr. Grattan, together with C. M. Weber and others,
commenced to try to get water from the Calaveras river by making ditches
through to his place, obtaining the right of way. The first water was turned on
Grattan’s place; this was the commencement of the irrigation system in this
county. He has ever had the county’s best interest at heart, and any move or
project proposed or set on foot for the public good has met with his hearty
support. He might be called the father of the gravel roads, so prominent a
feature in San Joaquin County, he taking the initiatory step toward bringing
about this result. He belongs to Morning Star Lodge, No. 68, also to Charity
Lodge, No. 6, of Stockton, being Past Noble Grand of this order, and
ex-President of the San Joaquin Valley Society of California Pioneers.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County,
California, Pages 235-236. Lewis Pub.
Co. Chicago, Illinois 1890.
© 2008 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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Biographies
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