San
Joaquin County
Biographies
LEWIS E. GRIMSLEY
Coming to Stockton in 1872, Lewis E.
Grimsley has since been closely allied with the development of the San Joaquin
Valley and he is widely and favorably known to the ranchers of this part of the
state, owing to his long connection with grain-threshing activities. He was born on a farm in Morgan County,
Illinois, July 14, 1853, and when twelve years of age accompanied his parents
on their removal to Vernon County, Missouri.
For four generations members of the family have engaged in
blacksmithing, the father and grandfather having devoted their energies to that
line of activity, while Mr. Grimsley and his son have also followed the trade,
of which the subject of this review acquired a thorough knowledge under the
guidance of his father while the family was residing in Missouri.
In the fall of 1872 Lewis E.
Grimsley and his brother John came to California on one of the early emigrant
trains, consisting of freight and passenger cars. Along the way they saw the remains of prairie
schooners which had been burned by the Indians and they were three weeks in
making the trip, arriving in Stockton on October 10th. Shortly afterward the brother died and Mr.
Grimsley succeeded in obtaining employment on a ranch near Waterloo owned by
Judge Hill. For thirty-nine years he had
charge of grain-threshing outfits and worked all over the San Joaquin Valley,
threshing many thousands sacks of grain.
In 1900 he became connected with the Holt Manufacturing Company, which
sent him out with one of their steam threshing machines, operating on ranches
situated on Tulare Lake and on Kern Lake.
One season he was sent to the Eureka Flat section, near Walla Walla, Washington, and he also threshed grain for Charles
Moreing, on the Jones tract. He did the
plumbing work on the first caterpillar tractor built by Benjamin Holt for the
Holt Manufacturing Company and for the past twelve years has had charge of
their plumbing department, and is regarded as one of their most competent and
trusted employees.
Mr. Grimsley was married to Miss Minnie
Klinger, who was born in San Joaquin County.
Her father, George Klinger, was a native of Germany and in pioneer times
he crossed the plains to California, becoming the first harness and
saddle-maker in Stockton, while later he followed ranching and also conducted a
saddle shop at Linden. For many years he
served as a school trustee in the Linden district and he was a charter member
of the Odd Fellows Lodge. Mr. and Mrs.
Grimsley have become the parents of four children: Henry is the owner of a blacksmith shop at
Linden; L. F., is the distributor of the C. L. Best line of tractors whose
place of business is on South Aurora Street, Stockton, and his biography
appears elsewhere in this work; William was connected with the Holt
Manufacturing Company for twenty-two years but is now associated with his
brother L. F.; Maud, the only daughter is at home. Mr. Grimsley has watched with deep interest
the development and upbuilding of Stockton, in which he has born his full
share, and as one of the pioneers of the San Joaquin Valley he has the esteem
of a large circle of friends.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
694. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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