San
Joaquin County
Biographies
L. FRED GRIMSLEY
An enterprising representative of an
early pioneer family is L. F. Grimsley, whose activities for the progress and
prosperity of his native city and county are well known. He was born on a ranch twelve miles east of
Stockton, California, on October 3, 1877, a son of Louis E. and Minnie
(Klinger) Grimsley. His father is a
native of Illinois who migrated to California in an early day and located in
Stockton and engaged in farming pursuits; later he entered the employ of the
Holt Manufacturing Company, where he has been for many years, and at the
present time is foreman of the plumbing department. His maternal grandfather, George Klinger, a
native of Germany, was also a California pioneer who located in Sacramento in
1852; he was a saddle and harness maker by trade; when he later located in
Stockton he was associated with ex-sheriff Tom Cunningham in a harness
shop. Later he bought a ranch east of
Stockton and followed farming and it was on this ranch that the mother of our
subject was born. Both parents are
living and reside in Stockton.
L. F. Grimsley received his
education in the Linden district school; later he was employed by the Holt
Manufacturing Company in the sales and shipping department and was in their
employ for seventeen years, thirteen years of which he traveled as a
salesman. In 1913 he became the agent
for the C. L. Best Traction Company’s tractor and at the present time is
distributor for eight counties in California.
The C. L. Best Traction Company was established in San Leandro thirty
years ago; they first manufactured a steam tractor and about ten years ago
started the manufacture of the popular C. L. Best gas tractor. The California Packing Corporation are using
the Best tractor in the developing of a 3,800 acre apricot and peach orchard in
Merced County, the largest of its kind in the world; Libby, McNeil & Libby
also use them on their large ranch in San Joaquin County; the East Side
Investment Company have four of these tractors on their 20,000 acre ranch in
Merced County; the California Delta Farms Company of Stockton also use one, and
the Merced Irrigation District are using three sixty horsepower tractors on the
irrigation project and about five hundred C. L. Best track-layer tractors are
at present in use in subject’s territory.
Mr. Grimsley has always taken an
active part in civic affairs. During the
World War he was active in all Liberty Loan drives; at the present time he is a
director in the Chamber of Commerce and has been a member of that body for many
years. He is a member of the Stockton
Parlor, N. S. G. W.; the Elks and the Yosemite Club. Mr. Grimsley has been very successful in his
business ventures, and makes friends wherever he goes and is always ready to
give of his time and energy to any good cause and Stockton is proud to count
him among her citizens.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1192. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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