San
Joaquin County
Biographies
ROBERT C. GRUWELL
A native son of California, whose
father and grandfather crossed the plains with ox teams in 1849 and became
prominent grain ranchers east of Farmington, is Robert C. Gruwell. The family is one of the best known and
highly esteemed in central California, and has been intimately associated with
the extensive farming interests of the state for over half a century. Mr. Gruwell’s
father was John D. Gruwell, well known in San Joaquin County as a man of
character and ability. He came to
California from his native state of Illinois in 1849 and was engaged in mining
on his own account; in 1851 he made his first purchase of land in Santa Clara
County and later moved to Upper Lake, Lake County, California, and in 1869
moved to the east side of San Joaquin County, settling east of Farmington. The mother of Robert C. Gruwell was Evelyn
(Fine) Gruwell, born in Missouri in 1836; her parents well-to-do farmers who
died early in life during a yellow fever epidemic. John Fine cared for the little orphan girl,
gave her a good home and she accompanied him and his wife to California in
1853. Mrs. and Mrs. Gruwell were the
parents of six children, of whom only two survive, Oscar, a merchant residing
in Oakland and Robert C. of this sketch.
Mrs. Gruwell passed away in June, 1906, at the family home in Oakland,
followed by her husband in August, 1911, at the age of eighty-one.
Robert C. Gruwell was born near
Upper Lake, Lake County, California, July 19,
1862. The family at that time resided on
a Government homestead, where the father engaged in farming and stockraising
until 1869, when the family removed to San Joaquin County. Robert C. attended the Everett and Home Union
schools and early learned the details of farming through assisting his father
with his grain and stockraising enterprises.
In 1891 Mr. Gruwell was married to
Miss Birdie Drais, a daughter of Edward M. Drais, deceased pioneer and capitalist of the Farmington District
of San Joaquin County. Mrs. Gruwell was
born at the family home, known as Rock Creek Ranch, on June 20, 1865, and
received her education in the Home Union and Cottage schools. In 1897 Mr. and Mrs. Gruwell moved to their
present home place twelve miles east of Stockton on the Copperopolis Road and
here they reared their three sons: John
Edward, Robert M., and Lyle M. Mr.
Gruwell owns 540 acres of fine grain land in two ranches, 420 acres on Little
John Creek, and 120 acres in the home ranch two miles west of Peters. Of recent years Mr. Gruwell has been assisted
by his sons, each one having a share in the Gruwell ranch. Mr. Gruwell serves as the president of the
board of trustees of the Everett school and has been a big factor in securing
the fine new building which was completed in 1921, replacing the one built in
1865. Mr. Gruwell is a Democrat in
politics and his sons are members of the N. S. G. W. at Stockton. He is an advocate of good roads and the
family is one of prominence in this community where they have a wide circle of
friends and acquaintances.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
693-694. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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