Newsletter 2 1978.pdf - The Grayson Family

Page 123
Page 123
Prom the Biographical Record & Portrait Album of Webster and
Hamilton Counties,, Iowa; Clarke Pub1 Co. 19028 pp 503,504,352-3:
ENJANIN GRA'L'SOS,a proli~inelitnlld
eaterprisi~ig citizet~ of Fort Dodge, is a
nntiva of Virginin, liavirlg been born in
Londoon Connty, thnt Stnte, October !27,1833.
IIe wns ed~tcnted at a ~nntbemntiml school
at Alesandria, then ono of the most noted
, scl!ools of the kind in the country. His intention,
nfter completing llis education was
to enter the coast survey, bt~t instead accepted
a position as civil engineer in the construction
of tho Unnnibnl (O: St. Jo Itoilrond.
In 1854 lie mmo to Ioma in tlicintcrests of the
c~pitalists ot' Bnlti mom, and after remnining
at Ilcs Noines about three months, the land
ofiice at Fort Dodge was established, wllen
Nr. Grayson came to this piace, as affording
betrer f;tcilitics for operations ill real estate,
niiicll 118s been his chief occupntion since
tlirrt time. During tlie \mr Nr. Qrayson
wns Assistntlt Payrnost.er ill tlie nrnly with
l~eildqunrterfin New York City. Pew lueu
ate living in Fort Dodgo who bemmo idcntificd
with tlic to~v:i as early as Nr. Gr~yson,
tllc date of his settlement being October 1,
1856, since which titne he has taken an
I active iuterest in tho progress .lid growth
of the place. He is n n~nri of c~iltare, and
possesses natt~ml nbility in a liigll degrce.
His brother, Dr. F. S. Qrnyson, is also a
prominent ~ild respected citizen of Fort
Dodge..
Atlloilg the oltl n~ztl hollorctl cesidet~ts
of Fort 1)t~lgc is r~i~uibcrctl L:ctijn~lii~i Grayson.
\\-110 is n il;\tive oi the nl(l l)l,~iiiliio:l,
his birtll 11ovi11g cwclrrrcll in Loutlouti
cou~lty. I'irgillin. October 27. 1S33. I Iis
parents \\-ere Richnrcl 0. atill l[nrgnrct
(Fitztiugli) Graysoll, imtli rel)rc-+ctit;~ti\~es
of cdd antl clistiuguishcrt ianiilics oi tllat
state. Tlie father, wi~o \\-as n Inrgc larillo\\fncr,
dictl ill Virginia, when nbot~t fartv
years of age, and tllc motl~cr ~vllcn iortyotle.
In tllcir fa~nill- \\-crc SIX ch;'rlrcti,
~~al~rcly : Anlt. wife of Ct~lo~iel Fitz, -711,
of Staut~ton. \'irgitiia: Mary, wife t,i .c\-.
E. 11. 11~1rI~\v, \\'asttir~gt~d, 11. C. : Be11 ;'
jamitr. our sitl~iwt: T. F.. n resitlc~rt 01
Fort Dotlge: 1iic.Ii;trct 0.. \vho \\-as killed
ill the Civil war: and IIclcn. \vlia dicd ill
irl inttcy.
T11e sul)jc.ct of this review \\.as grill-
~.,,~riI;; rearctl ant1 etlttcatctl ill his native'
cuultty. He ntte~t(lccl all ac;~rlc.niy at I,ce>burg,
\-irgitii;t. :iti(l it150 tlic ~li~~ll~~ititti~~l
SCI~OLII at .\lcsa~itlria. that state, ~vllcrc IN
took n ccmrse ill ~ilathc~iiatics aurl civil ctigi~iccring.
Leavi~ig hnlne in IV.;~, at tllc
age of t\vcnty )cars. Ilc \lent to llicsouri.
antl at St. 1,ouis bccniiic ctxiiicctc~l \\.it11 n
civil c~~gi~~ccr \\-III> Ilntl ill cli:ir:,.c tlir coustruction
of tile Tia~i~ltl~nl & St. -1o.sc1111 Railroatl.
n~itl n-lttl i1l11~)irttetl Jlr. C;ra!-sc>n ns
stil~eriiitc~t~lc~~t oi tlic builcling nf tllc :-oad
alnitg- :-lie li1.3t t\\.c~~ty-fii.~ 11lilcs e;lst oi St.
Jose~li. 1Ic \).as thus c.iill~lo~-ccl until the sus-
~)CIISI~III of tile ~vork. \\,lien Iic CJIIIC' to Fort
D~lgct. Oct~jbcr
. .
I. 1s: j. as a ctvrl cngltxer
in locating larirl \~at.mrlts. We also acted
as .gait ior several castcrn lnrlcl agencies,
and is tchtla~ \\-ell k~to\\.it arnollg tlie estcnsivr.
latitl o\\-ucrs of lawn.
011 t l 27t11 ~ of October. 1Sj8. 111..
Gm!.so~i ~nnrsietl Al iss Kantiie S. IZllutlcs.
al tialive of Loutluun colinty. Virginia,
anc. .L tlnuglitcr 01' Captaiin H. 11. Rhvdrs.
of the ~'llitecl Stntcs 113vy. lie\\- t1ccr;rsed.
Qf*the eight cliiltlrell born of tl~is utii~w,
four are still livilig. ~iamcl~: AIarion, n
resident of I-Iartfcxtl, Con~tecticut : Iticilard,
;L lunibert~inn of Seattle. \\*nshington:
arid Bcr~jarnin atid Robert. both residcuts
of Des ;\loi~ies. Io\\-a.
\Yi,en Mr. Gtil~son camc to Fort
q)dge there \\.as iiclt n settletllcnt I)et\\-een
-1% city and Sious City. and tltosc early
days \\-ere frai1,n;lit I\ it11 cotisideral~lc pionccr
c.iperiencc. I Ic served as assistant
payn1:rster ill the IQtlcrnl nrliiy for a time,
retitrlli~~g to Fort Dmlgc ill 1864. sillce
svliiclt tii~ie Ile I1n.s ~icitlc Itis Ilomr ol~itlterruptetll~.
Ilcrc. Flc was ~nadc a JIaso~t in
1858. being the tirst lnan initiated into the
lodge a: fl~is plnct.. Religiously Ile is a
nlenllx-r of the El)isccyxl cliurcl~. 3Ir.
Cimn!son Iia.; ~ttndc for ItinlscIi all ho~lorahtc
rc~.ortl in I)rlsiricss, as n citizcn. irielid arid
~~eigfilnlr IIC is truc lo cvcry tluty. nucl justly
lllcrits tlle cstccln in \\-liicli lie is Iield.