Newsletter 2 1978.pdf - The Grayson Family

I
I
\ Page 251
ANDREW J. GRAYSON
.. -
Was born in the State of Louisiana; he, with his
I
I
wife and child, arrived in California with the overland
emigration of 1846. Full-length portraits of himself,
wile and child, appear in the celebrated painting of
emigrants crossing thc plains, called " Westward Ho,"
I now in the wpitol at Washington.
On his arrival he at once joined Fremont's battalion
as lieutenant and induced many of his fellow-emigrants
also to join, but he did not himself accompany
the battalion south, but acted with those of the bat-
r l
side
I 1 210
I
I
1
(
' gave
l
I
talion who remained about San Fra~cisco. When
hostilities ceased, he opened the first stationery sto. e
in San Francisco in the City Hotel, corner of Clay
and Kearny Streets.
He founded the town of Graysonville, on the south
of the San Joaquin River.
14
THE EARLY DAYS
About 1850 he removed to San Jose and soon
himself wholly to the srir~~ce of ornithology,
which had been his favorite study in his school-boy
r!ays. In 18 j7 he removed to Mexico, as presenting
a wider field for his researches. He discovered and
nanled rnany theretofore unknown specimens belonging
to the several branches of that science, his artistic
drawings and descriptiuns of which soon gave hirn a
world-wide fame, and he was dubbed by many the
AuduLon of America. Hc died in Mexico in 1869.
His widow is the present wife of Dr. G. R. Crane,
now residing at St, I-Ielena, Napa Valley. She is a
most estimable lady, and one of the very few of the
real pioneer women of California that still survive.
Mr. Grayson, in physique, was a splendid specimen
of manhoo:J. He was a man 01' education, and
of very absten~ious habits. He was a gentleman - in
every sense, socially above reproach, and worthy to
rank with the best elements of the society of those
early pioneer days.
THE EARLY D:IYS
MEN OF CALIFORNIA I
PACIFIC PRESS PUELLSI-IING CUM \'ANY
OAKLAND, CAL..
SAN FRANCISCO. NEiv I'ORK AKLi LONLION.