|
|
GRUWELL, L. H. Whose portrait will be found in the body of this work, was born in Quincy, Illinois, November
22, 1836. When still a child his parents moved to Iowa, where his father was engaged in farming till the spring
of 1849. In that year the father of Mr. Gruwell, with his family, crossed the plains with ox teams to California,
coming in on the southern route from Salt Lake City, arriving at Los Angeles in December of that year. Soon after
arriving the father, with his family, moved to El Dorado County, and remained until the fall of 1851, when they
went to San Jose, where they engaged in farming. In the meantime young Gruwell attended the Pacific University
for one year. In 1857, then a young man of twenty one, he came to Lake County, then a part of Napa County, and
speculated in stock until 1861, when he went to Mendocino County, and bought a ranch in Sherwood Valley, continuing
to purchase stock for market in the counties of Sonoma, Marin, Lake and Mendocino; also, making trips to the southern
counties, buying and driving cattle to San Francisco. In the fall of 1863 he sold his place in Mendocino County,
and returned to Lake, where he married Miss Lizzie Lyons, daughter of Judge Lyons, who is still a resident of this
county, and formerly a resident of Pennsylvania, where the daughter was born. In the fall of 1866 he moved, and
settled on Stoney Creek in Colusa County, where he followed stock raising and speculating for a number of years.
In 1872 he removed to Siskiyou County (now Modoc), where he successfully followed the same business till the spring
of 1873. On the 15th of January of that year his wife died, leaving four small children, the youngest but a few
weeks old. In a few months thereafter he returned to Lake County with his little family, locating at Lower Lake.
In 1874 he married Miss Mattie McClintock, a native of California, and daughter of J. T. McClintock, of Scotts
Valley, where he now resides. Soon after locating at Lower Lake he became interested in the stage lines from that
place to Calistoga, which he followed for three years, when he sold out his interest, and has since given his attention
to the livery business. He owns at present three hundred and seventy four acres of farming land, one and a half
miles from Lower Lake, and his livery stable and house and lot in town. Mr. Gruwell served for three months as
Supervisor under appointment by the Superior Judge. The able manner in which he discharged his duties secured his
election to the position November 2, 1880, by a majority clearly showing the high estimation in which he is held
by the public. He has also manifested a lively interest and taken a very active part in the organization of the
Lake County Agricultural Society, giving the use of the grounds for the exhibition free, and was elected its first
president, which office he now holds for the second term. He has had a family of six children, four by his first
wife: Millie, Robert L., Calla and Lizzie, the last named dying at the age of four years and four months. By his
second wife he has two children, both girls: Alla and Katie. Mr. Gruwell has a well knit form, indicating great
physical power, weighing some two hundred or more pounds. It will be observed by reference to his portrait that
he is a man of an iron will and determination of purpose, with a vital force sufficient to accomplish successfully
whatever he undertakes.
From:
History of Napa and Lake Counties, California
Slocum, Bowen & Co., Publishers
San Francisco, California 1881
Privacy Policy for
OnlineBiographies
|
NAVIGATION
Lake County, CA
Biographies
Online
Biographies
New York
Histories
New York
Biographies
Maine
Histories
Pennsylvania
Histories
Pennsylvania
Biographies
For all your genealogy needs visit Linkpendium
|