George Gray

GRAY, ROBEN, SPENCER

Posted By: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs (email)
Date: 4/2/2009 at 10:31:28

GEORGE GRAY. There is no one among the business men of Audubon who has given the grain trade a greater impetus, who has added more to the commercial and financial standing of the town, who has pushed her interests farther, than George Gray. He started his business almost with the birth of the town, and no one has stuck to his purpose more tenaciously than the subject of this brief biography. Mr. Gray was born on a farm in the State of Vermont, August 9, 1886. He is the youngest of a family of eleven children, and is a son of William and Isabel (Roben) Gray; the father was a native of Vermont, a sturdy farmer, and a man of great strength of purpose and force of character; after his marriage he settled in Caledonia County, Vermont, where he lived the remainder of his days; he died at the age of seventy two years. The mother was born in Scotland, and was of a strong mind, and of a vigorous constitution; she died at the ripe old age of ninety two years. The grandfather of George Gray, William Gray, was a descendant from an old Scotch family. George Gray passed his youth in his native county, receiving his education in the common school and in a seminary. On reaching his twenty first year he started in the battle of life on his own account. Drifting as far west as Stark County, Illinois, he was employed to work on a farm for $20 per month; as his means increased he invested in land, and was soon able to begin farming his own land; he devoted considerable time in stockraising, and was very successful in this. He continued to invest in land. While yet living in Illinois he bought 1,160 acres of land in Audubon County, and 160 in Union County, Iowa. While residing in Illinois he improved over 1,000 acres. Having disposed of his property in Illinois, he removed to Stuart, Iowa, where he engaged in the grain, lumber and stock business; he carried this on successfully for seven years, during which time he purchased 4,000 acres of land in Audubon and Carroll counties, the whole of which he improved. In one season he sowed 3,000 acres to wheat, and the season being favorable, he realized a handsome profit on it. In 1880 Mr. Gray began dealing in wheat in Audubon; this he shipped to Chicago and intermediate points. He has erected an elevator at the town of Gray on the Northwestern Railroad, at a cost of $10,000; besides his elevator, he has two large warehouses at Audubon, and one at Ross, Iowa. He still carries on farming in connection with his grain dealing. He has also shipped stock, principally handling that of his own raising. In 1874 Mr.Gray was married to Miss Fannie A. Spencer, a woman of unusual purity and force of character. She was a native of Stark County, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Gray are the parents of one son George S. Gray. The mother died November 9, 1888; the very large number attending the last rites of interment attested the love and honor in which she was held. Mr. Gray takes an active part in politics, affiliating with the Republican party; he has served as delegate to the congressional and judicial conventions. He is public spirited, and liberal in contributing in any enterprise tending to benefit the community.

1889 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
SHELBY AND AUDUBON COUNTIES, IOWA
W. S. DUNBAR & CO., PUBLISHERS
113 ADAMS STREET, CHICAGO

pages 800-801