THOS. B. GRENNELL
Thomas B. Grennell came in 1869, and settled on section 14, on land which he had bought the fall previously.
Thomas B. Grennell was born in New York, in that part of Montgomery county now known as Hamilton county, June 24, 1832. His parents, Abram Grennell, a native of Massachusetts, and Lucinda (Dewey) Grennell, a native of Vermont, settled in New York State about 1826, where they resided in Hamilton county, until their decease. The subject of this sketch grew to manhood in the town of Hope, in that county, spending his younger days in attending school, and working upon his father's farm. When in his twenty-first year, he went to work for himself, at lumbering and farming, in that county. In the fall of 1869 he started west, and went to Illinois, where he remained a short time, then coming to this State and county, where he had purchased, the previous year, wild land on section 14 of what is now known by the name of Pleasant township. He spent the winter near Lewis, and during the time, built a house upon his land, into which he moved, April 5, 1870. Since that time he has improved all of his land and planted many fruit, shade and ornamental trees upon the place. He has erected good frame buildings and has a desirable residence. Mr. Grennell was married January 1, 1862, to Frances Morrison, a native of the town of Wells, Hamilton county, New York, and by this union had six children--Lottie L., Warren Jerome, Thomas Henry, Minnie A., Ida P. and Charles Albert. Mrs. Grennell died on the 26th of December, 1880. Mr. Grennell has been fairly successful in business. As a citizen, he is much respected and always takes an active interest in any measure intended for the public welfare.
Contributed by Lisa Varnes-Rex from "History of Cass County, Iowa. Together With Sketches of its Towns, Villages and Townships, Educational, Civil, Military and Political History: Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Old Settlers and Representative Citizens." Springfield, Ill.: Continental Historical Company, 1884, pg. 810.
