J. Newton Grisso

As printed in 1902

J. NEWTON GRISSO.

J. Newton Grisso, the manager of the Spot Cash grocery, located at No. 385 South Fountain avenue in Springfield, has always lived in Clark county, his birth having occurred at Grisso Mills, in Springfield township, January 22, 1860. He is a son of John Grisso and a representative of one of the oldest pioneer families in this portion of the state. The founder of the family here was his great-grandfather, George Grisso, who was a farmer by occupation. He was born in Coffintree township, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, July 6, 1783, and died in March, 1884, when nearly one hundred and one years of age, being the oldest man in Clark county at that time. When a child he removed with his parents to Virginia, and at a very early day came to Ohio, settling on a tract of land west of Springfield when that city was a collection of but fifteen or twenty log houses. This was in 1812, and the rival “city” at that time was Boston, near the present home of Leander Baker, on the Valley pike, which was perhaps half as large. Mr. Grisso well remembered the contest between these places for the court house and how rejoiced the citizens of Springfield were over their victory, although they came out but a few votes ahead. In politics he was always a Democrat, as most of his family have been, but he paid little attention to public ads and very seldom voted. Religiously he was a quiet, though consistent, member of the German Baptist, or what is more commonly called the “Dunkard” church, and he said “I was baptized in 1812 in Peter’s creek, Salem, Virginia.” During the war of 1812 he was drafted, but as his.

church was opposed to warfare and taught that disputes should be settled by peaceful methods, he left his home and with his little family came to the west to try his fortune.

He was married in Virginia in 1809 to Cath-:

eine Frantz, who was the mother of all his children, eight in number, and died in 1841 at the age of fifty-five years. Two years later he married her cousin, Nancy Frantz, who died in 1870. Of his children one died in infancy, while the remaining seven lived to rear families of their own, and five of his sons were still living when he celebrated his "centennial," July 6, 1883, at which time he was in comparatively good health. Besides his sons there were present thirty-nine grandchildren, sixty-six great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. His children in order of birth were as follows: Christian, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Virginia in 1810, and had ten children. When his father celebrated his one hundredth birthday he had five children living, twenty-three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He died in this county when about eighty years of age. George, Jr., the well known miller at Ricky Point, had two children, one of whom is still living. Catherine became Mrs. Brubaker, of Preble county, Ohio, and died at the age of sixty, leaving five sons, who have twelve children altogether. John was the father of thirteen children and died in Indiana at the age of fifty-two years. Benjamin died at the age of sixty-two, leaving nine children. Emanuel died in Laketon, Indiana, leaving six children living, while six had previously passed away. Joseph, the youngest son and last surviving member of the family, died at the old "Patriarchal Homestead," west of Springfield, on the National pike, in the spring of 1902. He was the father of six children. George Grisso, Sr., lived a quiet, peaceful life, and on his one hundredth birthday said that he had lived long enough and was ready to be taken home. He had no disease, and at the time of his death was seemingly a healthy man. He was temperate in labor, eating and drinking; never used tobacco or tea and but very little coffee; and he never used liquor as a beverage, but, as was the old custom, he kept his pure "bitters" on the shelf.

John Grisso, -the father of our subject, was born in this county in 1836 and in early life followed milling. He afterward turned his attention to farming, which he carried on in Clark county for a-number of years, and in 1868 he went to Shelby county, Illinois, where he purchased a farm. On account of ill health, however, he was advised to return to Ohio, but he died in Bethel township soon after reaching the county of his nativity. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Weaver, and was born in this county in 1840, is still living. Her father, John Weaver, now deceased, was a veterinary surgeon and farmer and made his home in Pike and German townships. Mrs. Grisso is a resident of Springfield. By her marriage she became the mother of six children: Mary, the wife of D. S. Gordon, of Springfield; J. Newton, of this review; Ida, the wife of John Eversole, of Bethel township; Oros, who was a member of Battery E and was killed by the explosion of a cannon at the unveiling of the monument at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in 1887; Oron, a twin brother of Orcs and now a farmer of Springfield township; and Hester E., the wife of

Dr. Frank Riegel, of Thackery, Ohio. The children all attended the district schools of Clark county and Hester E. and J. N. were students in the Olive Branch high school of Bethel township, while the subject of this review also pursued a business course in Valparaiso, Indiana. After the death of the father the widow remained with her family in this county until 1884 and since that time has lived in Springfield.

J. Newton Grisso, of this review, was provided with good educational privileges, as previously indicated.. During his youth he worked for a short time as a farm hand and was afterward employed at quarrying until he had attained his majority, when he accepted a position as clerk in a grocery store in Tower Hill, Illinois, remaining in that state until 1883, when he became a clerk in the store of Stein & Tremont, of Springfield. Subsequently he entered into partnership with William Gordon and they conducted business for about a year. Later Mr. Grisso opened a store alone, and in 1887 he became a partner of John Troutman, this relation being maintained until 1891, when our subject sold his interest in the business and became a partner of D. S. Gordon. He has remained with the company through various changes, and since 1892 has been manager of the Spot Cash grocery, its success being largely due to his capable control and enterprise.

On the 7th of April, 1891, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Mr. Grisso was married to Miss Alice Vordermark, who was born there in 1871 and pursued a college course after completing her common school. education. She also engaged in teaching in the neighborhood of Fort Wayne. By her marriage she has become the mother of two sons: John Palmer, born December 9, 1892; and

Jay Newton, born February 2, 1894. Mr. Grisso votes independently at local elections, but supports the state and national candidates of the Democracy. He and his wife are charter members of the First Church of Christian Scientiststand he belongs to Anthony Lodge, F. & A. M., having been made a Mason in Illinois when twenty-one years of age. He is also a member of the Commercial Club and of the Springfield Grocers’ Association. He represents a worthy and honored pioneer family, and, like his ancestors, he is interested in the work of improvement and development and has carried on the task which they begun by contributing to the general progress here.

As printed in A Biographical Record of Clark County Ohio (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.