The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-07-11
Death ofIesse R. Grant.

! duN uC PAL bldl1l ACCONSAOb 1A1O GSS Va
his limbs and speech.
/ Jesse R. Grant, of Scotch descent,
was born in Westmoreland county,
Pennsylvania, January II, 1894. On
the 24th of this month he had been
married fifty two years, and six chill
dren were the fruit Of this marriage.
While yet lad Mr.. Grant came to
Ohio, and spent some years of his
boyhood in the family of Judge
Tod, of Youngstown, Mahoning Co.,
the father of the late Governor Tod.
That portion of the Reserve was then
comparatively a wilderness, and the
educational advantages of the chill
dren of the pioneers were very limit
ed. Such as they were however,
Mr.. Grant had them and made the
most of them.
1t was in Youngstown, if we mis-
take not, that he learned the bust
ness of tanning, but shortly after his
apprenticeship he removed TO Port
age county, and went into business
for himself in the neighborhood of
Palmyra.
Mr.. Grant retained very vivid
recollection of these early days, and
there are but few families far or
near, upon the Reserve, descended
from the first settlers, whose history
he could not tell. He had marvel
Gus faculty in this respect. He "kept
the run" of these families, and the
marriages TO the third and fourth re-
move were as familiar to him as to
those Immediately interested.
When about twenty five years Of
age, Mr.. Grant, who had been toler-
able successful in business, came to
Southern Ohio, and after prospect
ing finally settled in Clermont coun-
ty, where he married and where
Ulysses was born. He subsequently
removed to Georgetown, Brown
county, where he carried on the tan
ming business for a number of years,
accommodating a fair fortune for those
days.
When, in the fall of 1865, Ulysses
returned to visit the home of his
boyhood, the hero of the war, and
tens of thousands of people turned
out from all the country round
about Batavia and Georgetown to
welcome him, Father Grant, then
seventy one years ofage, was hardly
a less conspicuous figure than the
General himself.
1t was curious to note the readi-
ness with which he recognized not
only old citizens whom he had |
known years before, but their chill
dren, grown and married since he
lived il Georgetown. He rarely
missed naming any who presented
themselves for recognition, and his
inquiries after their brothers, sisters,
cousins and relatives, showed a !
greater familiarity with families and
family relations than was believed |
any resident of either Brown or
Clermont counties possessed. We
speak of this trait of Mr.. Grants |
character, as it was peculiar; and, as
we happen to know, is a character
istic of the President himself.
Some time previous to the break
ing out of the war, Mr.. Grant remov-
ed to Covington, where he resided |
to the day of his death. He lived |
in a plain, unoStentatious manner,
in easy circumstances, and without
any change in style or manner after
his son had become famous and the
family conspicuous. If sometimes
parental pride revealed itself in
speaking of the splendid career OF
his son, it was pardonable certainly,
and never extensively obtruded. 1t
is doubtful whether republican sim
plicity Of life has ever had a better
demonstration than in the person of
Mr.. Grant.
The figure Of Mr.. Grant was one
that would attract attention on the
street. Large framed, massive, and
before age had bent his form, like
Saul, head and shoulders above
his brethren, moving along with an
an abstracted air, and taking little
or no note of the curious gaze that
scrutinized him as he passed. There
was that about the square set fea-
lures, and in the firm lines about the
mouth, which impressed ore with a
sense of real power in the man, and
made one look a second time and
closer at him. His head was large
and set upon broad, stout pair of
shoulders. The face was as clearly
of the Scotch type as the granite of
the Aberdeen Hills, and as firm and
resolute. The forehead was broad
massive; the eyes cold, clear and
gray, with wise, deliberate express
sion in them, and no more likely to
betray the feelings of the man than
the strong-lined and decided mouth.
Dressed in plain cloth suit-a
frock coat made with small regard to
the prevailing fashion, and slouchy
pantaloons coming down over low
cut shoes, but not always concealing
the homespun wool socks, o silk
hat rather the worse for wear coming
down well on tie head, the rim in !
front almost touching the large bow {
ed silver mounted spectacles astride
lis nose, and cotton umbrella un-
der his arm, Mr. Grant was one of !
The most remarkable figures to be f
seen on the street ola pleasant after
noon.
1t would be grave mistake to c
measure the Mr.. Grant of fifteen or J
even ten years ago, by himself in l
,he last ten years of his life, when /
he faculties Of his mind began to /
show symptoms of decay. He was a L
nan of rare aud shrewd sense in
business matters, lacking in ideality
md imagination, and of slow and s
judgment. He was a safe s
Idviser, and was consulted as
prudent consellor and a man of un- Y
Questioned integrity by his neigh Il
,ors in Clermont and Brown. We
,elieve he was q local magistrate in
he latter for many years; at any p
ate, if not officially such, he was as il
much consulted as an English h