George Blake Grinell (November 11, 1823 – December 19, 1891) was an American merchant and financier. Grinnell was born in

Greenfield, Massachusetts Greenfield is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. Greenfield was first settled in 1686. The population was 17,768 at the 2020 census. Greenfield is home to Greenfield Community College, the Pioneer Val ...

, the son of George Grinnell Jr. (also spelled Grennell), state senator and U. S. representative, and Eliza Seymour Perkins. He was educated in the public schools of Greenfield, and as a boy went to

Auburn, New York Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States. Located at the north end of Owasco Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in Central New York, the city had a population of 26,866 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city of Cayuga County, th ...

, employed in the bank of his uncle, James Seymour. In 1843 he came to New York City, and took a position in the wholesale dry-goods house of his cousin, George Bird. In 1857 he became a partner, and on the death of his cousin he continued the business until 1861, forming a partnership with

Levi P. Morton Levi Parsons Morton (May 16, 1824 – May 16, 1920) was the 22nd vice president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He also served as United States ambassador to France, as a U.S. representative from New York, and as the 31st Governor of Ne ...

(later Governor of the New York and Vice President of the United States) under the firm name of Morton, Grinnell & Co. which was a successful operation until the breaking out of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, when it failed along with many other businesses. In 1866 he formed a partnership with Wellington Clapp, with Horace F. Clark as special partner, for the business of stockbroking. The firm was very successful, and was largely employed by

Cornelius Vanderbilt Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877), nicknamed "the Commodore", was an American business magnate who built his wealth in railroads and shipping. After working with his father's business, Vanderbilt worked his way into lead ...

. On the retirement of Clapp in 1869, Grinnell continued the business until 1873, when he retired. In his early life Grinnell was, at different times, director in various organizations and corporations, of the Mutual Life Insurance Company, and various banks. He was a member of the New York Chamber of Commerce. Grinnell married Helen Alvord Lansing, daughter of Dirck Cornelius and Laura (Alexander) Lansing, on December 21, 1848. He was a member of the Protestant Episcopal church, and for many years vestryman of the Church of the Intercession, Manhattan. His son

George Bird Grinnell George Bird Grinnell (September 20, 1849 – April 11, 1938) was an American anthropologist, historian, naturalist, and writer. Grinnell was born in Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in 1870 and a Ph.D. in 1880. ...

became a noted explorer and conservationist.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grinnell, George Blake 1823 births 1891 deaths People from Greenfield, Massachusetts 19th-century American businesspeople Businesspeople from New York City