Lewis Eugene Grigsby was born June 22, 1867, in Winchester, Clark County,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

. He was a

real estate investor Real estate investing involves the purchase, management and sale or rental of real estate for profit. Someone who actively or passively invests in real estate is called a real estate entrepreneur or a real estate investor. Some investors actively ...

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

and world traveler. He died in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

on February 4, 1932, at the age of 64.

Early life

Grigsby's parents were James Lewis Grigsby (1835-1892) and Louisa C Cravens (1836).

Professional life

L. E. Grigsby as he was known professionally was a real estate investor in California. He started a project to build the ten story Grigsby Grand Hotel on Ocean Boulevard and Locust Avenue in

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, California. He was one of the first few thousand people in California to get an automobile license in 1907. He was a trustee for the city of Pomona in the California League of Municipalities in 1902. He toured beach resorts as possible investment sites. Grigsby was a councilman for the fifth ward of Pomona in 1901.

Personal life

Grigsby married Emma Alvina Miller (1868-1930) in 1895. They had one child who died very young before 1910. They lived at 1473 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, California in an 1895

Victorian home In Great Britain and former British colonies, a Victorian house generally means any house built during the reign of Queen Victoria. During the Industrial Revolution, successive housing booms resulted in the building of many millions of Victorian ...

. Emma's parents were Ohio

lithographer Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

Ewald Miller and Louise. Emma was previously married to Bernard Hermann Gueterbock (1847-1893) on September 27, 1877, in Hamilton, Ohio. Gueterbock was the editor of the New York Staats Zeitung newspaper. Gueterbock committed suicide May 1893. Initially Emma was arrested and jailed along with her servant and a custom house broker without bond. She was released when the coroner ruled it a suicide. Together L. E. Grigsby and his wife Emma traveled the world visiting Egypt, The Holy Land, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Washington D.C., White Suplhur Springs, Virginia, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Ohio, West Baden, Indiana, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Alaska. Grigsby was also a philanthropist donating the then $13,500 Chimes to the Wilshire Boulevard Christian Church on Wilshire and Normandie. A bronze tablet was placed with the inscription "Those chimes dedicated to the glory of God" with the Grigsby name inscribed. Grigsby was also a Saddle-Horse breeder while in Pomona. He bred "Rex Grigsby" a black stallion foaled May 30, 1899. He was also a member of the Claremont Pomological Club-Citrus Growers Club in 1921 which frequently met at their home. Grigsby started The Kingsley Tract Water Col, Limited corporation in Pomona. L. E. Grigsby and his wife are buried in

Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery is a cemetery in Los Angeles at 1831 West Washington Boulevard in the Pico-Union district, southwest of Downtown. It was founded as Rosedale Cemetery in 1884, when Los Angeles had a population of approximately 28,000, o ...

in Los Angeles, California in a black granite pyramid mausoleum.LA Times, February 6, 1932, Lewis Eugene Grigsby obituary
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grigsby, Lewis 1867 births Real estate and property developers Burials at Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery 1932 deaths