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Salem Pioneer Cemetery ~ William Case Griswold
~ part of the Marion County Pioneer Cemeteries of Oregon
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William "Bill" Case Griswold
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| LAST NAME: Griswold
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FIRST NAME: William
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MIDDLE NAME: Case
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NICKNAME: Bill
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| MAIDEN NAME:
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AKA 1:
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AKA 2:
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AKA 3:
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| TITLE: Mr.
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GENDER: M
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MILITARY:
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| BORN: abt 1821
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DIED: 13 Jul 1900
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BURIED: 14 Jul 1900
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| ETHNICITY:
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OCCUPATION: Merchant
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| BIRTH PLACE: Connecticut
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| DEATH PLACE: Salem, Marion Co., Oregon
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NOTES:
1900 Census lists William C. Griswold, age 79, widow, born in Connecticut, occupation Merchant, listed as inmate in Oregon State Insane asylum.
BIOGRAPHCAL: W.C. Griswold was an early day capitalist. He built the Griswold block, now called the Murphy block, on the corner west of the Ladd & Bush bank. His signature compared with the writing in the petition indicates that he may have prepared it. He (Griswold) lost the block which he erected and owned, in a judgment of the federal court, and D.P. Thompson, early day surveyor, railroad builder, banker and candidate for governor, bought it at the sale, and afterwards sold it to J. J. Murphy, and its ownership is yet in the Murphy family. Mr. Griswold died in the asylum for the insane (present state hospital) here in the early ‘80's, [1900] his mind having become unbalanced on account of the loss of his property. (That building, recently made over into an entirely new, streamlined structure, is still in the Murphy family; is owned jointly by Chester G. Murphy, son of J. J. Murphy, and his half-sisters, Mrs. Dr. A. J. Giesy and Mrs. L.G. Clark, daughters of Samuel Church, well known Salemite of the old days. He was the first husband of the late Mrs. J. J. Murphy. It was the understanding that the new structure was to be called the Murphy-Church building but that detail has evidently been overlooked. The fourth home of The Statesman was in the Griswold block; it is now in its own and sixth home, a block south. Chester Murphy, prominent Portland attorney, was one of the star athletes of Stanford University in the old days.
Oregon Statesman 23 Mar 1941 4:1
BIOGRAPHICAL: Bits for Breakfast, by R. J. Hendricks.
"Bill Griswold, an interesting old timer. This is another interesting contribution from C. B. ("Cy") Woodworth, 274 Fourth Street, Portland, former Salem boy and young man: W. C. Griswold - "Mr" Griswold to his face and "Bill" behind his back. He had figure very much like the one attributed to Santa Claus. The simile would carry out further: "His little round belly, shook when he laughter, Like a bowl full of jelly". Mighty particular about his dress, particularly his footwear. He had such little feet, but was proud of them. He could scarcely see them himself. He was jovial and friendly, but strictly business. He dealt in scrip, at least that is what every one said he did. Just what kind of scrip is not known. He made many trips to Washington, D.C., but what he went for he kept to himself. He was a very progressive man, always into something. His monument is "Griswold’s block". It was also known as Griswold’s opera house". It housed some fine actors in its time and also many historical meetings. Memory recalls - perhaps not correctly - that the sentencing of Beale and Baker for the murder of Delaney took place in this opera house. It was planed to create a panic by announcing in some way that the opera house was unsafe, and while the panic was on to permit the prisoners to escape. The panic part worked; one woman fainted, which added to the trouble, but the prisoners did not get away; were sentenced and hanged. Griswold also put in a water system for South Salem. He got the water from a well which he dug just south of the millpond. The tower was erected at the west end of the "agricultural works". The water was nothing but seepage from the mill pond. There was some sort of a strainer put in but it was of little value. That was over 50 years ago. Many who drank the water are still alive, so it could not have been very deadly. The system was afterwards taken over by the city. Another activity which he owned and operated was the Salem Woolen Mills company located in North Salem, just across the street from Lincoln Wade’s store. This mill turned out the finest kind of cloth and blankets which had a reputation far and wide. Griswold did not build it. He bought it. There is a hazy memory that trickles down that when the mill was built that a ball was given in it which was attended by many notables and the fashion and elite of Salem. Perhaps some one can remember this ball. Murray Wade should know something about it. It caught on fire and burned down while Griswold owned it. It was a great loss to Salem at the time. He had a daughter, 'Jennie', an artist - a real one - with the brush. She was also an elocutionist. Those who can remember her rendition of "Curfew shall not ring tonight!" will remember it with a thrill. She heard of Multnomah Falls and went to see them. It was quite a trip. The steamer landed about half a mile away, a trail led through the brush and a swamp had to be crossed. It so appealed to her artistic nature that she had her father buy the falls. She actually had a vested title to these falls. She lost it by default for taxes but the title was so clouded when the city of Portland sought to buy them a short time ago, that it was necessary to geta quit-claim deed from Jennie Griswold to clear the title. W. C. Griswold and Co. was the name of a store on Front street, Portland, Oregon, in 1852. It was known all over the state, later it was moved to Griswold’s block in Salem, where it retained all of its old customers and made many new ones. It was an institution in Salem. Mr. Griswold was an asset, as he was always doing something, never idle a moment. Later he closed out his interests in Salem and moved to Portland, where he died. The Griswold block is now known as the Murphy block, southwest corner of Commercial and State streets. It was built in the early fifties, first two stories. The third story was added in the sixties. From the last days of 1855, for a number of year, the plant of The Statesman was located on the second floor. The first regular pioneer theatre was in that building - hence "Griswold’s opera house". Can any reader explain why the sentencing of Beale and Baker (if so it was) was in that building? The old Marion county court house had at that time been standing for over 10 years; the first court house that stood where the present one stands. The old "agricultural works" building was the one now belonging to Paul Wallace, housing the plant of the cannery of Paulus Bros., at the southwest corner of High and Trade streets. The water system of Griswold must have passed to the Salem Water company, not to the city. The woolen mill described by Mr. Woodworth was that of the Willamette Woolen Manufacturing company, erected first in 1856 and afterward enlarged; built on the site of the Mission saw and grist mills erected in 1840, the last named housed in the first structure to be built by white men on the site of Salem - now occupied...( lines missing).... by Mr. Woodworth was held Nov. 17, 1857, often described in this column - attended by Phil Sheridan, all the territorial offices and most of the people ten prominent in Oregon. That was the pioneer woolen mill of the whole Pacific coast. The plant was destroyed by fire the night of May 2, 1876, and not rebuilt - and the loss gave Salem a severe setback; more especially that part of Salem, which had in the first years been the main business section.
GRISWOLD, W.C.
W.C. Griswold was an early day capitalist. He built the Griswold block, now called the Murphy block, on the corner west of the Ladd & Bush bank. His signature compared with the writing in the petition indicates that he may have prepared it. He (Griswold) lost the block which he erected and owned, in a judgment of the federal court, and D.P. Thompson, early day surveyor, railroad builder, banker and candidate for governor, bought it at the sale, and afterwards sold it to J. J. Murphy, and its ownership is yet in the Murphy family. Mr. Griswold died in the asylum for the insane (present state hospital) here in the early ‘80's, his mind having become unbalanced on account of the loss of his property. (That building, recently made over into an entirely new, streamlined structure, is still in the Murphy family; is owned jointly by Chester G. Murphy, son of J. J. Murphy, and his half-sisters, Mrs. Dr. A. J. Giesy and Mrs. L.G. Clark, daughters of Samuel Church, well known Salemite of the old days. He was the first husband of the late Mrs. J. J. Murphy. It was the understanding that the new structure was to be called the Murphy-Church building but that detail has evidently been overlooked. The fourth home of The Statesman was in the Griswold block; it is now in its own and sixth home, a block south. Chester Murphy, prominent Portland attorney, was one of the star athletes of Stanford University in the old days.
Oregon Statesman 25 Apr 1933 pg 4
NOTE - Photograph of the Giswold building is courtesy of Salem Public Library Historic Photograph Collections, Salem Public Library, Salem, Oregon. DESCRIPTION: The present Griswold-Murphy block was the W. C. Griswold block in 1858 and the first brick business block in Salem. Then it was a 2 story building with Griswold's store below and the ""Statesman"" published on the second floor. It was enlarged to its present size prior to 1862. Businesses which had occupied the building were the New Shanghai Restaurant, J.C. Perry Drugs, Capital Hotel, and Schreder-Berg grocery store. It was a 3 story building before the April 4, 1940 Murphy Block demolition.
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DEATH CERTIFICATE:
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OBITUARY:
GRISWOLD--At the Oregon Hospital for the insane, Thursday, July 12, 1900, Wm. C. Griswold, aged 79 years. Griswold was received at the asylum February 19, 1899 from Portland, to which place his remains will probably be shipped for burial.
Weekly Oregon Statesman 13 July 1900 pg 8
ONE OF SALEM’S PIONEERS
WILLIALM C. GRISWOLD LAID TO REST IN RURAL CEMETERY
An Early Settler and at One Time the Leading Citizen of the Capital City.
The funeral services of W. C. Griswold, at Unity church, Sunday afternoon, were attended by a large number of the older residents of this city, who had known the deceased in the early days, when he was one of the most prominent citizens of this place. The Rev. Copeland made a find address with his usual faculty for saying the appropriate thing.
The pall bearers were John Q. Wilson, Wm. Armstrong, A. T. Yeaton, J. O’Donald, Geo. A. Burnett and Geo. S. Downing, all old friends of the deceased.
Quite a number followed the remains to Rural cemetery, where the interment took place in a lot which Mr. Griswold had procured in 1856 for the burial of a little daughter, whose remains were afterward disinterred and taken to the East.
William C. Griswold came to Salem in 1850, or earlier, and for many years was one of the leading citizens of the city, being a man of tireless energy and shrewd business judgment. He engaged in the merchantile business and in 1852 built a large wooden store just south of where the JOURNAL office is now located.
He owned the old woolen mill in North Salem, at the time it burned down. He also owned the brick building now known as the Wallace warehouse, and about 1877 he erected a water tower adjoining, and put in a system of waterworks which he would have extended, but for his business collapse.
In 1854 he built a one-story brick with a 25 foot front on the corner of State and Commercial, and in 1863 added the balance of what is now the Murphy block.
He was married in the early 50’s. After a few years, his wife returned to the east and Mr. Griswold spent part of his time there, making frequent trips to Washington as he was interested in government contracts.
He was perhaps the most enterprising citizen that Salem ever had and did much for the upbuilding of the town. A shrewd trader, his business integrity was of the highest and he fulfilled his obligations to the letter. While priding himself on the ability to drive a sharp bargain, his heart was warm and his hand was ever ready to help the deserving.
Many an old settler will echo the sentiment expressed by one of them: “Salem neverhad a better citizen.”
Deceased leaves a daughter residing in Southern California, and a son who is a civil engineer attached to one of the departments of the Government in Washington, D. C., and who is now temporarily on Duty in Virginia.
The Daily Journal 16 Jul 1900 4:3
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INSCRIPTION:
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SOURCES:
LR
1900 OR CENSUS (Marion Co., East Salem Pct., ED 181 Sheet 4)
WOS 13 Jul 1900 pg 8
The Daily Journal 16 Jul 1900 4:3
OS 25 Apr 1933 pg 4
OS 23 Mar 1941 4:1
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CONTACTS:
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| LOT: 126
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SPACE: 2 NW
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