As with the post called Doc Grisso "Land Dealer", I am quoting directly from The Grisso Family book.
During the "oil-boom" era of Seminole, 1926-1930, money kept pouring in from the oil wells and Seminole mushroomed to a town of some size. Oil camps were established in Earlsboro, Cromwell, Bowlegs, and all around Seminole; some estimates put the number of people in the Seminole area at around 50,000.
It does not take a lot of imagination to see what sort of disastrous results occurred to the old dirt roads in the area when such a large influx of people and vehicles came to Seminole. Naturally most all of the citizens were concerned, but Doc Grisso was determined to do something to improve the conditions of the roads. At the time he was the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Committee on Roads, and spent a considerable amount of time and money making trips to urge the State Highway Commission to help Seminole make improvements on the roads.
On one such trip in November of 1927, he invited the highway commissioners to come to Seminole and have dinner as guests of the Chamber of Commerce. It seems that there were misgiving about going to this rowdy boom-town, and Doc retorted with, "Hell, I eat in Seminole". Finally they agreed to come, and on their trip from Oklahoma City it began to rain pitchforks at just the right time of day to catch the commissioners on just the right spot on the highway. Congressman Carter said in his speech that he had never made a promise in his twenty years in politics, but that he was going to make one right now. He said he was going to vote a billion dollars to repair a one half mile strip he knew between here and Seminole.
During these years Doc prodded and pushed and politicked for the improvement of roads in Seminole County. He had considerable influence in his county and was gaining a statewide reputation for being a booster of better roads.
His efforts eventually provided State Highway 270 eligible for state and federal funds and the building of a new highway from Ada to Seminole to Prague, State highway 48, presently known as State Highway 99.
Doc worked continually for building roads. He spent a great amount of money promoting roads; some estimate the amount to be in excess of $100,000, and all of it came from his own pocket. As Mrs. Grisso says, "No one will ever know just how much he really did spend on roads."
In addition to being chairman of the State Highway 270 and State Highway 48 committees, Governor E.W. Marland appointed him to the Oklahoma High Commission in 1935 as chairman of the Commission. This appointment was perhaps the most significant honor ever given to a man from Seminole at that time. He had a philosophy by which he was guided on the commission, and that was to "build the roads where the traffic needed them" and to make roads" go someplace". His impact on the highway was of great importance, and the State of Oklahoma owes to this man a debt of gratitude.
The next post about Doc Grisso will be his role as a rancher and conservationist.
Showing posts with label Seminole. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seminole. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Monday, June 6, 2016
Seminole, Oklahoma
Grisso Story Continued...
The Oklahoma spring tornadoes did not keep us from arriving in Seminole, Oklahoma on our travels a month ago. Although, it was a bit dicey. I know I would not want to live there. We have tornadoes in our home state, but those in Oklahoma seemed much scarier. We were glued to the weather broadcast on the T.V. for four hours, but we slept safely and enjoyed our short tour of Seminole.
Our first stop was the library where indeed there was a copy of The Grisso Family book. What a shock! It was huge! It has obviously been used often over the years because it is coming apart and not in the best shape. I had to take a picture of it because I never guessed it was such a tome.
I spent a couple of hours reading and copying a few pages to add to what I have. We rode around Seminole looking for Grisso Avenue. It is a lovely boulevard winding itself through the park.
The next day we went to visit the Grisso Mansion. And yes, William Edward "Doc" Grisso was a second cousin once removed to our grandfather, Bert Grisso. They were both born in Fulton County, Arkansas and descended from Jacob Kittinger Grisso of Virginia.
William Edward "Doc" Grisso was the son of Jacob Grisso (1834-1883). Jacob's father, Madison (1807-1870), was the son of Jacob Kittinger Grisso (1772-1844).
This chart might be clearer.
Jacob Kittinger Grisso
George W. Grisso Madison ---- brothers
William Madson Jacob ---- first cousins
John Martin William Edward "Doc" Grisso ----2nd c.
Bert Roscoe Second cousin of "Doc" Grisso once removed from common ancestor Jacob Kittinger Grisso
Mary & siblings Second cousin 2 times removed
Margie & 1st cousins Second cousin 3 times removed
George, Madison, and James were the three brothers who settled
in northern Arkansas in the mid 1800 having left their parental home in Virginia. They migrated first to Tennessee and then on to Fulton, County Arkansas.
Now that we have established the relationship, we will learn a little more about the mansion and Doc Grisso.
Stay tuned.
The Oklahoma spring tornadoes did not keep us from arriving in Seminole, Oklahoma on our travels a month ago. Although, it was a bit dicey. I know I would not want to live there. We have tornadoes in our home state, but those in Oklahoma seemed much scarier. We were glued to the weather broadcast on the T.V. for four hours, but we slept safely and enjoyed our short tour of Seminole.
Our first stop was the library where indeed there was a copy of The Grisso Family book. What a shock! It was huge! It has obviously been used often over the years because it is coming apart and not in the best shape. I had to take a picture of it because I never guessed it was such a tome.
I spent a couple of hours reading and copying a few pages to add to what I have. We rode around Seminole looking for Grisso Avenue. It is a lovely boulevard winding itself through the park.
The next day we went to visit the Grisso Mansion. And yes, William Edward "Doc" Grisso was a second cousin once removed to our grandfather, Bert Grisso. They were both born in Fulton County, Arkansas and descended from Jacob Kittinger Grisso of Virginia.
William Edward "Doc" Grisso was the son of Jacob Grisso (1834-1883). Jacob's father, Madison (1807-1870), was the son of Jacob Kittinger Grisso (1772-1844).
This chart might be clearer.
Jacob Kittinger Grisso
George W. Grisso Madison ---- brothers
William Madson Jacob ---- first cousins
John Martin William Edward "Doc" Grisso ----2nd c.
Bert Roscoe Second cousin of "Doc" Grisso once removed from common ancestor Jacob Kittinger Grisso
Mary & siblings Second cousin 2 times removed
Margie & 1st cousins Second cousin 3 times removed
George, Madison, and James were the three brothers who settled
in northern Arkansas in the mid 1800 having left their parental home in Virginia. They migrated first to Tennessee and then on to Fulton, County Arkansas.
Now that we have established the relationship, we will learn a little more about the mansion and Doc Grisso.
Stay tuned.
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Crossroads
Here I am at that crossroads. You know the one. It is that genealogy crossroads that has signs pointed toward the Wrights, the Tolsdorfs, the Grissos, the Bordens, etc. Recently, I have been consumed with the DeHarts. This worked out well because I could share a journal written by my aunt in 1988. The reason this worked so well was because I could schedule posts while on the road moving from winter residence to summer residence. Once I am settled back down, which way will I go?
Let's talk Grissos today. This is my mother's father's side of the family. Mother, Mary Louise Grisso Wright. Her father, Bert Roscoe Grisso.
As I have mentioned before, my interest in family history was originally piqued by my Great Grandma Estella Smith. Then, came a special day in about 1972 when her son-in-law, my grandfather, spent an afternoon telling me about his heritage. After that day with Bert Grisso, I wanted to learn more about these ancestors who everyone thought came from Italy. Through my own family research and many others interested in the Grisso name, we have learned that the Grissos did not come from Italy, but some cousins just refuse to let that go. What is true is that three Grisso brothers left Virginia along with their wives, who were all Grubb sisters. They settled for a time in Tennessee, but eventually made their way to northern Arkansas around 1842-1844. Most of the Grisso brother's siblings stayed in Virginia. (There is much to be written on the Grisso line in the future.)
In the 1970's, one of my dearest Grisso cousins read about a place in Seminole, Oklahoma called The Grisso Mansion. She was always curious about the place. Who were these Grissos? Were they relatives? Are we rich?
Sometime in the past 10 years or so, another aunt passed on to me part of a document written and complied by a couple of Grisso descendants of Mathias Grisso. This was not the whole document just part of it. It took me many long hours to decipher and understand these pages. It might have been easier if I would have had the whole document. It might have been much easier if every generation didn't need to name their Grisso sons, George or William. I know this is a common complaint among genealogists. I wish I could trade a George for a Henry or a William for a Charles. What names would you like to trade? Oops, digressing.
I have been on the trail of that completed volume of The Grisso Family book for many years. I have come close to finding it a few times. I exchanged emails with one of the authors who said there were no more good copies. I exchanged emails with a very gifted Grisso genealogist who had the book on C.D. Unfortunately, I did not receive the C.D. due to his untimely death. Somewhere through the years, I have learned that copies of this book exist in several libraries where Grissos have lived. There is a copy in Salt Lake City as well as libraries in Virginia, Ohio, Arkansas, and Seminole, Oklahoma.
Now, Seminole, Oklahoma is where the Grisso Mansion is located. AND there is a copy of The Grisso Family in the local library. This definitely has to be a stop on our summer migration route. It really isn't too far out of the way.
Let's talk Grissos today. This is my mother's father's side of the family. Mother, Mary Louise Grisso Wright. Her father, Bert Roscoe Grisso.
As I have mentioned before, my interest in family history was originally piqued by my Great Grandma Estella Smith. Then, came a special day in about 1972 when her son-in-law, my grandfather, spent an afternoon telling me about his heritage. After that day with Bert Grisso, I wanted to learn more about these ancestors who everyone thought came from Italy. Through my own family research and many others interested in the Grisso name, we have learned that the Grissos did not come from Italy, but some cousins just refuse to let that go. What is true is that three Grisso brothers left Virginia along with their wives, who were all Grubb sisters. They settled for a time in Tennessee, but eventually made their way to northern Arkansas around 1842-1844. Most of the Grisso brother's siblings stayed in Virginia. (There is much to be written on the Grisso line in the future.)
In the 1970's, one of my dearest Grisso cousins read about a place in Seminole, Oklahoma called The Grisso Mansion. She was always curious about the place. Who were these Grissos? Were they relatives? Are we rich?
Sometime in the past 10 years or so, another aunt passed on to me part of a document written and complied by a couple of Grisso descendants of Mathias Grisso. This was not the whole document just part of it. It took me many long hours to decipher and understand these pages. It might have been easier if I would have had the whole document. It might have been much easier if every generation didn't need to name their Grisso sons, George or William. I know this is a common complaint among genealogists. I wish I could trade a George for a Henry or a William for a Charles. What names would you like to trade? Oops, digressing.
I have been on the trail of that completed volume of The Grisso Family book for many years. I have come close to finding it a few times. I exchanged emails with one of the authors who said there were no more good copies. I exchanged emails with a very gifted Grisso genealogist who had the book on C.D. Unfortunately, I did not receive the C.D. due to his untimely death. Somewhere through the years, I have learned that copies of this book exist in several libraries where Grissos have lived. There is a copy in Salt Lake City as well as libraries in Virginia, Ohio, Arkansas, and Seminole, Oklahoma.
Now, Seminole, Oklahoma is where the Grisso Mansion is located. AND there is a copy of The Grisso Family in the local library. This definitely has to be a stop on our summer migration route. It really isn't too far out of the way.
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