Butte County CA Archives History - Books .....Gridley 1882
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Book Title: History Of Butte County

GRIDLEY.

    Three miles south of Biggs, on the C. & O. railroad, is the town of Gridley.
It occupies a portion of section 1, in township 17, range 2, and a portion of
section 36 in township 18. Nestling pleasantly in the midst of a grove of
live-oak timber, surrounded by productive farms and elegant farm-houses, and
enjoying the quiet prosperity of an agricultural neighborhood, Gridley is,
without doubt, one of the most attractive spots in Butte county. The town was
laid out in 1870, at the time the railroad was completed. The first dwelling,
and store were erected by L. C. Stone, who became, also, the first agent at this
point for the postal department, for the railroad company, and for the express
company. Wells. Fargo & Co. opened their office here in 1874. The town
perpetuates the name of George W. Gridley, on whose ground it was located, and
who was one of the first to discover the real value of the adobe lands for
agriculture. Shortly after Mr. Stone, came James Price and W. R. Rogers, the
former of whom opened a saloon, and the latter a blacksmith-shop. John Mumby
built the Gridley hotel in 1872, the first in the town. It .is now owned by Mrs.
Amelia Taylor, and kept by Messrs. Sweezy & Price, The first physician to locate
in Gridley was Dr. France. The second store opened in the town was kept by
Messrs. Henshaw & Davis, and situated north of the Gridley hotel. It was
afterwards burned. In 1875, the Gridley Steam Flouring Mills were erected by a
joint-stock company; they are now owned by Stone & Gridley. These mills are
among the finest in the valley, costing over $40,000. They have five run of
stone, with a grinding capacity of 250 barrels of flour per day.

    In 1877, Mr. Stone built the two-story brick building occupied by George H.
Norman. The first school was kept in an old store building of L. C. Stone's,
where Miss Calhoun planted the seeds of knowledge in the minds of juvenile
Gridleyans. A good school building is now the pride of the place. Gridley has
three churches—Methodist, Catholic and United Brethren. Her business is
transacted by two general stores, two drug-stores, one grocery, two
blacksmith-shops, two wagon-shops, two lumberyards, one hotel, the usual
complement of saloons, a furniture-store, a tin and stove store, and a
livery-stable. George H. Norman is justice of the peace, and R C. Long the
resident attorney. Mr. Norman is also engaged in the profession of dentistry.

    Among the old settlers of the Gridley neighborhood, we wish to mention the
names of Robert Turner, V. P. Richards, C. A. Richards, Samuel Plymeir, Jacob
Shaw, Charles Cliffman, George W. Gridley, Joseph Slager, F. Shaffer, W. K.
Brown, J. S. Crane, John Schoffenberg, Edward Taylor, John Boyles, Charles Myers
and John Durley.

    NORTH BUTTE LODGE, No. 230, F. & A. M., at Gridley, was organized under
dispensation November 8, 1872, and was chartered October 18, 1873. J. Stafford
was the first master chosen, but did not act. The first active officers were, M.
L. Tesher, W. M.; John M. Pugh, S. W.; J. M. Clanton, J. W.; L. C. Stone,
Treas.; J. C. Young, Sec.; A. Pugh, S. D.; H. Will, J. D.; W. T. Woods, Tyler.

    An Eastern Star Lodge was established at Gridley June 4, 1878, called the
VERNON CHAPTER, with thirty-one charter members. Miss Clara Fleming was the
first Worthy Matron. The remaining officers were, Joshua Stafford, P.; Annie
Baylis, A. M.; H. C. Wharton, S.; W. D. Peck, T.; Julia Grain, C.; Alvina
Sliger, A. C.

    BUENA VISTA LODGE, No. 268, I. O. O. F., was organized December 27, 1877.
The charter members were A. Bertelsen, J. T. Evans, S. H. Herron, George W.
Herron, George M. Lewis, William Oustott, S. C. Schoonover, Thomas Sooy, J.
Schow and W. H. Turner.

    A Rebekah Lodge, called J. L. RIDGELY, No. 65, was established January 6, 1882.

    A lodge of the Order of Chosen Friends was organized here September 11,
1880, which has forty members, and is a live organization.

    GRIDLEY LODGE, No. 67, A. 0. U. W., was instituted on the twenty-ninth of
November, 1878, with the following charter members: J. M. Tibbetts, P. M. W.; B.
H. McNeil, M. W.; Eli Sala, F.; Robert Stiles, O.; C. P. Furst, R.; William
James, F.; L. C. Stone, Receiver; W. McBain, G.; Daniel Walker, I. W.; L. P.
Denny, O. W. The lodge has forty members, and holds its meetings in the hall of
the Odd Fellows.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF BUTTE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA,
IN TWO VOLUMES.

I.
HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA FROM 1513 TO 1850.
BY FRANK T. GILBERT.

The Great Fur Companies and their Trapping Expeditions to California.
Settlement of the Sacramento Valley. 
The Discovery of Gold in California.
BY HARRY L. WELLS.

II.
HISTORY OF BUTTE COUNTY,
From its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time. 
BY HARRY L. WELLS AND W. L. CHAMBERS.

BOTH VOLUMES ILLUSTRATED WITH VIEWS AND PORTRAITS.
HARRY L. WELLS,
517 CLAY STREET, SAN FRANCISCO
1882.

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1882, by HARRY L. WELLS, in
the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.

FRANCIS, VALENTINE & Co., Engravers & Printers
517 Clay St., San Francisco


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