Bios of Graves, Ralph E. (b.1886) Wabasha Co., MN ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find the submitter information or other files for this county. FileFormat by Terri--MNArchives Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Barbara Timm ========================================================================= This bio comes from "HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY" 1920. Check out Barbara's site for more great information on this book: http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnwabbio/wab3.htm There are also some pictures and information from descendents for some of the bios on her pages. Graves, Ralph E. (page 416), now engaged in operating a feed mill at Elgin, was born at Whitewater Falls, Minn., April 14, 1886, son of Washington and Minnie (Soreson) Graves. The father was a native of Vermont who came to Minnesota in 1856 among the pioneers. He first settled near Lewiston, where he followed blacksmithing. Later he bought a farm in that locality, but subsequently sold it and removed to Whitewater Falls, where he bought another farm, residing there for 23 years. He then removed to a farm south of Elba, Winona County, where he died in 1900. His wife, a native of Norway, whom he married in Winona, is now living at Elba. Their three children are all living, namely, Leonard S. a bank cashier; Edward, residing on a farm in Elgin Township, and Ralph E., of Elgin. Ralph E. Graves in his boyhood attended school in Elba and worked on his parents' farm. He then entered the Elba mill, where he spent four years learning and mastering the milling business. In 1910 he came to Elgin and bought the old Elgin mill, which he operated for three years, at the end of that time erecting his present mill on the railroad, which he is now running as a feed mill, grinding gist for the farmers. The machinery is operated by a 20-horsepower oil engine, and Mr. Graves has named his mill the Elgin Feed Mill. He is the sole proprietor. He is thus launched on a promising enterprise and has the energy and ability to conduct it to a successful issue. Mr. Graves is a past master of the Masonic Blue Lodge No. 115 at Elgin.