Biographical Sketch of J. Ransom Grinstead, Johnson County, Missouri, Warrensburg Township >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** J. Ransom Grinstead, ex-county clerk of Johnson county, was born April 9, 1862 in Post Oak township, Johnson county. He is a son of Abner and Charity A. (Wells) Grinstead. Abner Grinstead was born in 1829 near Richmond, Kentucky, son of Jesse Grinsted. When Abner Grinstead was four years of age his father moved with his family to Pettis county, Missouri, in 1833. Jesse Grinstead was a native of Virginia. He was born in 1796 and he took an active and prominent part in the War of 1812 and subsequent Indian Wars in which he served as colonel. He died in Pettis county at the age of eighty-six years on the farm which he had pre-empted and his remains were buried in the family cemetery near Longwood. Abner Grinstead was reared on his father's farm in Pettis county. In early manhood he came to Johnson county and locted in Post Oak Township in 1854 where he entered land from the government. In 1854 Abner Grinstead and Charity A. Wells, daughter of Colonel Ransom Wells, a pioneer of Washington township, Johnson county, were united in marriage and to them were born three children: Mrs. Alice Henshaw, Rinehart, Missouri; J. Ransom, the subject of this review; and A. Rec- tor, Whichita, Kansas. Abner Grinstead was a well known and highly respected farmer and stockman of Post Oak township where he lived for more than half a century on his farm of four hundred acres of splendid farm land. He died January 1, 1917 aged nearly eighty-eight years. His wife died in 1904 and the remains of both father and mother were buried in the Knob Noster cemetery. J. Ransom Grinstead attended the public schools of Johnson County and Warrensburg State Normal School, gradua- ting from the latter institution in the class of 1881. After leaving college Mr. Grinstead entered the teaching profession and, having sec- ured a state certificate, was engaged in teaching for four years. Mr. Grinstead was reared on his father's farm in Post Oak township and has all his life been engaged in farming and stock raising. He taught school in addition to the work on the farm. In 1895 Mr. Grinstead, John J. Lee, and Henry E. Fewel purchased the townsite of Leeton, con- sisting of one hundred forty acres and platted the original town which has since grown into a prosperous town of six hundred inhabitants. Mr. Grinstead still holds valuable property interests in Leeton. For about seven years he was in the real estate, loan and insurance business at Leeton, Missouri, prior to his election as county clerk in 1906. Mr. Grinstead served two terms in the office of county clerk of Johnson county, being re-elected in 1910. It was during Mr. Grinstead's term of office when David Mohler was highway engineer that he, Mr. Mohler, and the county court put in operation the county highway plan of making good dirt roads. This plan involves the making of roads at the rate of sixty miles a year for five years and has proven to be a great success. Three hundred miles of the best dirt roads were made at a cost of one hundred to four hundred dollars a mile, making a network connecting all the important trade centers of the county. The construction of more than a thousand concrete culverts was a part of the plan. April 2, 1891, J. Ransom Grinstead was united in marriage with Josie Hall, the daughter of G. G. Hall and Lucy (Mitchell) Hall, of Jefferson township, Johnson county. Both parents of Mrs. Grinstead are deceased and they were placed in their last resting places in High Point cemetery in Jefferson township. To J. Ransom and Josie (Hall) Grinstead have been born three sons, all of whom are graduates of the Warrensburg State Normal School and now engaged in teaching: Lawrence H., superintendent of schools in Cole Camp, Mo.; Roland W., has charge of the history department and is coach of athletics in the Warrensburg High School; Noel B., teacher of Manual Training and coach of athletics in the Nevada High School, Nevada, Missouri. The year previous he was engaged in teaching in Windsor High School, Windsor, Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Grinstead's home in Warrensburg is located at 410 South Holden Street. J. Ransom Grinstead is owner of more than a thousand acres of land in Post Oak and Warrensburg townships, Johnson County and in addition to supervising his own business affairs he is manager of Blackwater Comp- any's land, which includes more than a thousand acres. Mr. Grinstead is of pioneer lineage and one of Johnson County's prosperous and influential citizens. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. 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