Columbia County PA Archives Biographies.....GROTZ, John K. 1810 - living in 1899
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  Author: Biographical Publishing Co.
  
  JOHN K. GROTZ, who for many years was engaged in the harnessmaking trade and
  conducted a tannery, is now living in retirement in the town of Bloomsburg where
  he is held in high esteem and has the confidence and respect of his
  fellow-citizens among whom he has spent nearly his entire life. He has a
  distinct recollection of Bloomsburg when it was in its infancy and there were
  but two frame houses in the town, in one of which he was born October 22, 1810.
  He is the son of Abraham and Mary (Kuhn) Grotz, who at his birth dwelt in a
  frame house on the corner of Iron and Second streets.
  
    Abraham Grotz, father of our subject, was born in Easton, Pa., and in 1806
  removed to Bloomsburg, where he built the first frame house in the town. There
  he was engaged in the manufacture of silk and fur hats by hand until 1832, when
  he moved to Ohio. He located near Uniontown, Stark County, O., where he
  purchased a farm and became a prosperous farmer, remaining there until his
  death, which occurred at the age of seventy-five years. He was united in
  marriage to Mary Kuhn, a daughter of John Kuhn, who also attained an advanced
  age before overtaken by death, and they became the parents of the following
  children: Eliza; Julia Ann; David; Rachel; John K., in whom the interest of this
  sketch centers; Maria; Rebecca; Susan; and Abraham. These children were reared
  under religious influences and upon reaching maturity became a credit to the
  various communities in which they lived.
  
    John K. Grotz learned the trade of a harnessmaker early in life and followed
  the trade with Isaac Green until September, 1830, at the head of Market street.
  In 1830 Mr. Green went west and our subject succeeded to the ownership of the
  establishment. He then purchased the lot where he now resides and erected a shop
  there and later a residence. He continued to follow harnessmaking until 1866,
  when he retired to devote his attention to a tannery which he built in 1851 on a
  lot on Hemlock street, which he purchased in 1850.
  
  He continued to operate his tannery with almost phenomenal success until 1870,
  when, on account of his declining years, he decided to retire. Our subject is a
  typical self-made man, having had nothing but his own efforts, industry and
  enterprise to aid him when he started in business. He is an enterprising man,
  ever having the interest of his native town and county at heart. He has been
  identified with many other local business ventures and has always been regarded
  as a valuable counselor, much respected for his excellence of character,
  gentleness and kindness of disposition, and politeness of manner. He has an
  excellent memory and is almost daily referred1 to in regard to some event which
  transpired during his young manhood, and he never fails to answer correctly and
  satisfactorily all queries put to him. Mr. Grotz is wonderfully preserved for
  one of his years, his mental faculties being unimpaired, and physically he is as
  strong and active as men many years his junior.
  
    Our subject formed a matrimonial alliance with Elizabeth Fister, a daughter of
  Henry Fister of Catawissa, Pa., and they became the proud parents of five
  children: Mary M., widow of the late Norman J. Hendershot; Hervey H., cashier of
  the Bloomsburg Banking Company; Henry C, who lives in a house in Hemlock
  township, where the tannery formerly stood; and a daughter, who died in infancy.
  In religious belief Mr. Grotz is a faithful member of the Lutheran Church.
  Socially, he was formerly a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge. He has been closely
  identified with numerous enterprises, and was one of the original stockholders
  and directors of the National Bank of Danville; was one of the original
  organizers and stockholders of the First National Bank of Bloomsburg, but sold
  his interest in 1870 and became a director of the Banking Company of Bloomsburg;
  he is a director of the B. & L. R. R., and a stockholder in the D., L. & W. R.
  R. He is a Democrat in his political belief and has served many times as
  treasurer of the board of poor directors for the district of Bloomsburg, which
  office he has held for the past twenty years, and has held many other minor
  offices.
  
  
  Additional Comments:
  Extracted from:
  
  Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District
  Published by 
  Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY (1899)
  
  
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