William Hager Grimes (1812 - 1904)

Born 18 Dec 1812 in Newfane, Windham, Vermont, United States

Descendants

Died 9 Apr 1904 at age 91 in Lancaster, Erie County, New York, USA

Biography

William Hager Grimes, for over 60 years a resident of the village of Lancaster, died at his residence at the corner of Central Avenue and East Main Streets on Saturday morning, April 9th, at the age of 91 years. He was quite active up to the spring of 1902, thinking nothing of taking a Journey to New York or Chicago. For the past two years he has been in poor health and the severe winter was too great a tax on his vitality and his strength failed rapidly. Nevertheless, up to Thursday of last week he has never been ill enough to be confined to his bed.

Mr. Grimes was born in Newfane, Windom County, Vt., on December 18, 1812. He was the son of Andrew Grimes of Newfane, and Mary Robbins Grimes of Wales. In 1833 he married Miss Helen Sloan, who died in 1837. He afterwards married Miss Mary A. Sanford who died March 27, 1879. By this marriage he had three daughters, Adelia M. who died in 1859, Laura Isabelle who married S. Fred Hartman of Buffalo, who died October 2, 1897, leaving one child, Mrs. Naasau Stephens of Davenport, Iowa; Lillie Nino, wife of George A. Davis. Mrs. Davis died May 1, 1900, leaving two children, George Allen Jr. and Gladys. M.

Mr. Grimes was the last of his family. He buried his only sister three years ago, who was of the age of 92 years.

Mr. Grimes had a wonderful memory and as his active life had brought him into contact with many men who built up the Empire State it was a great privilege to hear him tell of the men and events that have named into written history for host all of us.

He used to tell of his boyhood experiences when his father moved to Albany. Mr. Grimes was then only four years old. He was old enough to remember seeing Col. Hamilton hanged on Capitol Bill for the murder of Maj. Birdall and told how the rope broke so that the hangman had to procure a rope from the carman's cart to complete the hanging. Hamilton sat upon the coffin while going from the jail to the place where he was hanged.

From Albany the family moved to New York where they lived for a number of years. While there he helped support the family by setting pins in a bowling alley.

From Now York his parents came to London, Genesee County, N.Y. where his father ran a county (illegible) and William attended the common school and afterwards attended the Middleberry Academy.

While in the academy he failed in health. The principal said be needed charcoal in his system and advised him to learn the blacksmith trade, which he did, working for William Correy of Lindon, N. Y. He remembered distinctly the opening of the cannals, on the 25th day of October, 1825. There were cannons located every 10 miles from Albany to Buffalo, which were fired one after the other, announcing to the world the opening of the great waterway. Gov. Clinton, in company with other State officials, took passage in the pioneer canal boat Seneca Chief and started on a voyage through the canal and the Hudson River to New York. Cannons had been placed at intervals along the Erie Canal and the Hudson River, and when the Governor's boat entered the Erie Canal the signal gun was fired in Buffalo. The signal was then continued from gun to gun, and in one hour and 20 minutes the citizens of New York were apprised that a boat was departing from the foot of Lake Erie and was on its way, traversing a new path to the Atlantic Ocean.

After leaving the blacksmith trade Mr. Grimes came to Lancaster, N.Y. in the spring of 1833, arriving upon the day of the first town meeting of the town. He, therefore, claimed to have come to Lancaster with Lancaster and has ever since lived here and was the only man living that was here at that time, all having gone to that undiscovered country from who bourne no traveler returns. He attended the first town meeting and the last (town meetings having been abolished). He worked at the blacksmith trade for 16 years, during which time many young men learned the trade in his shop, but they are all dead. In those days they would commence work at 6 o'clock in the morning and work until 9 o'clock in the evening. During those years he shod all the stage horses as well as oxen. He accumulated twenty thousand dollars while in the shop. He owned the horse that the throe Thayers stole at the time they murdered Love. This horse was afterwards sold to Sir Allen McNabb and used by him in the Navy Island campaign in 1857.

In 1849 be sold out his business and entered the employ of the New York Central Railroad and became the confidential assistant of Dean Richmond, then president. He continued in the railroad's employ for forty years, during which time be purchased the land upon which the tracks are now laid, also the land for the Belt Line.

He possessed in full the confidence of Commodore Vanderbilt and the officials of the New York Central railroad and altho not a director he was asked almost invariably to attend the directors' meetings of the company, for his intimate knowledge of the road and his good memory made him an authority on everything at the Western end of the road. This confidence continued down to his retirement from the service of the road about 1890. It was proposed by the director's to continue a liberal salary in recognition of his long and faithful services but Judge Grimes declined it.

The intercourse with leading business men and financiers of the country gave him opportunities for investments which combined with his native shrewdness and industry enabled him to accumulate a large fortune. He always made a point of following his own judgment in business matters and never formed any partnerships. In this he had his father's advice "to go it alone”. He says his father told him many years ago: Bill, never lay down your coat and let some one else say who shall have it.”

In politics for many years be was a Democrat and war one of the old war horses of that party, having been elected Justice of the Peace for 24 years. He was also one of the Associate Justices for years and was commissioner to the Erie County Penitentiary for a long time. In 1895 he became a Republican and since that time has contributed and supported the Republican party.

Mr. Grimes has always been a prominent figure in Western New York and in the days of his active life was known to almost everyone in this part of the State. Of late years his old time friends have been dropping away so that there are but very few of then left.

Mr. Grimes has been a life long member of the Protestant Episcopal Church. It was largely due to his efforts that Trinity Church was built and he has always contributed liberally of his time and money in its support.

He always was much interested in local matters in spite of the many demands upon his time and attention elsewhere. He was a man of strict integrity and of the greatest industry. He had no sympathy with the slothful. He was very fond of his family and altho he has suffered afflictions, they did not make him morose for he was ever of a cheerful and hopeful disposition. He was a firm friend and many acts of kindness were done by him of which the world at large never knew.

His funeral took place on Monday afternoon from Trinity-Church. The services were conducted by the rector, Rev. George M. Irish and were extremely dignified in their simplicity. Mr. Grimes was very quiet in his tastes and he had specially requested that the funeral be without any ostentation. The Church was crowded, many being present from Buffalo and other places. The interment was in the family lot at Rural Cemetery.(1)

• Fact: Residence (1840) Lancaster, Erie, New York, United States
• Fact: Residence (1850) Lancaster, Erie, New York, United States
• Fact: Residence (1892) Lancaster, E.D. 01, Erie, New York
• Fact: Burial (1904) Lancaster, Erie, New York, United States of America

Sources

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 09 October 2017, 15:25), entry for William Hager Grimes(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LYSP-BB2); contributed by various users.
• (1) The Lancaster Enterprise, April 14,1904
• 1840 Census, Lancaster, Erie County, New York, page 408, line 14, 2 M 20 to 30 & 1 F 15 to 20
• 1850 Census, Lancaster, Erie, New York
• 1860 Census, Lancaster, Erie, New York
• 1865 New York state census, Lancaster, Erie, New York, District 01
• 1875 New York state census, Lancaster, Erie, New York
• 1900 Census, Lancaster Township Lancaster village, Erie, New York, United States
• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=74651606