Grant

Kit Carson County, Colorado
Photographs

Kit Carson County Pioneers:

Orin F. Grant, 8 South 43 West

Orin cash-claimed a quarter in section 30, 8S 43W in 1890.
He also cash-claimed a quarter in section 35, 8S 40W, Sherman County Kansas in 1891.

He is probably the son of Orin B. Grant and Emily A. Swartz, who married in La Salle County Illinois on Nov 7, 1861.

In 1870 La Salle County, Illinois Owen B. Grant is 30, Emily E. 23, with Lewis 7, "Owin" 6, Ulysses S. 3, and Carrie six months.

Jane Grant was born Feb 10, 1873 in Midland, Michigan to Orin B. and Emily A. Grant, both of New York.
(This is Nellie, who married Charles Whittaker, and they're in Joliet Illinois in 1910.)

In 1880 La Salle County, Illinois, Oren Grant is a carpenter, 39, with Emma 31, both born in New York. Oren is 15, Sherman 13, Carrie 10, Nellie 7, Freddie 4, and Mary three months, all kids born in n Illinois.
In 1900 La Salle County, Illinois, Emily Grant born Sept 1848 in New York, is widowed. She's had eleven kids, six living. Orrin was born April 1864 in Illinois, Morrie Dec 1889 Illinois. Her daughter Nellie WShittaker Feb 1873 in Michigan has been married two years to Charles Chittaker Seprt 1869 in Illinois.

Emily 1849-1912 is buried in Marseilles, LaSalle County # 32821677.

So is Orin Bradford Grant 1840-1899 # 32821758.

Orrin F. Grant, 39, married Sophia E. Pitts, 36, in Chicago on Feb 8, 1905.
Sophia E. Tisler had married Marcellus Pitts on May 6, 1891 in La Salle County, Illinois and in 1900 Washington County, Alabama he's a machinist, 70, with Soph T. 32 and Marcella 6.

"The H. A. Pitts' Sons Manufacturing Company prospered in the farm implement industry in Chicago till their factories were destroyed in the famous Chicago fire in 1871. They transferred their industry to Marseilles, at the suggestion of Roderic Clark, and continued their production of threshing machines. Soon they employed more workers than any other company in the town. "

Although some published histories say that the H.A. Pitts' Sons manufacturing Company was destroyed in the Chicago fire, this is not backed up by historical records. At the time of the Chicago fire the Pitts firm already owned a factory site in Marseilles and for some time they had been expanding the facilities prior to their move. After the fire, they retained their property and offices in Chicago. In fact, a Chicago City Directory shortly after the fire shows Rand McNally working from the address of the Pitts building. I'm assuming that their factory had been destroyed and they moved into the Pitts' property temporarily. I have images of several Marseilles newspaper articles giving progress on the Pitts' factory construction from before the Chicago Fire.

Hiram A. Pitts is my ggg grandfather and I've done extensive research on the firm.

Dick Morris

Hiram A. Pitts - Inventor and pioneer Chicago industrialist. With his twin brother, John A. Pitts, patented significant improvements to the threshing machine in 1837 in Winthrop, Maine. Moved to Alton, Illinois, in 1848 where he worked with his brother-in-law, Nathaniel Hanson, a manufacturer of Pitts' designed equipment built under license. Relocated to Chicago in 1851 where he established a factory and his own firm, H.A. Pitts. The firm became a major manufacture of threshing machines and other agricultural equipment sold throughout the central United States under the trade name "Chicago Pitts." From its invention until the 1870s the Pitts thresher as built by the H.A. Pitts firm, his brother's firms in Dayton, Ohio and Buffalo, N.Y., and numerous other firms under license was considered to be the standard of the industry. Upon Hiram's death in 1860 the firm was taken over by his four sons. The firm traded until 1892 as H.A. Pitts Sons and later, as Pitts Manufacturing Company in Chicago, Marseilles, and finally, Joliet, Illinois.

Marcellus 1830-1902 died in Mobile, Alabama, and is buried in LaSalle County, Illinois # 33368630.

In the First Montana Volunteer Infantry, a private was "Orin F. Grant, Marseilles, Illinois (miner)."
" Company E left in May 1998, for training in California, and eventually, service in the Philippines, and returned in October, a year later. During its time in the Philippines, from February 4, 1899 through August 13, 1899, it was on the firing line and not relieved. The entire strength of the company was engaged in combat duty, that included several weeks in trench work; patrol duty on Manila Bay and defending an isolated outpost from insurgent attacks. During the time the company was in the Philippines, it took part in a number of engagements, including a regimental advance on Malolos, where the soldiers took heavy casualties. Among the injuries during the advance suffered by soldiers of Company E, Private Cavanaugh, who was hit, and then Captain Jensen, who stopped a spent ball with his leg. Private Enright got a spent bullet right over the heart, and it dropped into his pocket., Musician McQuarry was wounded in the pit of the stomach and Private George Banks was wounded through the right arm. Three days later the company took additional injuries, Privates Lenox and Peterson, and Captain Jensen was wounded a second time. When Company E returned to Dillon it was mustered out as part of the National Guard and reformed. "

Orin F. Grant had unpaid taxes on land in section 35, 8S 40W in Sherman County, Kansas in 1900.

Orin F. Grant in 1910 in Butte, Montana is a copper miner, 44, married five years to Sophia Sophia 42, both born in Illinois. Marcella 14 was born in Illinois, John A. and Hiram A. both 9 were born in Alabama, t(Sophials kids). Georgie F. 3 was born in Montana.

In 1920 Butte, Orin is a cigar store salesman, 54, Sophie E. 51, Marcella H. 23, John and Hiram both 19, and George F. 13.

Orin, dying January 13, 1929 is buried in Butte # 126987201, "Pvt, Co. E. First Montana Infantry, Spanish American War"

In 1930 Butte, Sophie is widowed, 62, with sons John and Hiram both 29, George 23, and daughter Marcella Johnson 33, divorced and her sons Francis 8 and Howard 7, father born in Poland.

Sophie E. (Tisler) Grant 1868-1963 is buried in Gregson, Montana # 129784603.
"Mrs. Sophie E. Grant, past president of the United Spanish War Veterans Auxiliary of Montana, died Monday in a local hospital. She was 95 last January 20. Her home was at 2212 Harvard.
Mrs. Grant was born Jan. 20, 1868, in Ottawa, Ill. She was educated in Marseilles, Ill., and came to Butte in 1904.
Her first husband was M. H. Pitts, whose father was the inventor of the threshing machine and the Blackhawk steam engine. Her second husband, Orin F. Grant, died here in 1929. He was past department commander of the United Spanish War Veterans.
Mrs. Grant's father, Henry Tisler, lived to be 91.
Mrs. Grant also served as president of the USWV Auxiliary in Butte.
She is survived by three sons, Hiram, John and George Grant of Butte; daughter, Mrs. Marcella Johnson, Butte; grandchildren, Frances and Howard Johnson and Ray Grant, all of Butte; three great-grandchildren and numerous nephews and nieces.
Funeral services will be conducted Thursday at 2 p.m. in Richards Mahogany Chapel by the Rev. H. Y. Williams. Interment will be in Sunset Memorial Gardens."

George F. Grant 1906-2008 is also buried in Butte # 119318295, with Annabell Thomson Grant 1910-1997.

Howard Arthur Johnson, born Oct 12, 1922 in Butte to Frank Johnson and Marcella Pitts, died June 7, 2006.
He's buried in Butte # 14586883.
"Howard A. Johnson, 83, died unexpectedly in the St. George Care and Rehabilitation Center, St. George, Utah, on June 8, 2006.
Howard was born in Butte on October 17, 1922, to Marcella and Frank Johnson and lived most of his life in Butte until illness required that he be moved to St. George in 2004.
Howard attended Butte schools and worked for the Anaconda Company in the mines and on the hill. While working for the ACM he learned the trade of electrician. After leaving the ACM, he worked for several contractors and was the city electrical inspector before retiring in 1986.
During strikes at the company, he worked at the Stanford Medical Center at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. and in Houston, Texas. He was a member of the EIks, Masons and was an IBEW union member. "Howie" served in the Navy during World War II.
He enjoyed fishing, rafting, hunting, bowling and golf.
Howie was preceded in death by his mother, Marcella; father, Frank; and brother, Fran Johnson.
Howie is survived by his son, Jeff Johnson; uncle, George Grant; and nephews, Chris and Ronnie Johnson.
Visitation will be at 10 a.m. and service will follow at 11 a.m. at Duggan Dolan Mortuary on Tuesday. Burial will be in the Veteran's Section of Mountain View Cemetery."

Frank Johnson 1921-1985 is buried in Butte # 110030584.
"A Butte native and son of Frank and Marcella Johnson. Enlisted in the Marines in 1941 and during the next 3 and 1/2 years of World War II he was engaged in every Pacific Island invasion from Guam to Okinawa, and eventually earned Sergeant's rank.

After the war Fran helped his uncle operate a fishing tackle shop in West Yellowstone and worked as a game warden in Red Lodge. In 1963 he opened his own sporting goods store. Fran Johnson's Sport Shop became one of the most completely stocked stores of its kind in Western Montana. He was an expert fly fisherman and river boatman, and frequently went on angling trips to the West Coast, Alaska and Canada.
Fran was a member of Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited and also a member of the Butte Elks Lodge 240. His wife Jeanne died in 1984.""

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