Grandin brothers

The Grandin brothers Brothers John L., William J., and Elijah B. Grandin
Born	John L: (1836-12-20)December 20, 1836, Pleasantville, Pennsylvania William J: (1838-08-16)August 16, 1838, Pleasantville, Pennsylvania Elijah B: (1840-12-20)December 20, 1840, Tidioute, Pennsylvania
Died	John L: September 10, 1912(1912-09-10) (aged 75) William J: December 7, 1904(1904-12-07) (aged 66), Philadelphia Elijah B: December 3, 1917(1917-12-03) (aged 80), District of Columbia
Nationality	American
Occupation	Oil Prospectors, Bankers, Financiers, Wheat Farmers
Signatures William J. Grandin Signature

The Grandin Brothers; John Livingston Grandin (December 20, 1836 – September 10, 1912), William James Grandin (August 16, 1838 – December 7, 1904) and Elijah Bishop Grandin (December 20, 1840 – December 3, 1917) were a sibling trio of American entrepreneurs who were among the first to begin business ventures in commercial oil prospecting in the United States, and who later became involved in banking and Bonanza wheat farming. They eventually became titans of the wheat industry, operating the largest corporate wheat farm in the Dakota Territory (in Grandin, North Dakota) in the late 19th century –which was possibly the largest such farm in the United States at the time.

Grandin family ancestors reportedly came to America from the Isle of Jersey in the early 1700s. The first generations of Grandins in America found success in the mercantile industry. Samuel Grandin (1800-1888) was born in Sussex County, New Jersey where he was educated only until age 8 or 10, and then left school to apprentice as a tailor and follow his family in mercantile work. In 1822, Samuel Grandin decided to move to Pennsylvania in search of new opportunities. He continued mercantile work there for another 18 years, achieving a large degree of success, before entering the lumber industry. During this time he married Saran Ann Henry in 1832, and they had seven children, five sons and two daughters; Morris Worts Grandin (deceased in infancy), Stephen Girard Grandin (b.1835; deceased at 16), John Livingston Grandin (b.1836), William James Grandin (b.1838), Elijah Bishop Grandin (b.1840), Maria Jane Grandin (b.1843), and Emma Ann Grandin (b.1849; deceased during childhood).

The Grandin Brothers; Stephen Girard Grandin (b.1835), John Livingston Grandin (b.1836), and William James Grandin (b.1838), were all born in Pleasantville, Venango County, Pennsylvania. In 1840 their farther moved the family to the nearby town of Tidioute. In Tidioute, Elijah Bishop Grandin was born (b.1840) and the boys' father ended his career as a tailor and entered the lumber industry, buying 33 acres of land and building a lumber mill. He began shipping timber down the Allegany River, much of which came from his land. At young ages the Grandin boys quickly followed their father into lumber work. In 1851, Stephen Girard tragically drowned at the age of 16, leaving only three of the five brothers surviving. John Livingston and William James worked in the lumber business early on and at the general store in Tidioute from which they derived their own income. Their younger brother Elijah Bishop, left home in early adulthood and went to work for the Hyde Bros. in Hydetown, Crawford County, Pennsylvania.