John Augustus Griswold

John Augustus Griswold (November 11, 1818 Nassau, Rensselaer County, New York – October 31, 1872 Troy, Rensselaer County, New York) was an American businessman and politician from New York. A member of the Griswold political family, his father the Hon. Chester Griswold filled several positions of public trust, serving a number of years as supervisor of Nassau, and was for three years (1823, 1831 and 1835) one of the members of the New York State Assembly, representing the County of Rensselaer. His grandfather Simeon Griswold served as a five time member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

John Griswold married Elizabeth Hart, daughter of Richard P. Hart, Esq., at Troy, on September 14, 1843. They had six children: three sons and three daughters. Of his father's family, he was the only son, and his only sister was married to Isaac B. Hart, Esq., of the firm of Hart, Lesley & Warren, Troy, N. Y.

Mr. Griswold was educated for commercial pursuits, and at the age of seventeen entered the iron and hardware house of Messrs. Hart, Lesley & Warren, in Troy, N. Y. He remained at the firm for some time living in the family of his uncle, Maj.-Gen. John E. Wool there after engaging in business for himself in banking and iron works creating at the time,one of the largest and most successful establishments in the United States, known as the Albany and Rensselaer Iron and Steel Works, located in Troy.

In 1857 Mr. Griswold became a large owner of the iron mills of Troy having been granted the US Bessemer steel process patents important for expanding the Rensselaer Iron and Steel Works business.

During the early part of the Civil War Mr. Griswold built at his personal expense the first iron-clad Ericsson warship, the USS Monitor to combat the confederate converted frigate the Merrimac, which was subsequently defeated by the Monitor in a historic naval battle in 1862. Griswold was later involved in the production of other "Monitor" vessels, including the Dictator, Kaatskill, Lehigh, Montauk, Passaic, Patapsco, Puritan and Sangamon.

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