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Jesse Edward Grinstead

December 18, 2023

Jesse Edward Grinstead (October 16, 1866 – March 8, 1948) was an American publisher, editor, poet and politician who in later life became a popular writer of Western fiction. Over his writing career Grinstead penned some 30 novels along with scores of short stories and articles that appeared in magazines and newspapers. At least two of his stories, The Scourge of the Little C (as Tumbling River) and Sunset of Power, became Hollywood films. Volumes of Grinstead's works were also published in Britain, Sweden and Spain.[1][2]

Jesse Edward Grinstead
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 99th district
In office
1907–1908
Personal details
Born(1866-10-16)October 16, 1866
Owensboro, Kentucky
DiedMarch 8, 1948(1948-03-08) (aged 81)
Kerrville, Texas
Occupation
  • Writer
  • publisher
  • politician

Kentucky, Missouri and Indian territory edit

J. E. Grinstead was born at Owensboro, Kentucky, the son of William Travis Grinstead (1825–1900) and Elizabeth Miranda Priest (1833–1940).[1][2][3] According to his brother, author Hugh Fox Grinstead (1870–1950), as a young man their father had served as a guard under Lt. John James Abert during a U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers survey of the American Southwest, had made nine crossings of the Great Plains as a wagon-master on trips to New Mexico and California, prospected for gold in the Sacramento Valley, trekked on foot from San Juan del Sur to Lake Nicaragua, transported supplies during the Utah War to General Albert S. Johnston's headquarters at Salt Lake City and conveyed the first threshing machine to Fort Bridger, Wyoming Territory.[4] By 1860 Grinstead's parents were married and living on a farm in or near Long Prairie in Mississippi County, Missouri. After the outbreak of the American Civil War Grinstead's family returned to Owensboro for the duration of the war.[1][2][5]

By 1868 Grinstead's family had return to Missouri to a farm in Pettis County, not far from where his grandfather, Jesse Grinstead, had farmed since before the 1840s. In 1884 the family left Missouri to settle in Indian Territory near the town of Oakland where William Grinstead would serve as their first postmaster. A few years later, when Grinstead's family relocated to Whitesboro, Texas, he chose to remain behind. He supported himself by working a variety of odd jobs before finding full-time employment as a printer with The Ardmore Weekly Courier. In 1893 Grinstead founded The Oakland ‘Indian Territory’ News, the town's first paper. Six years later he moved to Kerrville, Texas in the vain hope that the climate there would help alleviate his wife's lung ailment.[6]

Texas edit

Within a year or so he purchased The Kerrville News and, inspired by the area's surrounding beauty, renamed it The Kerrville Mountain Sun.[7] In 1903 he was elected mayor of Kerrville and in 1906 their representative (House District 99) in the 30th state legislature. While serving in the Texas House of Representatives he was instrumental in pushing through legislation that led to the creation of the State Tubercular Sanatorium in Carlsbad. In July 1908 Grinstead failed to win Democratic support for a second term and was replaced by Sam O’Bryant who prevailed against his Republican opponent that November.[8][9] Grinstead also served on the Kerrville school board for many years.[2]

Later years edit

Grinstead sold his interest in the Mountain Sun in 1917 to Terrell Publishing to devote his time to writing and other interests. He became a frequent contributor of Western fiction, sometimes under the pseudonyms, Tex Janis, William Crump Rush or George Bowles, to such pulp publications as Big-Book Western Magazine, Thrilling Ranch Stories, Western Romances, Argosy Magazine and Frontier Magazine. Grinstead published some 30 novels over his career along with numerous short stories and articles. Beginning in January 1921 through December 1925 Grinstead wrote and published Grinstead's Graphic, a monthly magazine of poetry and local interest stories tasked with promoting the Hill Country[10] during a period of hard times.[6]

The 1927 silent film Tumbling River starring Tom Mix was based on his novel, The Scourge of the Little C, and his story, Sunset of Power, was adapted for film in 1936 with Buck Jones in the lead role.[11]

In December 1899 Grinstead's first wife, Sarah Frances, died at the age of 27 at Kerrville. The couple had three boys, Edward Everett (1892–1893), Grady Hugh (1894–1974) and Eugene Doyle (1897–1951). In 1900 he married Gertrude Wright (1868–1946), a widow who operated a boarding house in Kerrville. Three children, Jesse H. (1901–1942), Bessie G. (1903–1958), and Pam (1905–1974), soon followed.[6][12][13][14] By the time of her death in 1940, Grinstead's mother had been considered, at 107, the oldest living person in Missouri.[15]

Jesse Grinstead died at the age of 81 on March 8, 1948, at Kerrville and was interred at Oakwood Cemetery, Whitesboro. At the time Grinstead had reportedly left behind some 100 unpublished works, three of which he had recently submitted for publication.[2]

Selected bibliography edit

  • Kerrville and Kerr County, Texas (1905)
  • Fishin' On The Guadalupe[16] (1908)
  • An Orphan of the Alamo[17] (1916)
  • The Roads of Kerr County[18] (1923)
  • The Hill Country (1923)
  • The Scourge of the Little C (1926)
  • The Stuff Rangers are Made Of (1927)
  • Black Kettle Mountains (1927)
  • The Master Squatter (1927)
  • Trailing Old Tarantula (1930)
  • Oklahoma Stampede (1937)
  • Flaming Guns (1938)
  • The Texas Feud (1938)
  • The Texas Trail (1938)
  • The Red Scalp (1938)
  • King of the Rangeland (1939)
  • Feud at Silver Bend (1939)
  • War above the Timberline (1939)
  • The Cattle Barons (1940)
  • Guardians of the Range (1940)
  • The Great Red Border (1940)
  • Law of the Trail (1940)
  • The Flying Y Brand (1940)
  • Hell Range in Texas (1940)
  • Round-Up at Tiger Gap (1940)
  • Little River Valley (1941)
  • The Killers of Green's Cove (1941)
  • War on the Range (1941)
  • Hell's Acres (1941)
  • Texas Ranger Justice (1941)
  • The Lightning Kid (1941)
  • Feud at Twin Mountain (1942)
  • Hellfire Range (1942)
  • Hot Lead (1943)
  • King of Hualpi Valley (1949)
  • Range King (1950)
  • When Texans Ride (1962)
  • Phantom Rustlers (1968)
  • Raging Guns (1968)
  • Maverick Guns (1968)

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Texas Death Certificate, March 9, 1948
  2. ^ a b c d e J. E. Grinstead, Author, Editor, Dies Monday. Kerrville Mountain Sun, March 11, 1948, pp. 1,8
  3. ^ William Travis Grinstead (1825-1900) - Find a Grave Memorial Retrieved February 15, 2014
  4. ^ Grinstead, Hugh F. William Grinstead; Early Pioneer, from an undated family history transcribed on Ancestry.com
  5. ^ 1860 U.S. Census - Long Prairie, Missouri, Ancestry.com
  6. ^ a b c Grinstead, Jesse Edward. Texas State Historical Association Retrieved February 19, 2014
  7. ^ Pioneer Kerrville Publisher, Writer Succumbs to Long Illness.Abilene Reporter News, Tuesday, March 9, 1948, p. 5
  8. ^ Tuesday, July 23, 1908. Brownsville Daily Herald, July 28, 1908, p. 1
  9. ^ Election Returns. Kerrville Mountain Sun, November 7, 1908, p. 1
  10. ^ Grinstead’s name for the area West of Austin and Northwest of San Antonio
  11. ^ J. E. Grinstead Internet Movie Database Retrieved February 21, 2014
  12. ^ Grinstead - Find a Grave Retrieved February 21, 2014
  13. ^ 1900–1910 U.S. Census, Kerrville, Texas
  14. ^ Texas Death Certificates – 1903–1982, Ancestry.com
  15. ^ Woman, 107, Dies. Kansas City Star August 18, 1940, p. 8
  16. ^ poem
  17. ^ newspaper article, San Antonio Express November 5, 1916
  18. ^ Texas Highway Bulletin September 1923

External links edit

  Media related to Jesse Edward Grinstead at Wikimedia Commons

December 18, 2023
jesse, edward, grinstead, october, 1866, march, 1948, american, publisher, editor, poet, politician, later, life, became, popular, writer, western, fiction, over, writing, career, grinstead, penned, some, novels, along, with, scores, short, stories, articles, . Jesse Edward Grinstead October 16 1866 March 8 1948 was an American publisher editor poet and politician who in later life became a popular writer of Western fiction Over his writing career Grinstead penned some 30 novels along with scores of short stories and articles that appeared in magazines and newspapers At least two of his stories The Scourge of the Little C as Tumbling River and Sunset of Power became Hollywood films Volumes of Grinstead s works were also published in Britain Sweden and Spain 1 2 Jesse Edward GrinsteadMember of the Texas House of Representatives from the 99th districtIn office 1907 1908Personal detailsBorn 1866 10 16 October 16 1866Owensboro KentuckyDiedMarch 8 1948 1948 03 08 aged 81 Kerrville TexasOccupationWriter publisher politician Contents 1 Kentucky Missouri and Indian territory 2 Texas 3 Later years 4 Selected bibliography 5 References 6 External linksKentucky Missouri and Indian territory editJ E Grinstead was born at Owensboro Kentucky the son of William Travis Grinstead 1825 1900 and Elizabeth Miranda Priest 1833 1940 1 2 3 According to his brother author Hugh Fox Grinstead 1870 1950 as a young man their father had served as a guard under Lt John James Abert during a U S Army Corps of Topographical Engineers survey of the American Southwest had made nine crossings of the Great Plains as a wagon master on trips to New Mexico and California prospected for gold in the Sacramento Valley trekked on foot from San Juan del Sur to Lake Nicaragua transported supplies during the Utah War to General Albert S Johnston s headquarters at Salt Lake City and conveyed the first threshing machine to Fort Bridger Wyoming Territory 4 By 1860 Grinstead s parents were married and living on a farm in or near Long Prairie in Mississippi County Missouri After the outbreak of the American Civil War Grinstead s family returned to Owensboro for the duration of the war 1 2 5 By 1868 Grinstead s family had return to Missouri to a farm in Pettis County not far from where his grandfather Jesse Grinstead had farmed since before the 1840s In 1884 the family left Missouri to settle in Indian Territory near the town of Oakland where William Grinstead would serve as their first postmaster A few years later when Grinstead s family relocated to Whitesboro Texas he chose to remain behind He supported himself by working a variety of odd jobs before finding full time employment as a printer with The Ardmore Weekly Courier In 1893 Grinstead founded The Oakland Indian Territory News the town s first paper Six years later he moved to Kerrville Texas in the vain hope that the climate there would help alleviate his wife s lung ailment 6 Texas editWithin a year or so he purchased The Kerrville News and inspired by the area s surrounding beauty renamed it The Kerrville Mountain Sun 7 In 1903 he was elected mayor of Kerrville and in 1906 their representative House District 99 in the 30th state legislature While serving in the Texas House of Representatives he was instrumental in pushing through legislation that led to the creation of the State Tubercular Sanatorium in Carlsbad In July 1908 Grinstead failed to win Democratic support for a second term and was replaced by Sam O Bryant who prevailed against his Republican opponent that November 8 9 Grinstead also served on the Kerrville school board for many years 2 Later years editGrinstead sold his interest in the Mountain Sun in 1917 to Terrell Publishing to devote his time to writing and other interests He became a frequent contributor of Western fiction sometimes under the pseudonyms Tex Janis William Crump Rush or George Bowles to such pulp publications as Big Book Western Magazine Thrilling Ranch Stories Western Romances Argosy Magazine and Frontier Magazine Grinstead published some 30 novels over his career along with numerous short stories and articles Beginning in January 1921 through December 1925 Grinstead wrote and published Grinstead s Graphic a monthly magazine of poetry and local interest stories tasked with promoting the Hill Country 10 during a period of hard times 6 The 1927 silent film Tumbling River starring Tom Mix was based on his novel The Scourge of the Little C and his story Sunset of Power was adapted for film in 1936 with Buck Jones in the lead role 11 In December 1899 Grinstead s first wife Sarah Frances died at the age of 27 at Kerrville The couple had three boys Edward Everett 1892 1893 Grady Hugh 1894 1974 and Eugene Doyle 1897 1951 In 1900 he married Gertrude Wright 1868 1946 a widow who operated a boarding house in Kerrville Three children Jesse H 1901 1942 Bessie G 1903 1958 and Pam 1905 1974 soon followed 6 12 13 14 By the time of her death in 1940 Grinstead s mother had been considered at 107 the oldest living person in Missouri 15 Jesse Grinstead died at the age of 81 on March 8 1948 at Kerrville and was interred at Oakwood Cemetery Whitesboro At the time Grinstead had reportedly left behind some 100 unpublished works three of which he had recently submitted for publication 2 Selected bibliography editKerrville and Kerr County Texas 1905 Fishin On The Guadalupe 16 1908 An Orphan of the Alamo 17 1916 The Roads of Kerr County 18 1923 The Hill Country 1923 The Scourge of the Little C 1926 The Stuff Rangers are Made Of 1927 Black Kettle Mountains 1927 The Master Squatter 1927 Trailing Old Tarantula 1930 Oklahoma Stampede 1937 Flaming Guns 1938 The Texas Feud 1938 The Texas Trail 1938 The Red Scalp 1938 King of the Rangeland 1939 Feud at Silver Bend 1939 War above the Timberline 1939 The Cattle Barons 1940 Guardians of the Range 1940 The Great Red Border 1940 Law of the Trail 1940 The Flying Y Brand 1940 Hell Range in Texas 1940 Round Up at Tiger Gap 1940 Little River Valley 1941 The Killers of Green s Cove 1941 War on the Range 1941 Hell s Acres 1941 Texas Ranger Justice 1941 The Lightning Kid 1941 Feud at Twin Mountain 1942 Hellfire Range 1942 Hot Lead 1943 King of Hualpi Valley 1949 Range King 1950 When Texans Ride 1962 Phantom Rustlers 1968 Raging Guns 1968 Maverick Guns 1968 References edit a b c Texas Death Certificate March 9 1948 a b c d e J E Grinstead Author Editor Dies Monday Kerrville Mountain Sun March 11 1948 pp 1 8 William Travis Grinstead 1825 1900 Find a Grave Memorial Retrieved February 15 2014 Grinstead Hugh F William Grinstead Early Pioneer from an undated family history transcribed on Ancestry com 1860 U S Census Long Prairie Missouri Ancestry com a b c Grinstead Jesse Edward Texas State Historical Association Retrieved February 19 2014 Pioneer Kerrville Publisher Writer Succumbs to Long Illness Abilene Reporter News Tuesday March 9 1948 p 5 Tuesday July 23 1908 Brownsville Daily Herald July 28 1908 p 1 Election Returns Kerrville Mountain Sun November 7 1908 p 1 Grinstead s name for the area West of Austin and Northwest of San Antonio J E Grinstead Internet Movie Database Retrieved February 21 2014 Grinstead Find a Grave Retrieved February 21 2014 1900 1910 U S Census Kerrville Texas Texas Death Certificates 1903 1982 Ancestry com Woman 107 Dies Kansas City Star August 18 1940 p 8 poem newspaper article San Antonio Express November 5 1916 Texas Highway Bulletin September 1923External links edit nbsp Media related to Jesse Edward Grinstead at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jesse Edward Grinstead amp oldid 1102450465, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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