The Descendants of John Heywood of Concord, Massachusetts

Page 573

Grattan H. Wheeler, Jr. was born in the town of Wheeler, March 12, 1813. He was brought up on a farm and was engaged in farming, lumbering and wool-growing in his native town until December 9, 1857, when he moved to the town of Urbana, where he purchased one hundred and ten acres, a large portion of which he set out to grapes, and was among those who early embarked in that industry. He was the projector of the first wine cellar, and formed the Pleasant Valley Wine Company. He sold his interests in that company and erected the Hammondsport Wine Company's cellars, at Hammondsport.

Pages 42 & 43

Grattan H. Wheeler was born in the town of Wheeler March 12, 1813, the son of Hon. Grattan H. Wheeler and the grandson of Capt. Silas Wheeler, sketches of whom appear elsewhere in this book. Grattan H. Wheeler lived on the farm with his distinguished father, and during the period while the latter was absent at Albany and Washington, assisted in the management of the large farm and business. He was married in 1837 to Nancy D. Sayre of Wheeler, and soon after their marriage they settled upon a farm about one mile from the old Wheeler homestead. He lived in Wheeler until the year 1857, during which period he accumulated a farm of about 1,500 acres of land, and also built up a large lumber business. He was a first-class farmer in every respect and a great stock raiser, having brought into Wheeler some of the best blooded sheep and cattle in the county of Steuben; and while there he had the reputation of having one of the finest flocks of sheep and the best herds of cattle in the county.

In politics he was a staunch Whig, and was a justice of the peace and supervisor in the town of Wheeler; he also held many offices and positions of trust. In 1857 he became satisfied that there was a future for the grape industry in the adjoining town of Urbana, and on December 9 of that year he removed from the old home to a farm one mile west of Hammondsport. He began there at once the business of farming, sheep raising and the grape industry. He at once planted a vineyard, which was then the fourth vineyard planted in that town; and in the year 1860 he was one of the active spirits which organized the first wine company and built the first large wine cellar in the state of New York, and in fact east of the Ohio. He had great faith in the future of Lake Keuka and Pleasant Valley grape region, and he believed that the wine industry would eventually develop into a large buseinss. Time has proved the accuracy of his judgement and belief.

He was elected the first president of the Pleasant Valley Wine Company, and served in that capacity for nine successive years, when he sold his stock therein at a large profit and established a cellar, which was known as the Hammondsport Wine Company, and he continued that business until the year 1878, the present Hammondsport Wine Company having succeeded to his business name.

Since the formation of the Republican party he has been an active Republican. In 1858 he was a candidate for member of assembly in this district. He is at present living in Hammondsport and in active work; and at the age of nearly eighty-three years, is in good health, his mind as bright and active as ever.

There were ten children born of this marriage with Nancy D.Sayre, namely: Fanny, Sarah, Eliza, Graham H., Emma, Monroe, Nannie, Charles G., Nellie, and Mary. Fanny became Mrs. H.D. Rose and now resides at Rochester, N.Y.; Sarah married Lieutenant Layton, who was killed in 1863 in battle, and then in 1887 she married Lieutenant Cranston, of the regular army; she is living at Elmira. Eliza married Major H. Gardner and resides at New York city. Emma is the wife of R.R. Sopher, the proprietor of the Elmira Gazette, and resides at Elmira, N.Y. Nannie married Major Norton and died in 1880. The three sons reside at Hammondsport. Nellie also married Major Norton; and Mary married G.E. Mendel, and both reside at Wheeling, W. Va.

At one time, Mr. Wheeler was the president of the Ohio River Coal Company, and operated that company for years on the Ohio River; he was also president of the Steuben County Agricultural Society for several terms and aided materially in the early growth of that society, and was recently elected a life member thereof. For many years he was an officer of the Franklin Academy at Prattsburg, and later president of the Hammondsport Academy. He has always been active in educational matters, a man of public spirit and closely identified with all which tended towards the progress of mankind. His wife was a woman of lovely character. She died May 27, 1889.