James Grinnell
Over 100 Yeas Old
Contributed by: Kay


GRINNELL James

The Oshkosh Northwestern August 2, 1909

(There is a picture of Mr. GRINNELL in this article) (Photo by RALPH. Under picture it says: "Resident of the town of Poygun who remembers Oshkosh when there were but two residences here.")

OVER ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD

Pioneer Resident of Winnebago County Is Believed to Have Lived a Century and Nearly a Decade - Story of Life.


Nearly the oldest, if not the oldest man in the state of Wisconsin is believed to be the distinction attained by James GRINNELL of the town of Poygun, who has recently been visiting his granddaughter, Mrs. Frank YOUNGWIRTH, wife of the county jailor. Mr. GRINNELL does not know his exact age, but estimates it at 110 years. Relatives who have computed his age from various incidents of his life estimate it at between 106 and 108 years.

Mr. GRINNELL was born in Ireland. His mother died when he was an infant and he went to live with an aunt. She was blessed with more children than money and at the age of about ten years he had to start out for himself. He was a common laborer in Ireland, and it was in the county Rexford he was reared. He remained in Ireland until he was a man not far from 50 years of age. He came to America, settling first in New York, where he remained about four years and then came to Wisconsin. He settled immediately in Winnebago county and says at that time there were only two residences in what is now the city of Oshkosh. That was about sixty-five years ago.

Mr. GRINNELL went to Poygun where he "bached it" with two or three other men for a couple of years before government land was thrown open. At that time, he said, there were practically no persons in that town except Indians, but within a year or two a large number of whites moved in. In those days, he says, it was necessary to go to Neenah by boat for flour and provisions and Oshkosh was but a small village.

Mr. GRINNELL took up 160 acres of land from the government. Later he married a widow, Mrs. Catherine RYAN, who died a number of years ago. They had one son, Patrick GRINNELL, who was Mrs. YOUNGWIRTH's father. He is dead. Mr. GRINNELL still retains marked physical and mental vigor. He does not use glasses at all and frequently is called upon by his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Patrick GRINNELL, to thread her needle for her while she is sewing.

He does a considerable amount of walking and frequently leaves his home to walk to Winneconne, a distance of eleven miles. On such walks he will stop and chat with neighbors and friends along the road, but he says with much pride that he could walk the entire distance without stopping.

Mr. GRINNELL speaks with a decided Irish brogue and is possessed of a keen sense of humor. When asked if he ever took a drink, he replied "Well, yes, if any one asks me. Are you going to invite me to take one?"

And yet it is his boast that he was never under the influence of liquor in his life. When asked to what he attributed his old age, he replies with a smile, "Sparkin' principally, me bye, sparkin." And another thing, I niver used tobaccy in all me life, and niver give a man the lie in all me life, nor tould anny wan a lie."

Until his relatives commenced to give him close attention, for fear he might be injured, he was accustomed to go about as he pleased and within the last four or five years he walked about Lake Poygun, a distance of twenty-four miles, upon a number of occasions. He has enjoyed the best of health and says he has not employed a physician in fifty years.

He is rather deaf, but otherwise his faculties are keen and bright. He enjoys a game of cards and plays frequently and skillfully. At the request of his granddaughter, the old man sang a little Irish ditty and danced an Irish jig as spryly as many men of sixty years could have done. He says he has no intention of giving up life for a number of years to come and nothing in his condition indicates any signs of decrepitude.


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