Kings County Biographies


This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm



 
J. GRABOW
 
In the promotion of irrigation in central California the sinking of wells is an 
important factor and among the enterprising men giving attention to this 
industry is J. Grabow, of Hanford, Kings county, a native of Denmark, born in. 
1841, who came to the United States in 1881. He had learned the trade of well 
borer in his native country; his first employment here was as a farm hand, but 
it was not long before he was called upon to help bore for water, and the 
possibilities of well-drilling at once became apparent to him. Locating at Paso 
Robles, he gave his attention to this work and was one of the first, if not the 
first, in the state to develop water by the hydraulic process for domestic use. 
He operated in that vicinity until 1903, then came to Hanford, where he has 
devoted himself to well-boring on a larger scale than before, having put down 
more than a thousand wells, among which were those of the Ogdens, the Armona 
Winery, Dr. Miller (on his dairy ranch), Mecfusself Hardwick, Richards (of 
Grangeville), fourteen on the Floribel ranch and others, all of which have been 
so successful in operation that they have attracted wide attention to his 
enterprise. Mr. Grabow finds that in this vicinity good water for domestic uses 
is reached sixty to one hundred feet below the surface of the ground.
In 1876 Mr. Grabow married Miss Nanny Heger, a native of Sweden, who has borne 
him seven children : Fannie is a school teacher at Coalinga; Hans is his 
father's assistant in the latter's well-drilling operations; Ellen married Fred 
Donohoo; Esther is a student at the Conservatory of Music at San Jose; two died 
in infancy; and Anna died at the age of twenty-one years.
The progressive spirit which has marked Mr. Grabow's persistent development of 
his enterprise commends him to the general public as one of the leading business 
men in the country round about Hanford. He has established a shop in which, 
during the past two years, he has made all the casing he has used in his wells. 
The metal which he most favors for use for this purpose is galvanized iron. In 
municipal affairs he favors and supports those measures for the betterment of 
local interests, and has come to be known as a most helpful and up-to-date 
citizen, who has the welfare of the community at heart.
 
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches - 
Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913
pp. 639-640
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler