San Joaquin County Biographies


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GROVER A. GRIDER.
 
        A pioneer in the electrical business in Stockton, Grover A. Grider is 
still engaged in his chosen line of work, which he has followed since 1903. The 
Grider Electrical Company is located at 409 East Weber Avenue, fully equipped to 
furnish everything in an electrical way; specializing in artistic chandeliers 
for fine residences and other buildings. He was born at La Grange, Cal., May 2, 
1888, but was a babe in arms when his parents settled in Stockton and here he 
attended the public schools until he was fifteen years old. Leaving school at 
that age, he entered the employ of Noble D. Powell, the first man to establish 
an electrical store in Stockton. For the first eight months his wages were two 
dollars per week, but were steadily increased until he received a foreman's 
wages; then for the last few years that he was with them he was manager of the 
establishment, leaving them in 1909 to run a store of his own in Modesto, which 
he continued until 1912 when he sold out. He then returned to Stockton and two 
years ago he purchased the business now known as the Grider Electrical Company 
from N. D. Powell. Some of the first work Mr. Grider did was the wiring of many 
of the fine old homes in Stockton, among them being the Cobb residence on North 
Sutter Street; he also wired the old Russ Hotel and many other buildings in the 
old section of Stockton; he wired the river steamers Mary Garrett, Pride of the 
River, J. D. Peters and others. Among the later and more modern buildings are 
the following: A. M. Noble, Chas. Finkbohner, A. A. Sattui residences and the 
City Tennis Courts at Oak Park.      
        For the past three seasons Mr. Grider has had the contract for lighting 
the fair ground buildings for the San Joaquin County Fair held annually in 
Stockton. Night-time horse shows were made possible by a unique lighting system 
of which Mr. Grider is the originator. It consists of thirty Ivanhoe reflectors 
with 1,000 watt Edison Mazda lamps, spaced 35x35 feet. The reflectors were 
suspended from messenger wires run between wooden poles thirty feet high set on 
top of the ground and guyed in place. This lighting system was so constructed as 
to be easily erected and taken down, which was done each day of the fair. The 
area lighted was 350x115 feet directly in front of the grandstand and the night 
exhibits were a pronounced success on account of this excellent system. Mr. 
Crider received recognition for his splendid work from the manager and board of 
directors of the fair and this achievement was written up in a special article 
which recently appeared in the columns of the Journal of Electricity. The 
electric wiring in all the theaters in Stockton was done by Mr. Grider and only 
recently he rewired the Lyric Theater; also all of the electric decorations in 
the new State Theater, including the lighting effects behind the organ and side 
walls. Mr. Grider uses the best material that can be purchased and his 
workmanship is of the very highest grade and on all contracts satisfaction is 
guaranteed. He is actively associated with the California Cooperative Electric 
Campaign that was formed to educate the people to demand a better and more 
dependable class of electrical work.
        The marriage of Mr. Grider on August 25, 1909, united him with Miss 
Ethel Sturcke, a native of San Joaquin County, whose father was a pioneer and 
for
many years a deputy sheriff of the county. Mr. Grider is a member of the Weber 
Avenue Improvement Club, the Red Men, Charity Lodge No. 6, I. O. O. F., and the 
Encampment.
  
History of San Joaquin County, California � Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 
1923
p   780       
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.