California Genealogy and History Archives
Biographies
of
Sacramento County
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WILLIAM
E. GRANT The
proprietor of Hotel Clayton claims Sacramento as his birth place as well
as the chosen home of his maturity. While at times the interests of
business have required his presence temporarily in other parts of the
west, always he has considered Sacramento as his home and headquarters.
In entering the hotel business he selected the capital city as the seat
of his operations and chose the Hotel Clayton, a new and modern building
with first-class accommodations, as his special center of activity. The
management of the place proves the energy and sagacity of the
proprietor, whose courtesy and Chesterfieldian polish supplement a keen
business ability and indicate his adaptability for that difficult
undertaking, the successful operation of a modern caravansary. The
Clayton is a commodious building with one hundred rooms, equipped with
modern conveniences and supplied with every requisite for the comfort of
the guests, who after having been entertained here once are ready to
return should business or pleasure bring them back to Sacramento. In
this city Mr. Grant was born September 9, 1866, being a son of George
Robert and Mary Helen (Van Arden) Grant, natives of New York state. As
early as 1862 the father became a pioneer of the Sacramento valley, and
from that time until his death, which occurred June 19, 1889, he
followed general farming, meanwhile ac- cumulating large tracts of
unimproved land in Placer and Sutter counties. Since his death the wife
and mother has resided in Sacramento and now makes her home with her
son, William E. Of her other children all are living except George
Robert, Jr., who died in 1894. The remaining members of the family are
as follows : Mrs. Mildred Pierce, a widow; Sarah 0., the widow of the
late Robert Frazee, who for twenty years or more was connected with the
Sacramento police force; Julia A., the widow of Leroy L. Crocker, a
fruit-grower in Placer county, who at his demise left a large estate in
that county as well as holdings elsewhere; Henrietta, wife of C. W.
Earle, of Los Angeles; William E., and Ada, a resident of Berkeley, this
state. After he had completed the usual course of educational training Mr. Grant became a traveling salesman and in that capacity gained a broad knowledge of the west. For several years he was connected with the Wood-Curtis Company as manager of their Reno branch, and afterward he held the position of vice-president of the McMillan- Gordon Company for four years, resigning in order to devote his attention to the hotel business. Ever since attaining his majority he has voted the Republican ticket at all general elections. Fraternally he has been a local leader in Masonry and has risen to Islam Temple, N. M. S., of San Francisco. With his wife, who was Miss Matilda Andrews, and his daughter. Miss Viola M., a popular student in the high school, lie has a host of warm personal friends among the people of Sacramento. In his devotion to Masonry he shows the zeal and intelligence which have brought into national prominence his uncle, Hon. H. B. Grant, of Louisville, Ky., widely known as the author of the Masonic Code, Templars' Tactics and other manuals used in the order; also known as the head of the command that won the competitive drills at both of the San Francisco conclaves, the remarkable tactical skill displayed by the command having been achieved through the earnest efforts of their commander. |
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Source: Transcribed by Peggy Hooper 2011 |