John was a machinist and farmer in North Canton. Industrious and frugal, throughout the 1920s he saved to purchase his own farm. During this time, he also loaned money to his older brother to help him become established. Unfortunately, the local bank failed at the start of the depression and John received only about 15% of his savings. He used it to buy 6 acres from his father in 1936. During WWII, he was too old for military service and worked for the Hercules Motor Company. Using his savings from war-time work, John purchased the rest of his father's 48 acres for $6,000 in 1946.
Because of his experience during the depression, he never trusted banks and would only buy things using cash money. When talking about the depression, John told of an episode just days before the banks went under. He worked for the Middlebranch Supply Company at the time and was given the responsibility of dropping off the day's receipts at the bank on his way home. The bank took the receipts knowing good and well that they would not open for business the next day.
He also distrusted the stock market. In fact the Hoover farm (the Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Company) is just up the road from the Grubb farm. Hoover was awarded several large contracts during the war and became especially profitable. Mr. Hoover went to all his neighbors and personally asked John if he wanted to buy Hoover stock before it went on the open market. However, John declined because he was saving to buy the rest of his father's farm. As it turned out, if he had taken the deal he would have made a lot of money.
In 1929 he married Thelma Mason. After they purchased a portion of the farm, they built their home that started as a basement house. Here they raised three children - Dorothy, John W. and Mary Ann. When they purchased the rest of the farm, the property had a serious drainage problem because of the failure of the county to clean a ditch that ran through the farm from Kimmel's Lake. Grubb complained constantly until the problem was resolved and today it appears on the maps as Grubb's Ditch.
About 1947, the farm's original barn burned down, destroying most of the livestock inside. The blaze could be seen for miles around. The barn was replaced with one brought in from elsewhere in the county, which stood until the 1990's.
John was a 32-degree Mason and is buried at St Jacob's Cemetery, just across State Street from where he was raised in the old log house that still stands in 2011.
Because of his experience during the depression, he never trusted banks and would only buy things using cash money. When talking about the depression, John told of an episode just days before the banks went under. He worked for the Middlebranch Supply Company at the time and was given the responsibility of dropping off the day's receipts at the bank on his way home. The bank took the receipts knowing good and well that they would not open for business the next day.
He also distrusted the stock market. In fact the Hoover farm (the Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Company) is just up the road from the Grubb farm. Hoover was awarded several large contracts during the war and became especially profitable. Mr. Hoover went to all his neighbors and personally asked John if he wanted to buy Hoover stock before it went on the open market. However, John declined because he was saving to buy the rest of his father's farm. As it turned out, if he had taken the deal he would have made a lot of money.
In 1929 he married Thelma Mason. After they purchased a portion of the farm, they built their home that started as a basement house. Here they raised three children - Dorothy, John W. and Mary Ann. When they purchased the rest of the farm, the property had a serious drainage problem because of the failure of the county to clean a ditch that ran through the farm from Kimmel's Lake. Grubb complained constantly until the problem was resolved and today it appears on the maps as Grubb's Ditch.
About 1947, the farm's original barn burned down, destroying most of the livestock inside. The blaze could be seen for miles around. The barn was replaced with one brought in from elsewhere in the county, which stood until the 1990's.
John was a 32-degree Mason and is buried at St Jacob's Cemetery, just across State Street from where he was raised in the old log house that still stands in 2011.
John was a machinist and farmer in North Canton. Industrious and frugal, throughout the 1920s he saved to purchase his own farm. During this time, he also loaned money to his older brother to help him become established. Unfortunately, the local bank failed at the start of the depression and John received only about 15% of his savings. He used it to buy 6 acres from his father in 1936. During WWII, he was too old for military service and worked for the Hercules Motor Company. Using his savings from war-time work, John purchased the rest of his father's 48 acres for $6,000 in 1946.
Because of his experience during the depression, he never trusted banks and would only buy things using cash money. When talking about the depression, John told of an episode just days before the banks went under. He worked for the Middlebranch Supply Company at the time and was given the responsibility of dropping off the day's receipts at the bank on his way home. The bank took the receipts knowing good and well that they would not open for business the next day.
He also distrusted the stock market. In fact the Hoover farm (the Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Company) is just up the road from the Grubb farm. Hoover was awarded several large contracts during the war and became especially profitable. Mr. Hoover went to all his neighbors and personally asked John if he wanted to buy Hoover stock before it went on the open market. However, John declined because he was saving to buy the rest of his father's farm. As it turned out, if he had taken the deal he would have made a lot of money.
In 1929 he married Thelma Mason. After they purchased a portion of the farm, they built their home that started as a basement house. Here they raised three children - Dorothy, John W. and Mary Ann. When they purchased the rest of the farm, the property had a serious drainage problem because of the failure of the county to clean a ditch that ran through the farm from Kimmel's Lake. Grubb complained constantly until the problem was resolved and today it appears on the maps as Grubb's Ditch.
About 1947, the farm's original barn burned down, destroying most of the livestock inside. The blaze could be seen for miles around. The barn was replaced with one brought in from elsewhere in the county, which stood until the 1990's.
John was a 32-degree Mason and is buried at St Jacob's Cemetery, just across State Street from where he was raised in the old log house that still stands in 2011.
Because of his experience during the depression, he never trusted banks and would only buy things using cash money. When talking about the depression, John told of an episode just days before the banks went under. He worked for the Middlebranch Supply Company at the time and was given the responsibility of dropping off the day's receipts at the bank on his way home. The bank took the receipts knowing good and well that they would not open for business the next day.
He also distrusted the stock market. In fact the Hoover farm (the Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Company) is just up the road from the Grubb farm. Hoover was awarded several large contracts during the war and became especially profitable. Mr. Hoover went to all his neighbors and personally asked John if he wanted to buy Hoover stock before it went on the open market. However, John declined because he was saving to buy the rest of his father's farm. As it turned out, if he had taken the deal he would have made a lot of money.
In 1929 he married Thelma Mason. After they purchased a portion of the farm, they built their home that started as a basement house. Here they raised three children - Dorothy, John W. and Mary Ann. When they purchased the rest of the farm, the property had a serious drainage problem because of the failure of the county to clean a ditch that ran through the farm from Kimmel's Lake. Grubb complained constantly until the problem was resolved and today it appears on the maps as Grubb's Ditch.
About 1947, the farm's original barn burned down, destroying most of the livestock inside. The blaze could be seen for miles around. The barn was replaced with one brought in from elsewhere in the county, which stood until the 1990's.
John was a 32-degree Mason and is buried at St Jacob's Cemetery, just across State Street from where he was raised in the old log house that still stands in 2011.
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