Reuel Colt Gridley
Encyclopedia
Reuel Colt Gridley was an American
storekeeper who gained nationwide attention in 1864, when he repeatedly auctioned a plain sack of flour and raised over $250,000 for the United States Sanitary Commission
, which provided aid to wounded American Civil War
soldiers.
, where he operated a grocery store. He made a bet with a Republican friend that the loser would carry a fifty-pound sack of flour through the town. He performed his punishment with the accompaniment of the town band, and at the end someone offered that the sack should be auctioned off to raise money for the Sanitary Fund, a new organization that aided disabled Civil War veterans. After finally selling for $250, the winner bidder rejected actually taking the sack, and it was auctioned repeated times until over $8,000 was raised. When nearby Virginia City heard of the event (and where young newspaper editor Mark Twain
was working at the time), they invited Gridley to come there, which he did, leading off repeated auctions across the west and the United States, raising over $250,000.(25 August 1871). Another Benefactor Gone, Peninsula Courier (reprinted from the Jackson Daily Citizen)Hunt, Aurora. The Army of the Pacific, p.324-35 (2004)
Twain told the story of the Gridley flour sack in his 1872 book Roughing It
.
In 1866, Gridley moved to Stockton, California
, but was in poor health, and he died in 1870.
In 1887, the "Reuel Colt Gridley Monument" was dedicated in Stockton's Rural Cemetery, depicting Gridley standing next to a large sack of flour. In 1965, the monument was registered as a historical landmark by the state of California.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
storekeeper who gained nationwide attention in 1864, when he repeatedly auctioned a plain sack of flour and raised over $250,000 for the United States Sanitary Commission
United States Sanitary Commission
The United States Sanitary Commission was a private relief agency created by federal legislation on June 18, 1861, to support sick and wounded soldiers of the U.S. Army during the American Civil War. It operated across the North, raised its own funds, and enlisted thousands of volunteers...
, which provided aid to wounded American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
soldiers.
Background
In 1864, Gridley supported the Democratic candidate for mayor in Austin, NevadaAustin, Nevada
Austin is a small, unincorporated community located in Lander County, Nevada, in the United States. As of 2004, its population is approximately 340. It is located on the western slopes of the Toiyabe Range at an elevation of . U.S...
, where he operated a grocery store. He made a bet with a Republican friend that the loser would carry a fifty-pound sack of flour through the town. He performed his punishment with the accompaniment of the town band, and at the end someone offered that the sack should be auctioned off to raise money for the Sanitary Fund, a new organization that aided disabled Civil War veterans. After finally selling for $250, the winner bidder rejected actually taking the sack, and it was auctioned repeated times until over $8,000 was raised. When nearby Virginia City heard of the event (and where young newspaper editor Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
was working at the time), they invited Gridley to come there, which he did, leading off repeated auctions across the west and the United States, raising over $250,000.(25 August 1871). Another Benefactor Gone, Peninsula Courier (reprinted from the Jackson Daily Citizen)Hunt, Aurora. The Army of the Pacific, p.324-35 (2004)
Twain told the story of the Gridley flour sack in his 1872 book Roughing It
Roughing It
Roughing It is a book of semi-autobiographical travel literature written by American humorist Mark Twain. It was written during 1870–71 and published in 1872 as a prequel to his first book Innocents Abroad...
.
In 1866, Gridley moved to Stockton, California
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
, but was in poor health, and he died in 1870.
Legacy
In Austin, Gridley's store still stands and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.In 1887, the "Reuel Colt Gridley Monument" was dedicated in Stockton's Rural Cemetery, depicting Gridley standing next to a large sack of flour. In 1965, the monument was registered as a historical landmark by the state of California.