John A. Griswold

       HON. JOHN A. GRISWOLD.
 The death of Mr. Griswold occured at
7 1/2 P.M., Thursday at his residence, near
Troy, after an illness of several weeks.
 John A. Griswold was born in the
town of Nassau, Rensselaer county, N.
Y., in the year 1817. While in his  boy-
hood, his home was with his relative, the
late Major-Gen. John E. Wool, in the
city of Troy. His first connection with
business was found in a wholesale drug
store. In 1857 Mr. Griswold became a
large owner of the iron mills of Troy.
Bessemer steel process was the means of
still further extending the business of the
Troy mills, as Mr. Griswold became the
owner of the Bessemer patents for this
country.
 During the early part of the war Mr.
Griswold built the first Ericsson Monitor
at his individual expense, taking the risk
being repaid if the novel vessel proved
a success.
 He was elected Mayor of Troy in 1855.
He received the Democratic nomination
for Congress in 1857, but was defeated by
his opponent, Hon. A.B. Olin. In 1862
he was again nominated for Congress as a
Democrat, and elected by a majority of
1,287. While in Congress Mr. Griswold
was a war Democrat. This course led to
his being made the Republican candidate
for Congress in his district, in the year
1864, and he was elected by a decided 
vote. At the expiration of the second
term the Republicans of Rensselaer Coun-
ty again nominated and elected him their
representative. During his Congression-
al career of six years Mr. Griswold served
on the Committee on Naval Affairs, and
on the Committe of Ways and Means.
In the year 1868 Mr. Griswold was nomi-
nated by the Republican party in this
State as its candidate for Governor
against John T. Hoffman, and was un-
doubtedly elected, but was counted out
by frauds. This closed Mr. Griswold's
political life, as he declined to run for
any office, preferring to attend to his
private business.

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E-mail: greenhsh@morrisville.edu