U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Grant, Edward Miller (1853-1923) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Men of West Virginia, Volume II Biographical Publishing Company George Richmond, Pres.: C. R. Arnold, Sec'y and Treas. Chicago, Illinois, 1903 Pages 680-681 HON. EDWARD MILLER GRANT, who has been identified with many of the most important business concerns of Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia, is given credit by the residents of that city, more than to any other man, for its great industrial growth and the exploitation of the rich resources of the community. Mr. Grant was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1853, and is a son of William Grant. William Grant was born in England, came to the United States in 1850 and located at Cleveland, Ohio, where he followed the trade of a brickmaker. He was a member of Battery B, 1st Ohio Light Artillery, and served from 1862 until the close of the war. He died in 1900 at the age of 83 years. He married Hannah Turner, who was born in England and came to the United States with her husband in 1850. Her death occurred in 1873, aged 56 years. Edward M. Grant was educated in the public schools of Cleveland, after which he went into the office of Hussey & McBride, pioneer oil refiners of Cleveland, as office boy. At the age of 15 years he was keeping books for this firm. In 1872 he was sent to the oil regions to take charge of the producing property, then owned by Clark, Payne & Company, successors of Hussey & McBride. He subsequently purchased the interests of his employers in that property. He became interested in the natural gas business in 1885, when he bought a controlling interest in the Union Light & Heat Company, of Foxburg, Pennsylvania. In January, 1889, he located in Morgantown, West Virginia, and organized the Union Improvement Company, for the purpose of supplying gas and water to the city. At that time the population of the town was about 1,500 people. From the date of the introduction of the company above named, the town began to take on new life and rapidly grew to its present population of 10,000 people. Mr. Grant has identified himself with the interests of the town and all its enterprises at all times, and is today one of the leading spirits in everything tending to benefit and advance its interests. He is secretary and treasurer of the Morgantown Building & Investment Company, which has done more than any similar concern to develop the resources of the community. He is secretary and treasurer of the Morgantown Brick Company; vice-president of the Federal Savings & Trust Company; director in the Bank of Monongahela Valley; treasurer of the Union Utility Company, which now owns the gas, electric light, water and street railway plants of the town. He has twice been a member of the State Legislature, representing Monongalia County in that body in 1899 and again in 1901. He was instrumental in securing the largest appropriation the State University has ever secured, and as a result of his activity on behalf of that institution he was asked by Governor A. B. AVhite to serve as a member of the Board of Regents, which position he is at present filling with signal success. In 1876, Mr. Grant was united in marriage with Florence Mary Dale, at Foxburg, and they had five children, two of whom are now living. The oldest son, Dale, was a member of the First Regiment, West Virginia Infantry, U. S. Volunteers, and died during the Spanish- American War. Fraternally, our subject is a past grand and past chief patriarch in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; a member of Morgantown Union Lodge, No. 4, A. F. & A. M.; Orient Chapter, No. 9, R. A. M.; Crusade Commandery, No. 6, K. T.; Osiris Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Wheeling; Royal Arcanum; A. O. U. W.; K. O. T. M.; Royal Tribe of Joseph; and is a past exalted ruler in the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. ------------------------------------------------------------------- REGISTER OF DEATHS, Monongalia County, WV (Page 156) FULL-NAME: Edward Miller Grant DEATH-DATE: June 3, 1923 AGE-AT-DEATH: 70y-4m DEATH-PLACE: Morgantown FATHER: William Grant CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Arteriosclerosis General INFORMANT: Charles M. Bray, Physician ------------------------------------------------------------------- Tombstones in Oak Grove Cemetery, Morgantown, Monongalia County, WV Edward M. Grant (1853-1923) Florence D. Grant (1855-1946) ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Monongalia County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/Monongalia/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------