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Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington",  published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.


     PHILIPP A. GRUB is a grain buyer and land owner, with his home at Medical Lake, and with business headquarters at Ritzville.  Born in Mommenheim, Germany, February 6, 1842, he is the son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Elbing) Grub, native Germans.  Both his grandfathers were soldiers under Napoleon I for years, having passed through many of the great campaigns that made such fame for that great French general.  His maternal grandfather was an officer in the French cavalry and was with Napoleon at the burning of Moscow and on the historic retreat from that Russian city.  He received a pension from the French government until his death.  His paternal grandfather was a member of the French guard at the great battles of Leipzig, Dresden, Hanau, Bauzen and Lowenburg, and was intimately associated with Napoleon through many hard campaigns.  His death occurred in Germany, 1870.  Our subject's father left Germany in 1843, coming to Waukesha county, Wisconsin, where he lived until his death in 1895.  The subject's mother died in 1847, in Waukesha county, Wisconsin.  The father married a second time, and upon his death left one issue of his first marriage, the subject of this biography, and five by his second, Dorothy, Adam, Jacob, John and Magdalena.
     In his native country Mr. Grub received a common school education, but was compelled to leave school at the age of sixteen and clerk in a store, which occupation he followed ten years, when he came to America in January, 1866.  He remained with his father a short time, then went to Minnesota, where he learned the brewer's trade.  He again accepted a clerkship in a store, followed the vocation two years, then engaged in business at Wabasha, Minnesota, for four years.  He then came to Washington, and passed through Ritzville, Sunday, October 19, 1881.  He went on to Spokane Falls, remained a brief time, after which he returned to Medical Lake, where he was truly a pioneer.  He purchased a homestead right to a tract of land eighteen miles west of Medical Lake.  On account of his knowing nothing about the business of farming, he was prevented from moving upon the place by Mrs. Grub, so he settled in Medical Lake and formed a business partnership with Messrs. Theilman and Sawer.  Mr. Grub, after one year, sold his interest in the business and entered that of wheat buying, first in Cheney, then for the old Northern Pacific Elevator Company.  He is now engaged in the business at Ritzville with the Tacoma Grain Company.
     Mr. Grub was married in 1870 to Clara E. Dreyer, daughter of Fred and Elizabeth (Dech) Dreyer, who were natives of Germany, and parents of twelve children, of whom only five are living.
     Mr. and Mrs. Grub have been parents of nine children, eight of whom are living, Philipp H., Milligan F., Eva, Margret, Frederick, Harry, Viola, and Carl Dreyer.
Phillip A. Grub is an active Republican, a Mason, and a member of the Congregational church.
     Mr. Grub owns two hundred and eighty acres of nice land on the banks of Medical Lake and on the estate are two small lakes which he has stocked with black bass.  He supplies the Spokane markets in the season and receives a good revenue from this enterprise.  His standing in the community is of the best and his friends are many.
 
 

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