James F. Grinstead
| James Fontleroy Grinstead | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 15, 1845 Glasgow, Kentucky |
| Died |
November 13, 1921 (aged 75) Louisville, Kentucky |
| Occupation | Grocery wholesaler |
| Title | Mayor of Louisville |
| Term | 1907–1909 |
| Predecessor | Robert Worth Bingham |
| Successor | William O. Head |
| Political party | Republican |
James Fontleroy Grinstead (November 15, 1845 - November 13, 1921) was a businessman, mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1907 to 1909, and county commissioner from 1917 to his death in 1921. He is a descendent of William & Elizabeth Key Grinstead
Business
Born in Glasgow, Kentucky in 1854,[1][2][3][4] Grinstead had a common school education in Barren County, Kentucky before moving to Louisville in 1866 to work in wholesale grocery at Glazebrook & Grinstead, later known as W. E. Grinstead & Co.[1][5][6][4] He was a full partner in 1871 and worked in the company until 1891, when he left to found the wholesale company Grinstead & Tinsley in 1892,[1][5][4] In the same year, he married Annie W. Harwood.[5] which he headed until his retirement in 1910.[7][4]
Public service
Grinstead became a well-known local businessman and was approached to run for Mayor of Louisville in 1897, which he declined.[1][4] In 1901, he ran for mayor and won the Republican nomination.[1][4] After learning that his backer — Republican Party boss Charles Sapp — had used some questionable tactics to get votes for Grinstead, he declined the nomination,[1] earning the nickname "Honest Jim".[8][4] He became the first Republican mayor of Louisville to be elected by general voters when he became mayor in 1907[5] to complete the term started by Paul C. Barth,[7] whose 1905 election had been thrown out by the Kentucky Court of Appeals.[1][4] He ran for reelection in 1909, losing [1][5] to Democrat William O. Head.[4] Grinstead was elected county commissioner in 1917 and served until his death in 1921.[7]
Legacy
Grinstead Drive, a prominent street running through Louisville's East End, was renamed in Grinstead's honor.[4] He was buried in Cave Hill Cemetery,[9][8][4] which Grinstead Drive runs alongside.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Gibson - FRONTLINE - PBS". pbs.org.
- ↑ University of Kentucky Libraries. "Notable Kentucky African Americans -". uky.edu.
- ↑ "Death Comes to Former Mayor". Lexington Herald (318). Nov 14, 1921. p. 1.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "The Encyclopedia of Louisville". google.com.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "A History of Kentucky and Kentuckians". google.com.
- ↑ "Death Comes to Former Mayor". Lexington Herald (318). Nov 14, 1921. p. 1.
- 1 2 3 "Death Comes to Former Mayor". Lexington Herald (318). Nov 14, 1921. p. 1.
- 1 2 "James Fontleroy "Honest Jim" Grinstead (1845 - 1921) - Find A Grave Memorial". findagrave.com.
- ↑ Lawrence Kestenbaum. "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Grimke to Griswald". politicalgraveyard.com.
