WILLIAM FRANK McGRAY, TERRITORIAL PIONEER DEAD
Resident of Stillwater for 73 Years Dies Monday Afternoon After Long Illness; Born July 23, 1834.
Farewell, old friend, a long farewell; Thou hast taken the path that all have trod. All who have traveled the long, long trail – To be at home with God.
William Frank McGray, resident of Stillwater and the Friendly Valley for 73 years, died at his home at the Fred Thompson residence, corner No. Second and Cherry streets, today, December 17, 1928 at 2:00 p.m. after an illness of a month or more.
Mr. McGray was born in Unity township, Waldo county, Maine, July 23, 1834. He worked on his father's farm until he was 18 years of age and then went to the pine woods in the winter and worked on the Penobscot river boom in summers for three years. He then came west visioning a more pleasant prospect than that afforded by the rocky, sterile farm where he was born and reared to young manhood. When Mr. McGray left Maine he had fully made up his mind to go to California, but on arriving in Stillwater, he found the place to his liking and here he was remained since, within the confines of the beautiful Friendly Valley.
Old timers will remember Mr. McGray was the superintendent of the St. Croix Boom where he was engaged in that occupation for many years. He hitched the first log that came through the boom in 1856 and also the last one, the latter in 1914, although he was not superintendent at the time the last log came through the boom.
As Mr. McGray remarked in a recent interview published in this paper this was a crude civilization in 1855; that was three years before Minnesota was admitted to the Union as a state; but as he said, things were in the making and all one needed was to have health, be honest and to hustle, and during his life Mr. McGray exemplified these three things and to these he attributed his success in life; as he told the Gazette, these three words, followed by any man will bring him success in life.
For a number or years Mr. McGray has been spending his winters in California and fully expected to pass this winter there, but he was taken ill a month or so ago and gave up the idea of making the trip.
Surviving Mr. McGray are his daughters, Mrs. Harvey of Prescott, Wis.; Mrs. Wilkinson of Los Angeles, Cal.; Mrs. F. W. Murphy of Wheaton, Minn., and his son, William McGray, Garrison, N. D.
The funeral will be held Wednesday, Dec. 19, at Prescott, Wis., at one o'clock p. m. The body will lie in state Tuesday, Dec. 18, at the Jones mortuary from 2 to 4 p.m.
Source: The Stillwater Gazette, Stillwater, Minnesota, Wednesday, December 19, 1928, front page
Resident of Stillwater for 73 Years Dies Monday Afternoon After Long Illness; Born July 23, 1834.
Farewell, old friend, a long farewell; Thou hast taken the path that all have trod. All who have traveled the long, long trail – To be at home with God.
William Frank McGray, resident of Stillwater and the Friendly Valley for 73 years, died at his home at the Fred Thompson residence, corner No. Second and Cherry streets, today, December 17, 1928 at 2:00 p.m. after an illness of a month or more.
Mr. McGray was born in Unity township, Waldo county, Maine, July 23, 1834. He worked on his father's farm until he was 18 years of age and then went to the pine woods in the winter and worked on the Penobscot river boom in summers for three years. He then came west visioning a more pleasant prospect than that afforded by the rocky, sterile farm where he was born and reared to young manhood. When Mr. McGray left Maine he had fully made up his mind to go to California, but on arriving in Stillwater, he found the place to his liking and here he was remained since, within the confines of the beautiful Friendly Valley.
Old timers will remember Mr. McGray was the superintendent of the St. Croix Boom where he was engaged in that occupation for many years. He hitched the first log that came through the boom in 1856 and also the last one, the latter in 1914, although he was not superintendent at the time the last log came through the boom.
As Mr. McGray remarked in a recent interview published in this paper this was a crude civilization in 1855; that was three years before Minnesota was admitted to the Union as a state; but as he said, things were in the making and all one needed was to have health, be honest and to hustle, and during his life Mr. McGray exemplified these three things and to these he attributed his success in life; as he told the Gazette, these three words, followed by any man will bring him success in life.
For a number or years Mr. McGray has been spending his winters in California and fully expected to pass this winter there, but he was taken ill a month or so ago and gave up the idea of making the trip.
Surviving Mr. McGray are his daughters, Mrs. Harvey of Prescott, Wis.; Mrs. Wilkinson of Los Angeles, Cal.; Mrs. F. W. Murphy of Wheaton, Minn., and his son, William McGray, Garrison, N. D.
The funeral will be held Wednesday, Dec. 19, at Prescott, Wis., at one o'clock p. m. The body will lie in state Tuesday, Dec. 18, at the Jones mortuary from 2 to 4 p.m.
Source: The Stillwater Gazette, Stillwater, Minnesota, Wednesday, December 19, 1928, front page
WILLIAM FRANK McGRAY, TERRITORIAL PIONEER DEAD
Resident of Stillwater for 73 Years Dies Monday Afternoon After Long Illness; Born July 23, 1834.
Farewell, old friend, a long farewell; Thou hast taken the path that all have trod. All who have traveled the long, long trail – To be at home with God.
William Frank McGray, resident of Stillwater and the Friendly Valley for 73 years, died at his home at the Fred Thompson residence, corner No. Second and Cherry streets, today, December 17, 1928 at 2:00 p.m. after an illness of a month or more.
Mr. McGray was born in Unity township, Waldo county, Maine, July 23, 1834. He worked on his father's farm until he was 18 years of age and then went to the pine woods in the winter and worked on the Penobscot river boom in summers for three years. He then came west visioning a more pleasant prospect than that afforded by the rocky, sterile farm where he was born and reared to young manhood. When Mr. McGray left Maine he had fully made up his mind to go to California, but on arriving in Stillwater, he found the place to his liking and here he was remained since, within the confines of the beautiful Friendly Valley.
Old timers will remember Mr. McGray was the superintendent of the St. Croix Boom where he was engaged in that occupation for many years. He hitched the first log that came through the boom in 1856 and also the last one, the latter in 1914, although he was not superintendent at the time the last log came through the boom.
As Mr. McGray remarked in a recent interview published in this paper this was a crude civilization in 1855; that was three years before Minnesota was admitted to the Union as a state; but as he said, things were in the making and all one needed was to have health, be honest and to hustle, and during his life Mr. McGray exemplified these three things and to these he attributed his success in life; as he told the Gazette, these three words, followed by any man will bring him success in life.
For a number or years Mr. McGray has been spending his winters in California and fully expected to pass this winter there, but he was taken ill a month or so ago and gave up the idea of making the trip.
Surviving Mr. McGray are his daughters, Mrs. Harvey of Prescott, Wis.; Mrs. Wilkinson of Los Angeles, Cal.; Mrs. F. W. Murphy of Wheaton, Minn., and his son, William McGray, Garrison, N. D.
The funeral will be held Wednesday, Dec. 19, at Prescott, Wis., at one o'clock p. m. The body will lie in state Tuesday, Dec. 18, at the Jones mortuary from 2 to 4 p.m.
Source: The Stillwater Gazette, Stillwater, Minnesota, Wednesday, December 19, 1928, front page
Resident of Stillwater for 73 Years Dies Monday Afternoon After Long Illness; Born July 23, 1834.
Farewell, old friend, a long farewell; Thou hast taken the path that all have trod. All who have traveled the long, long trail – To be at home with God.
William Frank McGray, resident of Stillwater and the Friendly Valley for 73 years, died at his home at the Fred Thompson residence, corner No. Second and Cherry streets, today, December 17, 1928 at 2:00 p.m. after an illness of a month or more.
Mr. McGray was born in Unity township, Waldo county, Maine, July 23, 1834. He worked on his father's farm until he was 18 years of age and then went to the pine woods in the winter and worked on the Penobscot river boom in summers for three years. He then came west visioning a more pleasant prospect than that afforded by the rocky, sterile farm where he was born and reared to young manhood. When Mr. McGray left Maine he had fully made up his mind to go to California, but on arriving in Stillwater, he found the place to his liking and here he was remained since, within the confines of the beautiful Friendly Valley.
Old timers will remember Mr. McGray was the superintendent of the St. Croix Boom where he was engaged in that occupation for many years. He hitched the first log that came through the boom in 1856 and also the last one, the latter in 1914, although he was not superintendent at the time the last log came through the boom.
As Mr. McGray remarked in a recent interview published in this paper this was a crude civilization in 1855; that was three years before Minnesota was admitted to the Union as a state; but as he said, things were in the making and all one needed was to have health, be honest and to hustle, and during his life Mr. McGray exemplified these three things and to these he attributed his success in life; as he told the Gazette, these three words, followed by any man will bring him success in life.
For a number or years Mr. McGray has been spending his winters in California and fully expected to pass this winter there, but he was taken ill a month or so ago and gave up the idea of making the trip.
Surviving Mr. McGray are his daughters, Mrs. Harvey of Prescott, Wis.; Mrs. Wilkinson of Los Angeles, Cal.; Mrs. F. W. Murphy of Wheaton, Minn., and his son, William McGray, Garrison, N. D.
The funeral will be held Wednesday, Dec. 19, at Prescott, Wis., at one o'clock p. m. The body will lie in state Tuesday, Dec. 18, at the Jones mortuary from 2 to 4 p.m.
Source: The Stillwater Gazette, Stillwater, Minnesota, Wednesday, December 19, 1928, front page
Inscription
W. F. McGRAY
JULY 23, 1834
DEC. 17, 1928
LENA McGRAY
FEB. 5, 1831.
MAY 23, 1889.
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