Edwards, Rev. Jonathan. "An Illustrated History of Spokane County, State of Washington." San Francisco: W. H. Lever, 1900. p. 442. JAY P. GRAVES a pioneer of 1887, is a native of Cartilage, Illinois, born June 27, 1859. After completing his education in Carthage College, he embarked in the hardware business at Plymouth, Illinois, where he resided until coming to Spokane. Upon arriving here, he engaged in the real estate and brokerage business, and in 1891 he turned his attention to mining, an industry in which he has been remarkably successful. In the fall of 1895 he organized the Old Ironsides Mining Company, of which he has been vice-president and manager and is now president. In January, 1897, he organized the Knob Hill Gold Mining Company, of which he is vice-president, and the same year he established the Paris Gold Mining Company, of which he has ever since been manager and president. He also was foremost in instituting the Granby Consolidated Mining & Smelting Company, in 1898, and he has held the offices of vice-president and manager since. Their smelting plant is located in Grand Forks, British Columbia. In this industry Mr. Graves has about half a million of his own capital invested, and he has succeeded in interesting his friends in this and other mining enterprises to the extent of about a million and a half dollars. For the promotion of their various projects, he and his companies have established offices in Montreal, Canada, New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Mr. Graves is also interested in numerous mining properties in addition to those mentioned, but so great is his capacity for affairs, that he manages to find time for other projects and to discharge his duties as a man and a citizen. He is erecting a three-story pressed-brick block on Riverside avenue, east of Washington street, also a fine residence on Eighth avenue and Washington. He is the owner of the block on the southwest corner of Riverside and Bernard, as well as much other real estate in the city. In 1890 he bought the controlling interest in and became president of the Washington Abstract and Title Guarantee Company, retaining both his interest and his office until 1900, when he withdrew from the company. From 1892 to 1895 he was a director in the Old National Bank, and for a number of years he was a director in the board of trade. In 1894 he was the candidate of the Republican party for mayor of Spokane, but was defeated by Dan Drumheller, the Democratic nominee. Mr. Graves has been very active in securing subsidies for railroads, promoting early enterprises and advancing by every means in his power, the best interests of Spokane, and to his industry, enterprise and zeal. the city is greatly indebted. He was married in Plymouth, Illinois, October 18, 1879, to Miss Amanda Cox, of that state, and they are parents of one son, Clyde M., now a student in Mount Pleasant Military Academy, New York. ******************* Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in April 2008 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.