An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The
Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, pages384-385 
	
	WILLIAM J. GRAMBS, of Seattle, Washington, was born in Honesdale,
Pennsylvania, April 11, 1862, a son of Lorenzo and Margaret (Gunthry) Grambs,
natives also of that State. William J. attended the schools of his native city
until fourteen years of age, and then entered a competitive examination for
entrance at the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, was the successful
candidate, and duly appointed. After four years in that city he graduated as
midshipman, immediately sailed on the United States ship, Hartford, which was
given a roving commission, visited many of the principal ports of the world, and
served as flag-ship of the Pacific Squadron eighteen months. About 1884 Congress
reduced the navy, and provided for the retention of but ten men from each class.
Mr. Grambs then received an honorable discharge, with an allowance of one year's
sea pay, and at once accepted an appointment on the United States Geological
Survey. He spent two years in Massachusetts, in charge of a surveying party,
making a contour map of the State. In the spring of 1887 our subject resigned
his commission, and, having received a practical knowledge of electricity while
at Annapolis, decided to enter the electric field of labor. He accordingly
secured the agency of the Edison United Manufacturing Company for the Northwest,
embracing the States of Idaho, Oregon and British Columbia, with headquarters at
Seattle. Arriving in this city, Mr. Grambs entered into partnership with S.Z.
Mitchell and F.H. Sparling, both graduates at Annapolis, and formed the firm of
Mitchell, Sparling & Co., Mr. Sparling retiring after about one year. Seattle
was the first city in the Northwest to adopt electricity for lighting purposes,
and in 1887 the above company installed the first Edison incandescent and the
municipal dynamos for the Seattle Electric Light Company, for street and
commercial lighting -- these being the first machines of that character in use
west of the Mississippi river. In 1888 Messrs. Mitchell and Grambs incorporated
the Northwest Electric Supply & Construction Company, with Mr. Mitchell as
president, and Mr. Grambs as secretary. They installed in Tacoma the first
electric street railroad in the Northwest, and sold a large part of the
electrical apparatus used in the Northwest. In 1890 they sold out to the Edison
General Electric Company, and Mr. Grambs was retained by them as manager of the
Puget Sound district. In July, 1892, this company consolidated with the
Northwest Thompson-Houston Electric Company, under the name of the Northwest
General Electric Company, our subject still continuing as manager at Seattle.
	In Tacoma, in December, 1892, Mr. Grambs was married to Miss Blanche L.
Kesler, a native of Honesdale, Pennsylvania. They have one child, Harold Willis.
Our subject is a stockholder in the Washington Water Power Company, of Spokane,
which is the outgrowth of the Spokane Electric Light Company, and which he was
assisted in organizing in 1887. This company now controls the electric; and
water power of the city. He is a stockholder in the electric plants at Port
Townsend, Snohomish, Pendleton, and La Grande, also a number of smaller
organizations; is secretary of Albert Brown Brewing Association; was one of the
incorporators and a director of the Seattle Brewing & Malting Co., with a
capital of $1,000,000, a consolidation of the leading breweries of the city; was
one of the organizers of the Northwest Fixture & Electric Company, in December,
1892; and also holds valuable landed interests throughout the State of
Washington. Mr. Grambs is a member of no fraternal order, and takes little
interest in politics, but is thoroughly in sympathy with that spirit of
enterprise which has been so significant in the development of Seattle and
Northwest.
	
Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in September 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer
	
	
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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
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individual featured in the biographies.