John C. H. Grabill

John C. H. Grabill
Grabill's iconic photograph "THE COW BOY" from the Library of Congress
Grabill's iconic photograph "THE COW BOY" from the Library of Congress
Born1849
Donnelsville, Ohio, United States
DiedAugust 23, 1903(1903-08-23) (aged 53–54)
Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
OccupationPhotographer
GenreAmerican Indian Wars, Sioux, early Indian Reservation Period, Western Americana
Notable worksPhotographs of the early Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, the Sioux Indians, the aftermath of the Wounded Knee Massacre[1]
Spouse
Margaret "Maggie" Gillespie
​
​
(m. 1885; div. 1892)​
; †1917
ChildrenRalph Gillespie Grabill (1887–1952)[2][3][4]

John C. H. Grabill (1849[5] – 23 August 1903) was an American photographer, known for his historical photographs, most of which were taken in South Dakota. He was born at Donnelsville, Ohio in 1849, the youngest son of David Grabill, a carpenter by his wife Catherine, née Kay.[6][5] By 1860 the family had relocated to Champaign, Illinois[7] where Grabill spent his formative years. He was involved in mining in Pitkin and Chaffee Counties in Colorado.

Grabill had studios in Buena Vista, Colorado, Sturgis, Deadwood, Lead City and Hot Springs, South Dakota and Chicago, Illinois. He was the official photographer of the Black Hills and Fort Pierre Railroad and the Homestake Mining Company in South Dakota.[8] Between 1887 and 1892 Grabill sent 188 photographs to the Library of Congress for copyright protection. These photographs are now in the public domain.[9]

  1. ^ "Search results from Grabill Collection, Available Online". Library of Congress.
  2. ^ World War I Draft Card, Ralph Gillespie Grabill, Registration No. 391-174, Denver, Colorado June 5, 1917
  3. ^ Grabill's only son, Ralph Gillespie Grabill was born in Lead, SD on February 7, 1887. After his parents divorced in 1892, his mother had moved to Chicago and later relocated to Denver, Colorado. Ralph G. Grabill was educated at the University of Colorado, Boulder attaining a degrees in engineering. He was married in Denver, Colorado on April 13, 1912 to Mabel Emilie Sweeney. The couple had a daughter, Dorothy, born at the same place on January 1, 1913. The latter married Donald C. Hays, there was no issue. Dorothy died in Reno, Nevada on August 25, 1962.
  4. ^ Obituary of Ralph G. Grabill, The Courier-News, Bridgewater, New Jersey, Saturday January 19, 1952, page 11
  5. ^ a b United States Census, 1850, Ohio, Clark County, Donnelsville, Bethel Township, lines 22–27, page 100b, image 206, August 6, 1850
  6. ^ Clark County, Ohio, Register of Marriages, 1818–1865, January 11, 1838 marriage between David Grabill and Catherine Kay
  7. ^ United States Census, 1860, Illinois, Champaign County, City of Champaign, lines 20–26, page 642, October 3, 1860
  8. ^ Mildred Fielder Railroads of the Black Hills Superior Publishing Company; (1964)ASIN: B0007E4QJU Photographs on pages 45, 63 and 118 are credited to Grabill, courtesy of the Homestake Mining Company and Mrs. James O'Hara
  9. ^ "About this Collection – Grabill Collection". Library of Congress. Retrieved February 6, 2018.