Reuel Colt Gridley and the Most Expensive Bag of Flour in the World

TL;DR

Reuel Colt Gridley organized a charitable campaign by auctioning off a flour sack, raising a significant amount of money for wounded Union soldiers during the Civil War.

Transcript

Reuel Colt Gridley was born and raised in Hannibal, Missouri in 1829, and lived there contemporaneously with Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain), with Clemens claiming Gridley was a schoolmate of his. Leaving Missouri for greater adventure out west as a teenager, Gridley served in the Mexican War (1846-1848) and later joined the great California Gold R... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤨 Reuel Colt Gridley embarked on a charitable campaign by auctioning off a flour sack, raising funds for the U.S. Sanitary Commission during the Civil War.
• 🤨 The auction in Austin raised $5,000, and the campaign continued to gather attention and donations in other towns and cities.
• 🤨 Gridley's campaign involved selling the flour sack multiple times, with each buyer re-donating it, leading to a significant total amount raised.
• 😚 Despite his successful campaign, Gridley spent his entire life savings and faced financial hardships later on, ultimately losing his general store and suffering from health problems.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Reuel Colt Gridley come up with the idea of auctioning a flour sack for charity?

After losing the mayoral race, Gridley wanted to fulfill his friendly wager by carrying the flour sack, but instead of letting it go to waste, someone suggested auctioning it off for charity, benefiting wounded Union soldiers.

Q: How much money was raised in the auction held in Austin, Nevada?

The auction in Austin raised $5,000, a significant amount for that time, which is approximately $75,000 today.

Q: Where did Reuel Colt Gridley take his charitable campaign after Austin?

Gridley traveled to other wealthy mining areas and cities in California, including Sacramento and San Francisco, auctioning off the flour sack and raising more funds for the U.S. Sanitary Commission.

Q: How much money did the flour sack ultimately raise?

The single 50-pound bag of flour raised close to $275,000 in various auctions throughout Gridley's charitable campaign, approximately equivalent to $4 million today.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Reuel Colt Gridley, a successful shopkeeper from Austin, Nevada, lost a mayoral race and had to carry a 50-pound sack of flour for charity.

• The flour sack was auctioned off multiple times, raising $5,000 in Austin alone and eventually totaling close to $275,000 in various auctions.

• Gridley continued his charitable campaign by selling the flour sack in different mining areas and cities, raising funds for the U.S. Sanitary Commission.