Dates

• Majority of material found within 1898 - 1928

Extent

9 boxes Linear Feet (Lewis Blaine Grube (February 6, 1917-May 17, 2010), worked for Rochester & Pittsburgh Coal Company (R&P) when it was a Fortune 500 Company. A native of Punxsutawney, his parents were George Peter Grube (1891-1963) and Lorena Rosette Korb Grube (1889-1955). L. Blaine Grube was married to Bernice Bonner Grube (1918-2010) for 69 years, and they were residents of Indiana County, Pennsylvania. Grube graduated from Punxsutawney High School in 1934 and from Penn State University in 1938, and started to work that December as an accounting clerk at R&P Coal, headquartered in Indiana. By the time he retired from the coal company in May 1986, he had become the company's controller, then was elected treasurer and was also a company vice president. At the time, R&P was one of Indiana County's biggest companies and largest employers. “He was one of the finest gentlemen I ever met,” said Ed Onuscheck, another R&P vice president who worked with Grube. “He had a tremendous impact on the company, especially on employees,” whom he always treated with respect and courtesy. Grube's long and distinguished business and community service career was twice interrupted by military service. He was drafted into the U. S. Army in December 1942, and served two years in the Finance Branch, earning the rank of staff sergeant. He then attended Officer Candidate School in Fort Lee, Virginia, and in November 1944, Grube was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps. He was discharged in 1946 as a first lieutenant. Grube was recalled to active duty in September 1950 with the 28th Infantry Division as an assistant plans and training officer, and he was discharged the following year. L. Blaine Grube worked with the Indiana County Fair and many other community and civic organizations. Grube was widely recognized and highly regarded for his financial management skills, and for nearly three-quarters of a century he applied that expertise in his professional career and for many nonprofit groups, community organizations, his church and even for the U. S. military. “He was a very good bookkeeper,” said Tim Mikesell, long-time fair director and general manager during much of the time when Grube was a fair director and the fair's treasurer. Mikesell said Grube was the first to set up a professional financial management system for the fair, much as an accountant would do. “He made a budget, and every month we'd get a breakdown” of expenses and money remaining on hand, Mikesell said. When anyone had a question about the fair's financial affairs, the answer was, “Just ask Blaine.” “He always had good wisdom. He was an all-around good fella,” Mikesell said. “He was a very soft-spoken man who had a great ethic and was reliable,” said Larry Stadtmiller, who worked in R&P's land acquisition department. “Blaine would not say one thing and do another. … You could count on Blaine Grube.” Stadtmiller said he had the most fun with Grube during their 20-year association helping to manage and run the Indiana County Fair. “Blaine was the guy on the (fair) board who understood the big picture,” because he was also on the Mack Foundation (owner of the land where the fair is held) and because he understood what the fair could afford to do and not do. “The community really benefited from having Blaine Grube around,” Stadtmiller said. “He participated in so many things and made so many good decisions.” In a 2004 interview with The Indiana Gazette, Grube admitted he reluctantly accepted the position of fair treasurer in 1968 because he felt he knew little about the fair. But he stayed in the position 33 years and a few more years as an assistant treasurer, and eventually began moving his motor home to the fairgrounds and living at Mack Park during fair week so he would be nearby to write checks for the winners and to help manage other financial affairs. For 17 years Grube was a director on the Indiana Area School Board and served 16 years as treasurer; he was chairman of the Indiana Hospital Authority; a director of the American Red Cross; treasurer and 58-year-member of Graystone Presbyterian Church; and was involved in many other community service and professional organizations. In 1980 he was named Civic Leader of the Year. In 1997, he won the George F. Hixson Award from the Kiwanis of Indiana for his outstanding service to the club and community. He always provided leadership to members of the club, and he was a great historian of the club,” said Fred Yun, club secretary. “He attended everything. He never missed a meeting, he never missed bingo or a breakfast.” Yun said Grube always advocated that the club's members should spend more of their time and energy in community service projects. “The more service projects we did, the more he liked it,” Yun said. The Blaine Grube Collection covers the financial records of Reynolds Falls Creek Railroad from 1898-1928. There is also miscellaneous materials concerning various organizations and institutions, such as correspondence, contracts, and documents. Also contained is Government Document publications: Bureau of Mines 1922-1930, and Bituminous Coal Data, Surface Mining Regulations. The Bureau of Railways, Department of Internal Affairs gives the annual reports of Reynoldsville and Fall Creek Railroad Company. Also in part with the UMWA gives information on all incoming and out-going revenues. This collection covers the financial records of Reynolds and Falls Creek Railroad. For more information about the Rochester & Pittsburgh Coal Company, see Manuscript Group 51 and Manuscript Group 94. )

Language of Materials

English