Herbert Granquist

From Chicago Gilded Age to a Final Quiet Chapter

Herbert and his mother.

Born on January 12, 1891, Herbert Granquist entered a world of privilege and promise. As the eldest of five sons in an affluent Chicago family, Herbert’s early years were defined by the steady hand of his father, a successful manager, and his mother, Emily—a college-educated woman who once walked the halls of Rockford alongside social reformer Jane Addams.

The Granquist Family

Growing up in the Chicagoland area, he lived through several major historical milestones. During his early childhood, the notorious serial killer H.H. Holmes was active in the Englewood neighborhood. Meanwhile, many of Chicago’s most famous museums opened their doors for the first time; Herbert likely visited them with his family throughout his youth.

Life at the University of Chicago

Herbert’s college years at the University of Chicago paint a picture of a vibrant, high-spirited young man. While his brother Richard focused on his studies, Herbert found his niche in the spotlight. A member of the Blackfriars Club, Herbert was a mainstay of campus drama, even performing in the "campus burlesque" comedies for which the group was famous.

The campus newspapers of the era reveal a man with a sense of humor (and perhaps a bit of mischief). In 1912, he was famously involved in a three-round "boxing match" with fellow student Samuel Pidot after a playful dispute over a chair. Despite the antics, Herbert was a campus leader, serving on the Senior Pin Committee and chairing the "Senior Pipes." In 1913, he and Richard graduated together, both earning degrees in Philosophy.

Herbert as a young man.

War, Marriage, and Change

The post-college years saw Herbert navigating a rapidly changing world. As World War I broke out, Herbert registered for the draft in 1917 while working at the Fisk Teacher Agency. Though he claimed an exemption due to a physical ailment, his life soon shifted toward domesticity. In 1919, he married Sarah Radebaugh in a quiet family ceremony; by 1924, they welcomed their only daughter, Dorothy Jane.

The mid-1920s brought tragedy and transition. Following the accidental death of his father in 1925, Herbert moved his family to Atlanta, Georgia, where he worked as a traveling salesman. During this time, the couple’s philanthropic spirit was noted in local papers, specifically their donation to the victims of the devastating 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane.

The Final Chapter

By 1930, the Granquists returned to Chicago, but the optimism of Herbert's youth began to fade. Family records and stories speak of a struggle with mental health—a battle that eventually led to his admission to the Norbury Sanatorium in 1935.

For the final fifteen years of his life, Herbert remained under the care of the Norbury family of physicians in Jacksonville, Illinois. He passed away on January 19, 1950. While his later years were spent in the quiet confines of a sanatorium, Herbert Granquist’s legacy remains in the vibrant archives of Chicago’s history and the family he left behind.