John Greenwald Socorro County, New Mexico

John Greenwald, a prominent miller of Socorro, has been a resident of the Territory since 1880. He was born in Odessa, Russia, in 1842, but left his native country to avoid becoming a serf, and his educational training was received in Ohio. When the Civil war was inaugurated he enlisted for service in the First New York Mounted Rifles, Company F, with which command he remained throughout the period of hostilities, and among the engagements in which he participated was that of Cold Harbor.

When his adopted country no longer needed his services Mr. Greenwald left the army and made his way to Chicago, Illinois, and took up the trade of milling, and for seven years he conducted a mill in southern Illinois, when he was taken ill with malaria and pneumonia, and this caused his removal to New Mexico in 1880. On his arrival in this city he embarked in the real estate business and also engaged in mining in the vicinity of Magdalena, after which he again resumed milling, conducting a mill for Louis Heming in Valencia County. In 1893 he erected a flour mill in Odessa, being supplied with grain from the surrounding valley. This was known as the Golden Crown Flouring Mill, but in 1901 was sold to the Crown Milling Company. Prior to the sale, however, the mill had been destroyed by fire and was rebuilt by the present company.

In St. Louis, Missouri, in 1872, Mr. Greenwald was united in marriage to Miss M. A. Racine, and to them have been born three children: Viola, the wife of Dr. Harrington; Emma, the wife of H. M. Dougherty, and John, secretary of the Crown Milling Company, of Socorro.

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Source: History of New Mexico, Its Resources and People, Volume II, Pacific States Publishing Co., 1907.