Lewis County, rich in tanbark, had several tanneries. The father of Ulysses S. Grant was a manufacturer of leather associated with three tanyards in this area. In 1846, Jesse Grant bought a tanyard near the celebrated Esculapia Springs. He later operated a large tannery with the Grimes family, relatives in Concord. The third tanyard he owned was at the mouth of Grassy at Kinniconick.