An essentially representative citizen of Chester and one who is the
owner of extensive farm lands in Illinois is Whitney Gilbreath, who is
the sole representative of an old pioneer family of the name in this
section of the state. Mr. Gilbreath was born on the 21st of February,
1849, in Grant county, Wisconsin, and is a son of John R. Gilbreath, a
native of Randolph county, Illinois. After the death of his father John
R. Gilbreath went to Grant county, Wisconsin, where he lived for a time
and where was solemnized his marriage to Miss Caroline Hill. The
children born to this union were: Henry, of Guthrie, Oklahoma; Isabel,
who married Thomas Holmes and is now residing in New Orleans, Louisiana:
Marion, of Cora City, Illinois; and Whitney, the immediate subject of
this review.
The grand rush to the gold diggings of California
caught John R. Gilbreath in its maelstrom, and in 1850 he joined a party
from his locality in Wisconsin and crossed the plains in an ox wagon to
the Eldorado of the Pacific slope. While a resident of Wisconsin he was
a mine operator, owning lead mines in that state, and his advent to the
gold regions naturally found him interested in mining operations there.
He seems to have operated from Marysville, where his demise occurred in
1856. In 1855 Mrs. Gilbreath removed from the Badger state to Illinois,
locating at Rockwood. in Randolph county. Her children were reared and
educated at Rockwood and there she died. James Gilbreath, father of John
R. Gilbreath and grandfather of the subject of this review, came to
Illinois about the opening of the nineteenth century, for Montague's
history of Randolph county shows him to have been sheriff in 1805. He
came west from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and bought down the Ohio from
that point the brick with which the first brick building in Illinois was
erected. This was in 1803. This building was subsequently utilized as
the first capitol of the new territory and sessions of the legislature
were held in its. second story. In later years the above building was
devoted to store purposes and it was washed into the Mississippi river
in 1899, while the property of Augustus Pape, of Chester. James
Gilbreath brought a number of slaves with him to Illinois and was
engaged in farming and trading for a number of years prior to the
inception of the Civil war. While sheriff of Randolph county he executed
the first man legally hanged in the state. Concerning that thrilling
event the following brief data are here inserted. A settler named Reed
lived with his wife and a young girl of another family on Reed's creek
in the southern part of Randolph county. A ruffian named Jones wanted
the young girl but his advances were met with the determined opposition
of Mr. and Mrs. Reed. Jones then resolved to kill the Reeds and to take
the girl by force. In the fight which followed his appearance at the
Reed home Mr. Reed was slain and his wife left for dead. Mrs. Reed,
however, revived in time to warn the scattered neighbors and sheriff of
Jones' violence and the latter was ultimately found at the mouth of
Jones' creek, ready to embark down the river with his prize. He was
arrested, tried and convicted and died a legal death at the instance of
Sheriff Gilbreath.
James Gilbreath was married in Pennsylvania
and became the father of two sons, namely, John R. and Barton. Mr.
Gilbreath died in the ante-bellum days and is buried in the old cemetery
on the hill, above Fort Gage.
After completing the curriculum of
the public schools of Rockwood, Illinois. Whitney Gilbreath entered upon
an apprenticeship to learn the miller's trade and he followed that line
of occupation for a period of sixteen years. He built and operated a
mill at Elkville, this state, and owned another at Ava, Illinois, but
eventually disposed of his milling interests in order to engage in
trading and farming. At the present time, in 1912, his land
accumulations comprise more than two thousand acres in Jackson and
Alexander counties, Illinois. A large portion of this estate is under
cultivation. In 1902 Mr. Gilbreath engaged in the construction of
drainage canals through the swamp lands of Jackson county and his work
resulted in bringing a tract of twenty thousand acres of land back to
the sunlight and into rich and producing fields. Mr. Gilbreath is now
engaged in superintending the construction of twenty miles of levee
along the Mississippi river in Jackson county, as one of the
commissioners of the levee board, created by the circuit court of that
county.
At Sparta, Illinois, on the 15th of April, 1875, -Mr.
Gilbreath was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Dean, a daughter of
James and Anna (Charles) Dean, the former of whom came to Randolph
county, Illinois, from Boston, Massachusetts, in 1830. James Dean was a
merchant by occupation and he died in 1882, at the age of seventy-two
years, while his cherished and devoted wife died at the age of forty
years. Concerning the children, AVilliam resides at Ava, Illinois; Mary
E. is the wife of the subject of this review; Murry resides at Ava, as
does also Nellie, who is the wife of H. L. Jones; and George maintains
his home at St. Louis, Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Gilbreath became the
parents of three children, as follows, Lee, a farmer in Jackson county,
Illinois, married Miss Laura Hobbs; Nellie is Mrs. Walter Husband, of
Ava, Illinois; and Matie, who became the wife of John DeVine, died in
August, 1906, without issue.
The Gilbreath home has been
maintained at Chester since 1902 and the attractive residence, which was
formerly the Anderson home, is situated on a bluff overlooking the
Mississippi river and the lowlands of the Missouri in the distance. This
residence in regard to location and modern remodeling is one of the most
beautiful in Randolph county. In politics Mr. Gilbreath is a stanch
supporter of the cause of the Republican party, and while he does not
participate actively in local politics he is ever ready to do all in his
power to promote the general progress and improvement. He is a member of
the Masonic Order.
Extracted from 1912 A History of Southern Illinois, by George W. Smith, volume 2, page 933.