| Message #: | 752 |
| Date Posted: | 11-01-2001 |
| Subject: | Gibson, Joseph (History - 1848) |
| Posted by: | Volunteer |
| Email: | Posted4U@Charter.net |
| Surnames: | GIBSON BROWN HURD SPERBECK ARMSTRONG |
Message:
1891 HISTORY OF CLARK & JACKSON CO., WI
pg. 297-298
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Joseph Gibson. Born in Canada in 1848; came to Wisconsin in 1858 and located at LaCrosse, where he lived for several years, coming to Clark County in 1872. He went into the army at the age of sixteen years. Mr. Gibson carries on his large farm in the town of Hixon, where he resides, and is also engaged in the mercantile business at Longwood, in the same town. He has served on the county board six years, and is one of the representative men of the the northern half of the county. He has passed the Commandary degrees in the A. F. and A. M. order. Mr. Gibson came to Clark county with no property, and has succeeded in accumulating a property valued at $25,000. ("Clark County Illustrated" by Saterlee, Tifft & Marsh; 1890). |
JOSEPH GIBSON, a farmer and stock-raiser of section 16, Hixton, was born
in Kingsey, Quebec, Canada, April 30, 1848, the son of Alexander and Margaret
(Brown) Gibson. The former, a native of Tyrone, Ireland, came to Canada when
eight years of age the latter died when our subject was ten years of age. They
were the parents of eleven children, seven of whom are still living, viz: James,
Elizabeth, William, Robert, Joseph, Emma and Alvira.
The subject of this sketch left home April 30, 1858, when ten years of age, and
two weeks later reached La Crosse, in company with another lad, they having run
away from home. He did chores for board for Phineas Hurd, who was murdered by
the Indians the following summer in Minnesota, where he had gone to take up
land. Mr. Gibson then lived with a Mr. Baker in La Crosse four years, and during
all that time received fifty cents, the only money he had ever received in this
country. He then learned the butcher s trade, but only followed it eight months,
after which he worked in a sawmill. Soon after this he began working in the
woods in the winter driving logs in the summer. He was a noted log-rider, for
which he received many good wages. He was specially adapted to breaking jams on
rive banks, and when nineteen years old began running for Bright Withee, and was
their foreman two years. They subsequently took him as a partner on contracts.
In 1871 he began logging for himself, in which he has ever since continued. Mr.
Gibson settled on his present farm in April, 1872, which was at that time
covered with timber, with no one but Indians for neighbors. Mrs. Gibson saw but
two white women in three months, and taught several Indian women how to make
clothing. When Mr. Gibson came to this county there was not a tree cut, and he
first lived in a tent in the thick forest. He has been wonderfully successful,
having begun a penniless boy, and now owns 480 acres in one tract and also
another tract of 320 acres. At one time he had 3,000 acres in Taylor County,
Wisconsin. He is running two camps this winter, and has put in as high as
12,000.000 feet in one season. He lumbered six winters in co-partnership on the
land of Hon. W. T. Price.
Mr. Gibson was married July 8, 1869, to Matilda C. daughter of Henry and Mary (Armstrong) Sperbeck. The former is deceased, and the latter now lives with her daughter, at the age of seventy-nine years. She is a native of New York State, near Albany. Mrs. Gibson was born in Lorain County, Ohio, September 28, 1849. Her parents had six children, five of whom are still living: James, John, Wallace, Johanna and Matilda. Mr. and Mrs. Gibson have two children Lew, born May 18, 1872, and Blanch E., June 8, 1875. Mr. Gibson has held the office of Assessor two years, was chairman six years, and was a member of the State Board of Commissioners that built the State road passing his farm. He also served in the late war, in Company G, Twelfth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry and was in the siege of Savannah, and was with Sherman in his march to the sea. He became sic, but refused to go to the hospital he was but fifteen years of age when he enlisted. His companion, with whom he ran away from Canada, was also a soldier, but in the Sixth Wisconsin, and was killed at the battle of the Wilderness. Mr. Gibson is a member of the Masonic order, being a Sir Knight, and is also a member of the G. A. R. and religiously his wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Politically Mr. Gibson is a Republican.
Farm Buildings of Joseph Gibson.
Mr. Gibson's farm on which these buildings are located is situated
in the town of Hixon, and consists of three hundred and forty acres
of fine hardwood land, one hundred and sixty acres of which is
cleared and under cultivation. His home which is shown in this cut
is one of the most neat and tasty farm residences in the county. It
is built of white brick which was shipped from Oshkosh, making a
very attractive as well as a very comfortable residence. A few of
Mr. Gibson's buildings being situated at some distance from the
house could not be shown in this cut. ("Clark
County Illustrated" by Saterlee, Tifft & Marsh; 1890).