GILBRIDE, THOMAS

GILBRIDE, STOKES

Posted By: Volunteer (email)
Date: 5/19/2005 at 13:03:36

Biography reproduced from page 518 of the History of Kossuth and Humboldt Counties, Iowa published in 1884:

Thomas Gilbride was born April 11, 1831, in Ireland. Coming to America in 1856, he landed at New York, and in 1857 went to Algona, Kossuth Co., Iowa, where he lived two years, and pre-empted the land where he is now living, on section 29, township 96, range 28, owning 320 acres. For one year he kept house alone on section 19, making his own Johnnie cakes. If he made more cakes than he could use up at one time, the timber squirrels were so plenty, they would come in through the cracks, and steal the Johnnie cakes left, eating them as they sat on the limbs of the trees close by. He then moved to DeKalb Co., Ill., and worked for money to make a start, there being no money at this time in northwestern Iowa. In 1865 he returned to Kossuth county and took possession of his claim, went to farming in earnest, and is now one of the successful farmers of the county. He makes a specialty of stock raising, and takes his own stock to Chicago and Milwaukee for market. He built him a cabin, and in 1869 married Ann Stokes, a native of Ireland. They have five children—Mamie, Libbie, William H., and James P., twins; and Aggie. Politically he is a republican.