Dr. Gilbert Ellis Bailey

Narrative:

     Dr. Gilbert Ellis Bailey was born on 27 Apr 1852 in Springfield, Illinois.^6,7,8
     He moved to Woodford Co. with his parents by 1860. He appeared on the 1860 Federal Census of Metamora, Woodford Co., Illinois, in the household of his parents, Rev. Gilbert Stephen Bailey and Sarah E. Brusnell.²¹
     He moved to Chicago with his parents by 1870. He appeared on the 1870 Federal Census of Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois, in the household of his parents.²²
     Gilbert graduated from Chicago University in 1871.³ He graduated from University of Michigan in 1874 with a doctor of philosophy degree.³
     After his graduation he became a professor of natural sciences at University of Nebraska. He was also state chemist, and made the first analysis of sugar beets in America.³
     Gilbert married first Martha E. Cobb, daughter of Oliver Perry Cobb and Caroline S. Foulke, on 29 Jun 1876 in Dearborn Co., Indiana, with Rev. Charles Ayer, Baptist minister, officiating in a joint ceremony with her sister Alice.⁹
     Martha joined Gilbert in Nebraska after their marriage. They moved to Franklin, Indiana, in the latter part of 1878, where he served as the science chair at Franklin College.
     His wife died on 19 Nov 1878 in Franklin, Indiana.^23,24
     He tendered his resignation to the Directors of the Franklin College at their Jun 1879 meeting, stating he was going to the Baptist theological seminary at Rochester, New York.²⁵

Establishing His Mining Credentials --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Gilbert moved to Montana, where he was a mining engineer, by 1880.²⁶ He appeared on the 1880 Federal Census of Lions City, Beaverhead Co., Montana, enumerated 15 Jun 1880. Samuel H. Barber, a civil engineer, was listed in the same household.²⁷
     Gilbert married second Cora S. Clauharty, daughter of Oscar M. Clauharty and Kate M. [surname unknown], on 14 Sep 1881 in Manhattan, New York.¹⁰
     In Aug 1882 he became territorial geologist for Wyoming Territory.^28,29 He resigned his position as territorial geologist effective 1 Oct 1884 and engaged in the tin mine developments in Pennington Co., Dakota Territory, according to press reports "by reason of advanced financial opportunities" there.³⁰
     By 1885 Gilbert was general superintendent for the New York Tin and Manufacturing Co., residing with his wife at its headquarters at Pine Camp, Dakota Territory. The facility consisted of a residence for the superintendent, a building with dining room, kitchen, and sleeping quarters for the help, and one with offices and laboratory, all constructed of logs. When a party visited the operation the facility and nearby mines on 15 Jul 1885 they reported they "received a generous welcome from Professor Bailey and his charming wife. It was such a welcome as only a true western man and a lady of the highest type of true womanhood can give – kindly, frank, genuine, and cordial."³¹
     Gilbert was a supporter of the Dakota School of Mines, which was established at Rapid City, Dakota Territory, in 1885. He was a speaker at the ceremonies for the laying of the cornerstone 19 Aug 1885, and loaned a collection of 5,000 fossil and mineral specimens, which became the foundation of the shool's Museum of Geology. He was a professor of metallurgy there for the 1889 - 1890 term, but contrary to statements in his obituary, was never president.^32,33,34
     On 26 Aug 1885 Cora purchased 180 acres a mile east of Rapid City, Dakota Territory, from Robert Russell, for $1,000. He had obtained the property as a cash entry grant in April of that year. She developed it as a chicken ranch, adding an incubator, and had taken out a $1,000 mortgage to do so. Russell's original grant was challenged, and it was cancelled 21 Feb 1889 by the local land office. Four days later Gilbert filed for a homestead entry on the property. The mortgage company challenged the cancellation claiming it had been defrauded. The homestead entry was cancelled and the original grant was reinstated by the general land office in Washington, D.C. 3 Aug 1891, restoring Cora's title to the ranch.³⁵

A Disastrous Prairie Fire --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Prairie fires, fanned through dry grass by high winds, were a constant concern in the region. On 2 Apr 1889 such a fire started near Rapid City, and quickly advanced toward the Bailey chicken ranch. Cora, William Ashton, a hired man, and Eloise Madison, also an employee, were there when flames surrounded the house and it caught fire. Ashton took the two women by the arm and they started running through the flames, but Miss Madison tripped and couldn't be found in the smoke and flames. The other two, though badly burned, eventually made their way to a neighboring house two and a half miles away, then were taken to town. Miss Madison was found where she fell, so horribly burned that she died from her injuries the next day. A number of livestock and many chickens and geese were killed, and all of the buildings burned.³⁶
     Six days later, on 8 Apr 1889, Cora, still suffering considerably from her burns, left by train for New York City. Gilbert accompanied her to Chicago, where her father met her for the remainder of the trip. Newspaper reports said it was "not probable she will again return to Rapid City to remain for any length of time."³⁷
     According to his obituary, he was later on the staff of Gen. Mills during the Sioux wars, who was involved around 1890. No evidence of that has been found, but he was a newspaper correspondent during that time, covering that war and other events.^38,39,40
     He moved to Chicago in 1893. According to his obituary he was one of the commissioners of mines at the World's Fair that was held there that year.^41,42
     Gilbert filed suit for divorce from Cora in Jul 1893 in Superior Court in Chicago, Illinois. On 18 Jan 1894 he was granted a divorce on grounds of desertion. He testified that she deserted him 5 Apr 1888, according to news reports.^11,12,13
     Gilbert's remarriage prompted a sensational account of the failure of his marriage with Cora that contained a number of questionable assertions, but was widely reprinted with minor variations by newspapers across the country. According to the story, when she lost her beauty when injured in the fire he could no longer love her, and she fled to family in New York. She then inherited a substantial sum, and her ranch grew greatly in value as Rapid City expanded around it. She went to Paris where plastic surgeons restored her appearance. She went to Chicago to the World's fair and found him there claiming his prior wife had died in the fire, courting someone from New Orleans. Cora, still in love with him, established a residence on Michigan Ave., furnished it luxuriously, engaged a large number of servants, and tried to woo him back. When he rejected her efforts she closed the house and left for Europe.⁴³

A Third Marriage --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Gilbert married third Mrs. Carrie E. Farrington on 25 Mar 1894 in Jersey City, Hudson Co., New Jersey.^14,15
     Carrie has not been identified in any record before her marriage to Gilbert. Farrington seems to be her married name from a prior marriage, but no record of that marriage has been found. Newspaper accounts show her as from New Orleans, but she is shown as a resident of Chicago on their marriage record. Nor has any record of her been found after she married Gilbert. It appears either she died or they divorced and she remarried, but no record of either has been found.

Moving to California --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Gilbert was in California by Aug 1897, when he passed through Redding on his way to Coffee Creek, where he would be reporting on mining activity there for the Chicago Inter-Ocean.^44,45 By the next year he was in charge of the Chamberlain gold mine near Lewiston, Trinity Co., After being worked on a small scale by its original owner, it had been purchased by Adele Mining Company and operations were vastly enhanced under his direction.⁴⁶
     He appeared on the 1900 Federal Census of Lewiston Twp., Trinity Co., California, enumerated 13 Jun 1900, reporting he owned his home, free of mortgage. He reported his occupation as mining engineer, but he seems to have also been operating a boarding house. A cook and five boarders were also listed in the household. Four of the boarders were placer miners from China.⁴⁷
     By 1901 he was working for the State Mining Bureau, exploring salt, borax, and nitre deposits in southern California.⁴⁸
     Gilbert married fourth Reba Boston on 5 Apr 1902 in San Francisco, California, at the home of his brother Dr. Will C. Bailey, with Rev. S. Slocomb officiating.^16,17,18
     In 1904 he announced that he was taking an automobile into Death Valley to look for the reputed gold and sliver deposits there. He said he was using an automobile because of the difficulty of carrying sufficient water and feed for pack animals in the parched area. To test his machine he was taking a tour of the oil fields in southern California.⁴⁸
     He started on his journey by automobile from San Francisco to Los Angeles with his wife. On 16 Nov 1904, between Santa Barbara and Ventura, they met a herd of long-horn cattle on a narrow mountain road. The cattle attacked and wrecked the car when he tried to drive through them. No account has been found of his actually continuing his planned trip into Death Valley.⁴⁹
     By 1906 Gilbert was engineer in charge of the Bullfrog Rush Mining Company, half a mile from Rhyolite, Nevada. His name appears throughout the full-page advertisements promoting the company that were placed in newspapers across the country by L. M. Sullivan Trust Co.⁵⁰
     Articles of incorporation for the Silurian Mining Company were filed in San Bernardino Co., California, by Gilbert and four others on 3 Dec 1907. They had subscribed in equal shares to a capitalization of $50, of an authorized capitalization of $250,000.⁵¹ In Apr 1912 articles of incorporation for the Uncle Tom Mining Company in San Bernardino Co. Gilbert and four others had subscribed $500 of the proposed capitalization of $500,000. No further record of either company has been found.⁵²

Settling in Los Angeles --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Gilbert and Reba appeared on the 1910 Federal Census of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., California, at 9728 Figueroa St., enumerated 15 Apr 1910, reporting they owned their home. Jennie Clendening, a maid, was also listed in the household.⁵³
     He had joined the faculty of University of Southern California by 1910, becoming dean of the geological department. He held that position until his death.^54,55,56
     Gilbert and Reba adopted Rosalie Eloise Bongiorno, the daughter of her niece, Gwendolyn Boston, on 6 Jun 1917. The child and her twin sister were orphaned when her father, Alexdandra Bongiorno, was killed in an automobile accident and her mother committed suicide the next day.⁵⁷
     Gilbert and Reba appeared on the 1920 Federal Census of Los Angeles Co., California, at 9728 South Figueroa St., enumerated 2 Feb 1920, reporting they owned their home, free of mortgage. Their adopted daughter Rosalie was listed as living with them.⁵⁸
     Gilbert died on 6 Dec 1924, at his home, 9798 South Figueroa St., Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., California, at age 72.^19,20