Bio: Gilbo, John (History 1840)

Contact: Janet Schwarze.

Surnames: GILBO LENAULT DORSEY COVILLUD

----Source: 1891 History of Clark and Jackson Co., Wisconsin, pg. 331

JOHN GILBO, of section 32, Hixton Township, Clark County, and the pioneer of his locality, was born in Brandon Township, Ontario, in 1840, the son of Toussaint (deceased) and Margaret (Lenault) Gilbo, natives of Canada, and the former of French parentage. Of the parents ten children, eight survive Clement, Albert, Rose, Joe, Margaret, John, Alfred and Joseph. Our subject came with his parents to Orleans County, New York, in 1850, where the father died a year later of dropsy, after which, in 1862, the family removed to Pontiac, Michigan. John enlisted in the late war, in Company F, Third New York Volunteer Infantry, served over two years, was in several battles, and was wounded at Swan's Quarters, having been shot three times. He was sent to the hospital at Newbern, North Carolina, and finally sent home on a furlough, but was never able to return, and was never discharged. After the war he came to Pontiac, Michigan, and in 1870 to this county, settling on his present farm, then covered with heavy timber. He was surrounded by wild animals and Indians, the latter being harmless, yet often became drunk and passed his cabin whooping and yelling. He could stand at his cabin and shoot a deer any day, and bears were also very numerous. Mr. Gilbo has often lived seven months at a time without seeing the face of a white woman, and has had to work hard to help earn the living, as her husband was sick much of the time. Mr. Gilbo now owns eighty acres of good land, thirty of which is cleared.

He was married January 28, 1865, to Mary Dorsey, who was born in Toronto, Canada, July 5, 1840, the daughter of Jesse (deceased) and Mary (Covillud) Dorsey, the former a native of Coteau du Lac, and the latter of St. Ann's, Quebec. Mr. and Mrs. Gilbo have had one child, who died in infancy. Mr. Gilbo is a member of the G. A. R. post, and both he and his wife were brought up to the Catholic faith, but have not been identified with any church of late the latter is educated in both French and English.