The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 424

FRANK H. GILBERT.

Frank H. Gilbert, a successful and leading orchardist near Tieton, in the Yakima
valley, comes of a family that has a long and distinguished war record. His
ancestors participated in the Revolutionary war, the War of 1912(sic) and the
Civil war, in which three members of the family fought on the Union side. He was
born in Steuben county, New York, June 11, 1852, his parents being Joseph and
Esther (Gilbert) Gilbert, natives of Ontario county, New York. The Gilberts
were among the earliest families to settle in America, having come to this
country in the same year the Mayflower brought the Pilgrims, from England. The
great-grandfather, Thomas Gilbert, participated in the Revolutionary war, while
the grandfather, Franklin Gilbert, took part in the War of 1812. Joseph Gilbert,
the father of our subject, defended the cause of the Union in the Civil war, as
did two brothers of our subject. The father was a teacher and later gave his
whole attention to agricultural pursuits. In 1852 he made his way from the
Empire state to Wisconsin, remaining there four years, at the end of which
period he returned to New York, where he lived until 1862. He then returned to
Wisconsin, being a resident of Green county until 1876. He next removed to
Oregon, that state, where he was connected with agricultural pursuits until
1884. In that year he and his family, including our subject, removed to Barren
county, Wisconsin, which remained his home until death claimed him. His wife has
also passed away.

Frank H. Gilbert was reared amid farm surroundings and in the acquirement of his
education attended the public schools of New York and Wisconsin. He then turned
his attention to the carpenter's trade and became a successful contractor in
Wisconsin. He also owned farms, having invested his earnings in land. In 1909 he
came to Yakima county and acquired title to ten acres of valuable land on the
Tieton which at that time, however, was all sagebrush. Two years later he
located on this ranch and planted it to apples and pears. He has since brought
this property to a high state of cultivation, making many improvements, and now
derives a very gratifying income therefrom in return for his industry and
foresight. He has erected suitable buildings, including a handsome farm
residence, and his property is now considered one of the most valuable in his
part of the valley.

On May 5, 1872, Mr. Gilbert was united in marriage to Miss Clara L. Tait, a
native of Wisconsin and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Tait. To this union
were born seven children, of whom two are deceased. The others are as follows:
Roy, a successful rancher, who has a half interest in the ten-acre fruit farm of
his father, is married and has four children; J. W., managing editor of the
Post-Intelligencer of Seattle, is married and has two children; Edith is the
wife of H. E. Beckwith, by whom she has one child, and they reside at Chetek,
Wisconsin; Percy. who is serving as secretary of the Industrial Insurance
Commission, resides at Olympia with his wife and two children; Kenneth, city
editor of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, is married and has one child. Mr. and
Mrs. Gilbert take an active part in the social life of their community and ever
exert their efforts in order to bring about uplift and improvement along various
lines which make for a higher plane of humanity.

In his political affiliations Mr. Gilbert is a democrat and fraternally he is
connected with the Masons, being a member of the blue lodge. He is likewise
identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Mystic Workers,
the honorable and brotherly principles underlying these organizations guiding
him in his conduct toward his fellowmen. At present he is not connected with any
public office but while a resident of Wisconsin served as secretary of the local
board of education. He is enterprising and progressive and gives his aid readily
to worthy measures in order to promote development and advancement. He does not
regard party issues as of paramount importance, but supports measures and
candidates that he deems of the greatest value. Along his line of occupation he
is a member of the Yakima County Horticultural Union, through which association
he often receives valuable information by the interchange of opinions with other
members, thus bringing fruit-raising efforts to a higher and more productive
stage. There is great credit due Mr. Gilbert for what he has achieved, as he is
in the best sense of the word a self-made man who has attained his substantial
position in life entirely through his own efforts. He has many friends in Tieton
and vicinity who appreciate him as an upright, reliable and enterprising man.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.