ISAAC T. GIBSON Isaac T. Gibson, one of the most esteemed and honored residents of Henry county, now living a retired life in Salem, was born in Greene county near Oldtown, Ohio, May ii. 1831, his parents being Monttelian and Sarah (Embree) Gibson. The father was born in Loudoun county, Virginia. In 1805 he removed to Ohio, where he learned the miller's trade at Ellicott's Mills, acting as managers of Embree's Alills on the Miami river for many years. He married Sarah Embree, the daughter of his employer, who removed from Virginia to East Tennessee at a very early day and there erected an iron furnace, which he conducted in connection with his sons, Elihu and Elijah, until his removal to Ohio. He was also a surveyor and did much in that direction and he compiled and printed a phonetic spelling book, making the type in his own iron plant. He possessed much ability and left the impress of his individuality for good upon each community with which he was associated for any length of time. His two sons seem to have inherited their father's energy and ability. Elijah Embree entered politics and canvassed the state of Tennessee in connection with Andrew Jackson, when he was candidate for governor, Elijah Embree being at the same time a candidate for congress. Elihu Embree was an earnest opponent of slavery and joined with other Friends in purchasing the type and other equipment for the Emancipator, of which he became editor. This was the first paper devoted to advocating the freedom of the slaves and a copy of this is in possession of Thomas J. Wilson, a son-in-law of Elihu Embree and an own cousin of Mr. Gibson. The first number of the Emancipator, was published at Jonesboro, Tennessee, dated the fourth month (April) 30, 1820." It was a splendidly edited sheet and its circulation reached two thousand copies, having subscribers in all parts of the United States. Elihu Embree was one of the greatest abolitionists of his time. In reply to one who opposed emancipation he wrote: "In answer to these insurmountable difficulties it has been observed that as slavery is a moral evil it ought to be removed as speedily as possible and trust the consequences of such a duty in the hands of an unerring providence, who punished the Egyptians for disobedience in a similar case but has never suffered the obedient in any age or nation to sustain any real loss in consequence of their submission to His commands." Elihu Embree urged and stirred up the preachers to keep abreast with the times and be more faithful in their efforts to destroy slavery. An other able and interesting local entitled "Elihu Embree, Abolitionist," by E. E. Hoes may be found in the early number of 1893 Quarterly Review, of the Methodist Episcopal church South, in Nashville, Tennessee. Sarah Embree, sister of Elihu Embree, and mother of our subject, was born in Tennessee, December 19, 1784, and died at the advanced age of eighty-six years, five months and twelve days. She possessed a full share of the family characteristics and was a remarkable woman of strong mentality, of great natural ability and force of character. Her benevolent spirit was shown in her unfailing kindness to the poor and needy and to those who needed sympathy and assistance and the same qualities seem to have been inherited by her son, Isaac T. Gibson, whose life has been largely devoted to philanthropy. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Monttelian Gibson settled upon a part of the Embree entry where their children were born. Esther, the eldest, married Benjamin Owen and after his death Eleazer Bales, who was a prominent minister of the Friends church, and died about 1887. Mrs. Bales is also deceased. Maria Gibson became the wife of Benjamin Wildman, a farmer who died in Clark county, Ohio, and she has also passed away. Elijah is also deceased. Tamar and Rachel were twins and married George and Peter Hobson, brothers. Both brothers are deceased, as is Rachel, but Tamar makes her home with her brother, Mr. Gibson. The two sisters were married within a few months of each other and they were the first families in Salem, Iowa. Deborah Gibson became the wife of Jesse Hadley and died a year later. Hannah became the wife of Caleb Easterling and had two children. She is now deceased. After the death of her first husband Tamar Gibson Hobson became the wife of James Comer, who is also deceased. She has had ten children: Eliza Jane, deceased; Esther, Hannah Ann and Sarah, who have also passed away; Mary who is the wife of Stephen Perkins, by whom she has three children and makes her home in Fairfield, Iowa; George Harvey, who is living in Albia. Iowa; Rachel, a resident of Salem, Iowa, who is the widow of George Goff and has seven children; Ella Martha, the wife of Alfred Cook, of the state of Washington, by whom she has two children; and Cassius, deceased. Mrs. Comer is a remarkable old lady. She was born January 8, 1820, and has therefore reached the eighty-sixth milestone on life's journey. She possesses a beautiful disposition and all her faculties, and is yet able to sew and perform some other household duties. Isaac T. Gibson was reared to manhood in Ohio, receiving but limited educational privileges. He married Anna M. Hiatt, of Salem, Iowa, who was born in 1835, and is a daughter of Allen Hiatt, who is mentioned elsewhere in this work. She acquired her education in Earlham College at Richmond, Indiana, and at the time of her marriage began housekeeping in Salem. Mr. Gibson was at that time a merchant of Salem, in which business he continued for ten years, after which he joined his father-in-law, Mr. Hiatt, in the conduct of a nursery and also in farming operations. For many years he continued to carry on general agricultural pursuits but is now living retired, maintaining his home in Salem. He has been a very prominent and active factor in public life, his efforts gaining him more than local prominence. He served on the school board for several terms, was secretary and a member of the village council for seven years and also acted as its clerk. While he was the incumbent in that office a new charter for the village was obtained. For many years he was notary public and he was also secretary of the first county agricultural society which held its fair in Salem. An earnest Christian man he has ever done much for the upbuilding of the church. He was likewise a member of the Northwestern Freedmen's Aid Commission, which was organized in Chicago in 1864, and became one of the board of managers which was composed of eminent men from all the Christian bodies of the northwest. He continued a member of this board until it was merged into the American Missionary Association. This commission was the channel through which the benevolent people of the northwest sent their contributions in aid of the suffering freedmen of the south during the latter part of the war and following its close. After the war Mr. Gibson was sent to establish schools among the colored people of the southwest and was also appointed agent of the American Missionary Association and of the Freedmen's Bureau by General O. O. Howard. He was engaged in Missouri for two years in organizing schools and secured the introduction of free schools for colored people. During this time he was frequently threatened with personal violence. He secured public school buildings for the many colored people whose parents paid heavy taxes in St. Louis. At this time he was appointed by the state legislature a member of the reform school board, of which he was made treasurer and superintendent of the completion of White's Institute, the first reform school building in this state. He was also United States Indian agent of the Osage and other, tribes in the Indian Territory and during the trying times in 1869 between the whites and the Indians he succeeded in bringing about a better condition of affairs and in winning the respect and confidence of both parties. He continued in the work until 1876 with great success. He prevented the passing of a treaty which by fraud the Osages had been induced to make, selling eight million acres of land which they owned in the best part of southwestern Kansas for eighteen cents per acre. He forwarded through the assistant superintendent all the information he could gather to the government and General Grant withdrew the treaty. He represented the Indians at the next congress in Washington and aided in securing the first passage of the bill for the sale of the lands at one dollar and a quarter per acre and placing the proceeds at interest for the Osage Indians, thus making them a wealthy tribe. At length resigning his position as Indian agent he spent two years in Washington, D. C, as claim agent and while there also acted as president of the National Christian Association for the District of Columbia. He was likewise secretary of the National Arbitration League, whose object it is to substitute arbitration for war between the nations, the president of the league being Governor Stanton, of Kansas. He was also secretary of the national convention held at Washington, of which Hon. Edward S. Tobey, of Boston, was president. Mr. Gibson is a member of the Iowa Friends Peace Society and after his return to Salem he never missed an annual meeting" unless absent upon official business until the ill health of his wife caused him to remain at home. He has been treasurer of. the missionary board of Iowa yearly meeting and president of the church evangelical committee. In 1867. while the Friends were trying to sustain a school the "Whittier College Association'' was formed by him and other Friends and the work carried forward to successful completion. Mr. Gibson was secretary and financial manager of the board from its organization but has declined all other positions for some years. In early life Mr. Gibson, strongly opposing the cause of slavery, became a republican upon the organization of the party for the purpose of preventing the further extension of slavery but in more recent years has been a prohibitionist, believing that the temperance question is one of the most important today before the people. Following his return to Salem he also carried on general agricultural pursuits for many years, but in 1898 his wife's health failed and since that time he has been retired from active farming, now renting his land, a part of which is now within the city corporation limits. He makes his home in Salem, devoting his entire time to the care of his wife. Mr. Gibson was a candidate for governor in 1891 on the prohibition ticket and in 1892 and 1893 was state chairman of the Prohibition party, while in 1894 he was prohibition candidate for congress. He is an elder in the Friends church in Salem. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Gibson were born seven children, of whom four died in infancy. Allen H., the eldest living son, was born in Salem in 1861 and married Miss Ida Pratt. He is manager of a large department store which has an extensive patronage from the civilized Indians on the Osage Reservation and he speaks the Indian language fluently. Unto him and his wife has been born a daughter, Mary Ella. Mary E. Gibson, born July 8, 1862, was a successful teacher of Henry county, was also employed as a teacher by the Osage agency and taught for one year in the public schools of Washington. D. C. She died in Salem March 8, 1892, at the age of twenty-nine years and nine months and was laid to rest in the Friends cemetery, at Salem. She was a true and devoted Christian and though her eyesight was almost entirely destroyed prior to her death, she bore her affliction with Christian fortitude. Realizing that her end was near, she selected the hymns to be sung at her funeral, the funeral sermon being delivered by the Rev. Davis, of the Congregational church in the Friends church. He selected as his text, "What are those which are arrayed in white robes and whence came they?" Thomas Embree Gibson, a younger son, attended Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant and is now a director and assistant cashier in the First National Bank at the Osage agency, now called Pauhuska. The deceased are: Sarah, John M., Anna M.. and Nopawalla, who was born in the Indian country and was named in honor of a chief noted for his efforts in bringing about the civilization of his people and he was a man of stanch character, greatly beloved by the Gibson family. Although Mr. Gibson's educational advantages were extremely meager, by reading, experience, observation, and research he added greatly to his knowledge and has today a mind which is a storehouse full of information. He has kept in touch with the great onward movements of the world for the betterment of mankind, possesses a gentle, retiring nature combined with a strength of character that enables him to meet with fortitude all discouragements and hardships of life and to press forward "to the mark of the prize of the high calling." He has had a wide acquaintance among prominent men of the country and all esteem and value him because of the splendid work he has accomplished in behalf of the right, the true and the good. ©2009 Genealogy Trails