Individual Details

Census

Wellington Gibbs was enumerated in the household of William H. Gibbs [father], age 4, male, was born in Maine, and had attended school within the year.

Census

Wellington Gibbs was enumerated in the household of Wm. H. Gibbs [father], age 14, male, ws born in Maine, and had attended school within the year.

Census

Wellington S. Gibbs was enumerated in the household of William H. Gibbs [father], age 24, male, white, farm laborer, was born in Maine, and was a male citizen of U.S. of 21 years of age and upwards.

Marriage

They had no children.

Census

Willington Gibbs was enumerated as head of household, white, male, age 32, married, physician, and was born in Maine. The other member of his household was Mary Gibbs (wife).

Census

W. S. Gibbs was enumerated as head of household, white, male, age 34, married, physician, born in Maine, father born in Maine, and mother born in Maine. Other members of the household were Mary Gibbs (wife), Nettie Gibbs (niece), and Hilma Edstrom (white, female, age 17, servant, single, servant, unemployed 5 months during census year, born in Sweden, father born in Sweden, mother born in Sweden).

Census

Wellington S. Gibbs was enumerated as head of household, white, male, date of birth was July 1846, age 53, married for 25 years, born in Maine, father born in Maine, mother born in Massachusetts, physician, can read, can write, can speak English, and home is owned free of mortgage. Other members of his household were Mary E. Gibbs (wife), Eliza A. Gibbs (sister), Lena Jespersen (servant, white, female, date of birth was Sept 1870, age 29, single, born in Germany, father born in Germany, mother born in Germany, year of immigration was 1886, has been in the United States for 14 years, servant, can read, can write, can speak English), and Ralph McCready (roomer, white, male, date of birth was Apr 1874, age 26, single, born in Pennsylvania, father born in Pennsylvania, mother born in Pennsylvania, salesman-groceries, 11 months not employed, can read, can write, can speak English).

Census

Wellington S. Gibbs was enumerated as head of household, male, white, age 64, married (1 time) for 35 years, born in Maine, father born in Maine, mother born in Maine, able to speak English, physician in general practice, working for own account, able to read, able to write, and house is owned free of mortgage. Other members of his household were Mary E. Gibbs (wife), Eliza A. Gibbs (sister), and Agnes Doack (servant, female, white, age 26, single, born in Bohemia, father born in Bohemia, mother born in Bohemia, able to speak English, servant for private family, working for wages, able to read, able to write).

Bio Note

Dr. Wellington S. Gibbs, physician and surgeon of Omaha, was born July 31, 1845, at Glenburn, Maine, a son of the late William H. Gibbs and a grandson of Elisha Gibbs, of English descent. The ancestral line is traced back in America to colonial days and the founders of the family on this side of the Atlantic were three brothers, Henry, Charles and James Gibbs. The first named settled in New York state, while James became a resident of Massachusetts and Charles of South Carolina. It is of the Massachusetts branch of the family that Dr. Gibbs is a representative. His great-grandfather removed from the old Bay state to Camden, Maine, and there his son Elisha was born. Elisha Gibbs cleared a farm in Glenburn, Maine, making his home thereon until his death. It was upon that place that his son, William H., and his grandson, Wellington S., were born. The grandfather was a pioneer of the district and there followed agricultural pursuits during the greater part of his life. William H. Gibbs became of grocer of Bangor, Maine, and later removed to Oldtown, that state, where his death occurred. He also conducted a water power mill for many years at Bradford, Maine, and in that mill during his youthful days Dr. Gibbs was employed. William H. Gibbs was united in marriage to Martha A. Smith, a native of Wiscasset, Maine, and a representative of one of the old families of that state of English lineage.

Dr. Gibbs spent his early life between the ages of eight and fourteen years upon the home farm with the usual experiences of the farm bred boy. At seventeen years of age he taught school in Charleston, Maine, having eighty pupils. During that period he also studied, utilizing his leisure hours in that way, and on attaining his majority he became principal of the schools of Milo, Maine. In the following year he was elected and made superintendent of schools of Alton, Maine, where he continued for a year, and in that connection he had supervision over thirteen schools. He resigned, however, in order to seek a home elsewhere and through the succeeding year he was a teacher in Pennsylvania. He left that state for Boston, Massachusetts, where he turned his attention to commercial interests, become an employee of the firm of A.S. and J. Geer, machinery dealers, whom he represented upon the road in Maryland and Delaware. Attracted by the opportunities of the middle west, he made his way to Burlington, Iowa, and was employed by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy as a bookkeeper in the freight department. After six months' service he received very material increase in his wages but could not continue long in that position on account of ill health, the close confinement proving detrimental. He therefore resigned and removed to Omaha, where he arrived in September, 1873.

Forty-four years have since come and gone and Dr. Gibbs has long numbered among the most valued and representative residents of the city. On his arrival he immediately he immediately went to the old courthouse, where the Paxton block now stands, and there made application for a position as a teacher, taking his examination under Professor Beal. At the same time John Rush and J. J. O'Connor were taking the examination, and the acquaintance then formed has continued as a lifelong friendship. All three passed the required examination and took up the work of teaching. Dr. Gibbs devoted three years to that profession and utilized the hours outside the schoolroom in the study of medicine. He afterward removed to Waterloo, Iowa, and his savings paid his tuition in the State University of Iowa at Iowa City. He was graduated with the M. D. degree on the 5th of March, 1879. In the meantime he had also studied in the office and under the direction of Dr. McLaughlin, with whom he had gained much valuable practical experience. In August, 1880, he returned to Omaha after having sold his office and practice at Downey, Iowa, where he had located following his graduation. In this city he opened his office in the rear of a drug store at Tenth and Leavenworth streets and there remained until the druggist discontinued business. He then rented an office in the J. A. Creighton block, where he continued in active practice for a period of fourteen years. During that time he resided at No. 2015 Sherman avenue where he had built a comfortable home. He was one of the first to propose organizing the Omaha Medical College and took an active part in its organization and development. During the first two years of its existence he was demonstrator of anatomy in the college. The school was started in a very small way on the third floor of the Helman block at Thirteenth and Farnam streets with an enrollment of thirteen students. After one year there a new building was occupied at Eleventh and Marcy streets with an enrollment of fifty students, and Dr. Gibbs taught physiology there for seven years. This college later affiliated with Bellevue College for a few years, after which it became the medical department of the University of Nebraska and has since been taken over by the state. During the existence of Bellevue College Dr. Gibbs was one of the directors of the institution. He was one of the founders of the University of Omaha and from its inception he has taken a keen and helpful interest in the success of the institution, serving continuously as a director and at one time on the executive committee.

On the 15th of February, 1875, at Waterloo, Iowa, Dr. Gibbs was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary E. McLaughlin, daughter of Dr. James and Isabelle (McCready) McLaughlin, both of whom are deceased. Her father became a prominent pioneer physician of Iowa and both he and his wife were descended from old Pennyslvania families of Scotch descent. Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs occupy a beautiful home at Dundee, one of the suburbs of Omaha.

Fraternally he is a Mason and is a member of the First Presbyterian church, of which for the past twenty years he has served as an elder, taking an active and helpful part in all church work. He likewise stands for progress and improvement in community affairs and served for one term as a member of the Omaha school board, while in other connections he has stood loyally and stanchly in support of those interests which are a matter of civic virtue and civic pride. He belongs to Phi Chi, a medical fraternity, and he has membership in the Omaha-Douglas County Medical Society, the Nebraska State Medical Association and the American Medical Association. He is a man of very charitable nature, a student and a philosopher. He has never had any desire to acquire riches, feeling that to be comfortable was all that one should wish. Beyond this he has dispensed his earnings generously to the poor and needy and is ever ready to extend a helping hand where assistance is required. He does not do this from any constrained sense of duty but from a deep interest in his fellowmen, recognizing brotherhood of the race. His career, most honorable in purpose and kindly in its spirit, has made him one of the most valuable and respected citizens of Omaha, while in point of connection with the profession he is the oldest of the practitioners of the city.

Census

Wellington S. Gibbs was enumerated as head of household, home is owned free of mortgage, male, white, age 74, married, able to read, able to write, born in Maine, father born in Maine, mother born in Maine, able to speak English, physician in medical field, and working for own account. Other members of his household were Mary E. Gibbs (wife) and Eliza A. Gibbs (sister).