San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JOSEPH P. GILBEAU
Identified with San Joaquin County
for more than thirty-five years, Joseph P. Gilbeau has done much toward the
building up of Lodi, where he is a leader in business circles, being proprietor
of a furniture and hardware store and owner of the Gilbeau block, a fine
addition to the business district. A
Canadian by birth, Mr. Gilbeau was born at Montreal, Canada, January 8, 1878,
the son of Joe and Eliza (Leland) Gilbeau, both natives of Canada. The family came to Stockton in 1886, and here
the father opened a blacksmith shop at Park and Aurora streets, later having a
shop on Center near Lafayette, and he carried on this business for many
years. Wisely investing his money in
Stockton real estate, he has built a number of houses, and for some time he has
been retired from active work in his line, giving his time to looking after his
property interests. With his wife he
resides on South San Joaquin Street, Stockton, now numbered among the early
residents there, and some time ago they celebrated their golden wedding with
all their children in attendance on this happy occasion.
Five girls and five boys were born
to Mr. and Mrs. Gilbeau; all of them are living, Joseph P. being the eldest of
their sons. He was educated in St.
Mary’s College, Stockton, and when his school days were over he was employed by
L. U. Shippee, the well-known horseman, to care for his trotting horses on his
stock farm near Stockton, and later he had charge of the horses for the State
Bakery. Coming to Lodi in 1910, Mr. Gilbeau bought the Rinfret Livery
Stable, which he conducted successfully for five years, at that time reselling
it to the original owner, and in 1915 he opened his furniture and hardware
store at 108 North Sacramento Street.
Thrifty and provident, Mr. Gilbeau began in his early days to save his
money, investing it in ranch property.
His first purchase was a ranch of twenty acres near Victor, planted to a
vineyard, which he sold in order to buy a place of forty acres at Manteca. Disposing of this, he invested in another
forty-acre Tokay vineyard near the Ray school, which he later traded for a
business lot 90 x 125 feet at the corner of Sacramento and Elm Streets, Lodi. Here he erected a modern two-story brick
business block, 90 x 60 feet in 1920, which adds much to the appearance of the
business district of Lodi, the block being so planned that a third story can be
added at any time. He later bought a business
corner at the corner of School and Elm; this he sold to invest in a valuable
site on the opposite corner.
Mr. Gilbeau’s
marriage, which occurred at Lodi in 1912, united him with Miss Amelia Kirby, a
native of North Dakota. Four children
have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gilbeau:
Clarence, Francis, Gladys and Joseph J.
For some time a member of the Lodi Eagles, Mr. Gilbeau is also prominent
in the Knights of Columbus.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1176. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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