Wilmet Fletcher Gibson (1880 - 1942)

Born 28 Mar 1880 in Washburn, Aroostook, Maine, United States

Ancestors

Died 28 Jan 1942 at age 61 in Ft. Steilacoom, Pierce, Washington

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Janette Gould-Martin [send private message]

--Work in Progress. Thank you for your Patience.==

Biography

Wilmet was born about 1880. He is the son of George Gibson and Mary Cary. His middle name, Fletcher, is in honor of one of his maternal uncles. He had one brother, William E., and one sister, Lillian Rosella. Lillian Rosella is listed as Rose in one early census. Lillian Rosella was born on Sep 1885 in the very same place that the family was living in the 1880 Census: Washburn, Aroostook Co., ME.

In 1905, he was living in Cass, Minnesota. Wilmet was a baker (according to his death certificate.) From Wilmet's 1918 Draft registration, we know that he was living in Superior, Douglas County, where he was a laundry driver. His closet living relative is his mother, Mary Cary, living in Seattle. He was of medium build, blue eyes, and dark hair. No spouse has been found.

Wilmet died as a patient in an insane asylum. Originally the site was a US Army post called Ft Steilacoom. Later, the Army decommissioned the post and Washington State repurposed the facility as a mental hospital. The Western State Hospital Cemetery is a separate cemetery from the original post cemetery, Fort Steilacoom Cemetery.

In 1871 an insane asylum opened there with the barracks serving as patient and staff housing. Fort Steilacoom is now the mental hospital called Western State Hospital. Hospital residents grew crops and orchards in the area and planted many of the Poplar trees that currently line the lake shore. More than 3,000 hospital residents are buried in the Fort Steilacoom or Western State Hospital Cemetery. As was with many hospital burials of the day, graves were either unmarked in marked rows or, like in this cemetery, only marked with a small concrete numbered block. At the entrace to the cemetery is a large sign noting that 3,218 individuals are buried in the cemetery and that a program of restoration is underway. One hundred seventy-two graves are currently marked and have been photographed and the memorials noted.

One large marker states that 536 individuals have been laid to rest between 1939 and 1952 and lists all their names. I have done my best to list all of the names from my photographs. The cemetery was closed to burials in 1953 and those dying while at the Western State Hospital have been laid to rest in other local cemeteries. (text by Roger Vartabedian). Wilmet is is the area so compassionately photographed and explained by Roger.

As can be seen in the 1900 Census, the unnamed baby boy Gibson was named Wilmet and was born on March 1880. He is listed in line no. 96 in the census schedule (see the original document).

Wilmet's death certificate says he was born in 1883, but it was written in as 1880, and the zero is crossed out and changed to a 3. His name is variously spelled Wilmet, Wilmat, and Wilmot. His surname is variously spelled as Gibsen and Gibson. His death certificate says his father was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and that his mother was born in New Brunswick. The death cert says that he resided in Woodinville, Washington. From Wikipedia, we have this: "Woodinville is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,938 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. There is also a much larger population with Woodinville mailing addresses in adjacent unincorporated areas of King and Snohomish counties. Woodinville has waterfront parks on the Sammamish River, sweeping winery and brewery grounds, and densely wooded residential..."

The death certificate says he had lived in the area for 1 year and 11 months.

Sources

* Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15724932/wilmot-gibson : accessed 08 March 2022), memorial page for Wilmot Gibson (unknown–unknown), Find a Grave Memorial ID 15724932, citing Western State Hospital Memorial Cemetery, Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington, USA ; Maintained by Robbyn (contributor 46609358).

* "Minnesota State Census, 1905," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPSF-R23 : 18 February 2021), Wilmot Gibson, Cass Lake, Cass Lake township, Cass, Minnesota; citing p. 224, line 44, State Library and Records Service, St.Paul; FHL microfilm 928,772.

• "Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HKB-4D1 : 3 November 2017), Mary Cary in entry for Lillian Rosella Gibson, 10 Sep 1885; citing Washburn, Aroostook, Maine, United States, Division of Vital Statistics, State Board of Health, Augusta; FHL microfilm.

* "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M93D-NYV : accessed 31 July 2019), Rose Gibsen in household of George H Gibson, Thief River Falls city, Red Lake, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 331, sheet 6B, family 117, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,782.

*https://www.lakesnwoods.com/CassLakeGallery.htm.