Robert Galbreath Jr. (1863–1953) was an American pioneer entrepreneur,

wildcatter A wildcatter is an individual who drills wildcat wells, which are exploration oil wells drilled in areas not known to be oil fields. Notable wildcatters include Glenn McCarthy, Thomas Baker Slick Sr., Mike Benedum, Joe Trees, Clem S. Clarke, ...

and oilman in Oklahoma. A native of Ohio, he traveled to Kansas and California in the late 19th century. Returning East by way of

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United St ...

, he participated with his brother, Herman, in the

Land Rush of 1889 The Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889 was the first land run into the Unassigned Lands of former Indian Territory, which had earlier been assigned to the Creek and Seminole peoples. The area that was opened to settlement included all or part of Canadi ...

for the Unassigned Lands. Afterward, he sold his claim and settled in the new town of

Edmond Edmond is a given name related to Edmund. Persons named Edmond include: * Edmond Canaple (1797–1876), French politician * Edmond Chehade (born 1993), Lebanese footballer * Edmond Conn (1914–1998), American farmer, businessman, and politician ...

. He became an early wildcatter and oil producer. His most notable accomplishment was the discovery of the Glenn Pool oilfield. O'Dell, Larry. ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. "Galbreath Robert (1863 – 1953)."
Retrieved May 12, 2014.

Early life

Robert Galbreath Jr. was born to Robert and Sarah A. (née Hill) Galbreath on a farm in

Pickaway County, Ohio Pickaway County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,539. Its county seat is Circleville. Its name derives from the Pekowi band of Shawnee Indians, who inhabited the area. (See List of Ohio county ...

, on December 23, 1863.Thoburn, Joseph B. ''A Standard History of Oklahoma''. Volume IV.
American Historical Society. 1916. He evidently lived there until he decided to go to Kansas in 1884, where he met with

David L. Payne David Lewis Payne (December 30, 1836 – November 28, 1884) was an American soldier and pioneer. Payne is considered by some to be the "Father of Oklahoma" for his work in opening the state to settlement. He organized, trained, and led the ...

. Payne would later achieve notability as leader of the

Boomers (Oklahoma settlers) "Boomers" is the name used for two groups of settlers in the Southern United States in what is now the state of Oklahoma. The first group were participants in the "Boomer Movement." These participants were white settlers from 1879–1889 ...

in Indian Territory. However, Galbreath did not join the movement, but traveled on to California in 1889. It would seem that he did not find what he was seeking, because he returned to Indian Territory in 1889. Robert was joined by his younger brother, Herman. They entered the 1889 Land Rush for the Unassigned Lands. The pair claimed land near the present town of Hennessey. They soon sold the claim and moved to Edmond, where Robert served as town marshall and then deputy

U.S. Marshal The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforce ...

Settling in Indian Territory

Robert held a variety of jobs after arriving in Edmond, including serving as postmaster and starting a newspaper. In 1892, he married Mary Ellen Kivlehen. Robert participated in the 1893 Cherokee Outlet. Following that experience, he moved his family to

Perry Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also made ...

, where he published the ''Perry Evening Democrat''. In 1895, he was appointed as a United States Commissioner headquartered in

Shawnee The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...

. (At this time, to have a case for federal court, a commissioner was tasked to decide if enough evidence existed). In 1899, Galbreath moved to Oklahoma City to open a real estate business. There, he formed a business partnership with

Charles Colcord Charles Francis Colcord (August 18, 1859 – December 10, 1934) was a cattle rancher, U.S. Marshal, Chief of Police, businessman, and pioneer of the Old West. The community of Colcord, Oklahoma is named for him. Colcord's life spanned the Ameri ...

Wildcatting

Galbreath's career in the oil business began when he and Colcord became partners with Charles "Gristmill" Jones to drill a wildcat well in the newly discovered Red Fork field near Tulsa. The well became a successful producer, providing Galbreath with enough money to continue wildcatting. He then partnered with Frank Chesley and bought a lease on a farm that belonged to Ida E. Glenn and her husband Robert. Ida was a mixed-blood Creek Indian, while Robert was white. She had received the land by allotment. Galbreath reportedly paid about three cents per acre for the lease. Galbreath named the well "Ida Glenn No. 1." The two men operated the drilling rig themselves. On November 22, 1905, it produced a gusher and initiated a major oil boom in the area. The gusher was the first strike in a very large field that Galbreath named Glenn Pool. It became the state's largest oil field. Galbreath moved to Tulsa to continue his activities in the oil fields. Galbreath continued to drill two more producing wells in the Glenn Pool field. Together, these three wells earned him the names "Oil King of the Southwest" and "the richest man in Oklahoma."Davenport, Linda Haas. "History of Glenpool, Oklahoma."
Retrieved May 13, 2014. In 1907, he drilled the first producing well in the Bald Hill Field in

Okmulgee County Okmulgee County is a county in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 40,069. The county seat is Okmulgee. Located within the Muscogee Nation Reservation, the county was created at statehood in 1907. The name O ...

. In 1909 he sold his Glenn Pool holdings to J. E. Crosbie and turned his attention to politics. He defeated W. Tate Brady in the 1912 election for National Committeeman of the Democratic Party.

Other business interests

His other business interests included building the three-story Galbreath Hotel in the town of

Bromide A bromide ion is the negatively charged form (Br−) of the element bromine, a member of the halogens group on the periodic table. Most bromides are colorless. Bromides have many practical roles, being found in anticonvulsants, flame-retardant ...

, where he intended to develop a health spa based on the local mineral water. The

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

caused the idea to fail. He also attempted to mine iron and manganese in southeastern Oklahoma.

Family

Robert and Mary Ellen had three children: Robert, Leona, George Francis.

Death

Galbreath died on December 12, 1953, in

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Galbreath, Robert Jr. 1863 births 1953 deaths American businesspeople in the oil industry Businesspeople from Tulsa, Oklahoma Wildcatters People from Pickaway County, Ohio People from Edmond, Oklahoma People from Indian Territory