Merced County Biographies

WILLIAM H. GILBERT

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

 
        The success achieved by William H. Gilbert, since identifying himself 
with the agricultural interests of Merced County, furnishes another proof of the 
opportunities offered by this section of California to men of persevering 
industry. Since 1907, Mr. Gilbert has been associated with various creameries in 
this section of California and for the past three years has been manager of the 
Gustine Creamery. He is a native of England, born June 4, 1882, a son of Henry 
Gilbert, also a native of England who owned and operated a hotel in that 
country.
        William H. Gilbert attended public school in his native country and in 
1894 went to Ontario, Canada, where he attended the Kingston Dairy School; after 
finishing school he was identified with milk association work in Kingston, 
Canada, for eleven years. When he came to California he settled, at Lathrop 
where, for a time, he was connected with the Oakwood Stock Farm; he then removed 
to Ceres and for two years worked in the Ceres Creamery. In February, 1910, he 
located in Gustine and for the following eleven years he worked for the Dairy 
Delivery Company as butter maker and tester; two years of this time he was 
manager of the company. In 1921 he became manager of the Gustine Creamery, which 
has an output of 1,500,000 pounds of butter in one year. This creamery sells to 
the San Francisco and Oakland markets, and is also associated with the Challenge 
Cream & Butter Company of Los Angeles; they also supply the local trade of 
Gustine, Newman and vicinity. There are thirty people employed in this creamery 
collecting milk and cream from Stanislaus and Merced Counties.
        Mr. Gilbert is associated with Dr. Stagner in a fifty-acre peach and 
walnut orchard near Wheatland, Yuba County. Fraternally, he is a member of 
Romero Lodge No. 413, I. O. O. F. in Gustine; he belongs to Leeds Lodge No. 201, 
A. F. & A. M.; Leeds Chapter No. 132, R. A. M., both at Gananoque, Canada; is a 
charter member of Modesto Commandery No. 57, K. T., and belongs to Aahmes 
Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. in Oakland.
 
History of Merced County, California � Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1925
page 905-906