California Biographies 

Source:
History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties, California
by: C M Gidney - Santa Barbara. Benjamin Brooks - San Luis Obispo. 
Edwin M Sheridan - Ventura
Volumes II - Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, ILL., 1917

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

IDELL GUIBERSON, of Santa Paula, is one of the veteran oil well men of California, having done 
his part as a constructive worker in the development of the great oil resources of this state. His 
experience in the industry, however, is by no means confined to California, since he has 
followed prospecting and various other lines of business in practically every state of the west.
A native son of California himself, he represents one of the earliest families, dating back to the 
gold days, and also very early settled in Ventura County. His grandfather, Rev. John W. 
Guiberson, crossed the plains in 1850. He was a Methodist minister, and one of the few 
ministers of any religion who ventured into the wild and reckless life of early California. He 
preached the Gospel in Grass Valley, Ukiah, and other parts of the state, and during the early 
'70s came to Ventura County and continued the active work of the ministry all over that section 
of country until his death.
The late Dr. Simon Peter Guiberson, father of IdeII, was also a noted Californian. He was quite 
young when he came, in 1850, with his parents across the plains to California. That journey was 
made in a 500 wagon train, one of the largest individual parties that ever came to the state in 
the early days. The Guibersons settled in Grass Valley and there Simon Peter practiced 
medicine for a few years, later moved to Lake County, where in addition to his practice he 
conducted a drug store, and in 1869 he came to Ventura and established one of the first, if not 
the first, drug stores in that town. He also practiced medicine until 1874, in which year he 
removed to Santa Paula and conducted a drug business, attended his patients as a medical 
practitioner and also did government surveying. In 1886, turning over his medical practice to 
Dr. D. W. Mott, he turned his versatile talents to still another profession, and was engaged in 
the practice of law until his death. He was a man of tremendous activity, was stirred by 
impulses of deep generosity and sympathy, and his life was one of the most useful ever passed 
in this section of the state. Due to his influence a great many people came to Santa Paula, and 
he took an active part in the development of the surrounding country. Doctor Guiberson was 
married in Napa County, to Miss Lou Eddington, and of their five children two are living, Mrs. 
Maude Youngken of Santa Paula, and Idell Guiberson.
Mr. Idell Guiberson was born in Lake County, California, April 24, 1866, received his first 
training in the public schools of Ventura, and from 1874 to [883 attended public school at Santa 
Paula.
On leaving school he became connected with one of the pioneer oil development enterprises of 
the state. He was employed by the Hardison-Stewart Oil Company in their oil fields until 1886. 
He then took up a 3,000 acre claim of Government pasture land near Santa Paula, and was 
engaged in the stock business there until 1888, when he sold his land and again returned to the 
oil fields. He worked as a driller for various companies having headquarters in Los Angeles, and 
in 1889 became a driller for the Ventura Oil Company near Santa Paula. In 1898 he returned to 
Los Angeles and worked in and around that city in the service of various oil companies for ten 
years. Leaving California Mr. Guiberson bought up some timber lands near Medford, Oregon, 
and was actively identified with the lumber industry for one year. Selling out, he began 
traveling as a prospector for oil and gold and since then has covered every state west of the 
Mississippi River. In September, 1916, he returned to Santa Paula, and since then has been 
drilling oil wells for himself. He is also developing some oil properties which he holds under 
lease.
Mr. Guiberson is a member of the Knights of Pythias, is a democrat, and on December 23, 
1888, at Los Angeles he married Miss Carrie A. Smith, a native of New Jersey and daughter of J. 
W. Smith, a merchant of Medford Oregon. They are the parents of two children. Madge is court 
reporter in Medford, Oregon. Wallace is connected with the Home Oil Company, adjoining the 
Montebello, near Fillmore, California.