Volume 14 , Issue 7

Pioneer Jerome Robert Gamble

Are there any descendants of this pioneer, Jerome Robert Gamble, out there online? The following information about this pioneer that settled in Woods county, Oklahoma Territory near Alva was taken from History of Oklahoma, page 1497, written by Joseph B. Thoburn.

Jerome Robert Gamble was born November 30, 1874, at Lancaster, Missouri, a son of Jerome Bonaparte and Mary B. (Frank) Gamble. His father, who was born near Nashville, Tennessee, in 1847, was the son of a farmer, who who came to Missouri at an early day, and early in life the son left the farm and began the study of law. From the age of seventeen he had taught school, and at the age of twenty-four was admitted to the bar at Lancaster, Missouri.

Though his early life was one of considerable hardship and out of sheet necessity he had educated himself, he became a prominent lawyer and for twenty years practiced at Lancaster, Missouri. he also took an active part in democratic politics, and for a number of years was county attorney of Schuyler county.

In 1888 he removed to Manhattan, Kansas, practiced there two years, and was then located at Wallace, Kansas, nine years. In 1900 he brought his family Alva, Oklahoma, and was one of the members of the Woods county bar until his death in 1905.

Jerome B. Gamble was married at Lancaster, Missouri, in 1868, to Mary B. Frank, a daughter of Sanford frank, and she was born in 1853. There were eight children in the family. Back when this History of Oklahoma book was published Alma Matilda was the wife of Benjamin Johnson of Fredonia, Kansas; the next two were twins, a son and daughter, who died in infancy; Jerome Robert; Myrtle Mary, widow of B. M. Spaulding, living at El Campo, Texas; and Carrie Etta, wife of C. J. Snoddy, a farmer in Woods county, Oklahoma.

Jerome R. Gamble finished his education in the public schools of Manhattan and Wallace, Kansas. Prior to that time, at the age of twelve, and following an enthusiasm which has led a great many boys into the printing and newspaper business, he found opportunities to learn the printing trade in an office at Lancaster, Missouri. He finished his apprenticeship at Sharon Springs, Kansas, and at the age of twenty bought the office of the People's Voice at Sharon Springs, and was editor and owner of that small journal two years. When he sold out he then secured an interest in the daily and weekly Pioneer of Alva, and was one of its editors and proprietors four years. Since that date that he was out of the newspaper business altogether and had a large clientage as a real estate and loan broker.

In politics Mr. Gamble was a democrat, and for two years served on the state committee from Woods County. He was one of the veterans of the Spanish-American war. Early in that period of hostilities in 1898 he enlisted as a private in Company L of the Second United States Volunteer Infantry, a regiment that was of the "Rough Rider" class and was recruited from the territories of Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico and Indian Territory.

On January 1, 1902, at Alva Mr. Gamble married Miss Evangeline Matilda Lloyd, daughter of the Rev. R. Thomas Lloyd. Mrs. Gamble was born February 28, 1875. To their marriage were born four children: Robert jerome, who died in infancy; Daisy Marie; Robert jerome; and Thomas Frederick, born August 20, 1914. Gamble and his family were members of the Episcopal Church.

A Standard History of Oklahoma -- by Joseph B. Thoburn is an authentic narrative of its development front the date of the first European Exploration down to the time of 1916, including accounts of the Indian tribes, both civilized and wild, of the cattle range, of the land openings and the achievements of the most recent period. Joseph B. Thoburn was assisted by a Board of Advisory Editors when he compiled this history of Oklahoma, Volume IV, published by the American Historical Society, Chicago and New York, in 1916.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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