Robert Galbreath, Jr.

Robert Galbreath, Jr. (1863–1953) was a pioneer entrepreneur, wildcatter 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, he participated with his brother, Herman, in the Land Rush of 1889 for the Unassigned Lands. Afterward, he sold his claim and settled in the new town of Edmond. He became an early wildcatter and oil producer. His most notable accomplishment was the discovery of the Glenn Pool oilfield.

Robert Galbreath, Jr. was born to Robert and Sarah A. (née Hill) Galbreath on a farm in Pickaway County, Ohio on December 23, 1863. He evidently lived there until he decided to go to Kansas in 1884, where he met with David L. Payne. Payne would later achieve notability as leader of the Boomers (Oklahoma settlers) 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.

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

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.

...
Wikipedia