Wilbur (William) Galbreath

Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Galbreath were married on March 21st, 1883 at Chatfield, Minnesota. The very next month they started for Dakota Territory, landing at Tower City on the 7th of April.

The next day they visited the Dan Conan farm as Mrs. Conan and Mr. Galbreath were brother and sister. While here the location of good plots of land were discussed and Wilbur made up his mind as to the land that he wanted. Accordingly, on May 31, 1883 Wilbur filed homestead papers in Fargo on their new home.

Their first trading center was a place located on the Cass County and Barnes County line called Kibby. Kibby was the pride and joy of a certain Capt. Northrup, who was booming this town with the expectation that a railroad would be built from Milbank, South Dakota to Tower City. This, of course, did not happen and Kibby then became Binghampton, then what is known as Old Lucca and finally Lucca when the N.P. branch line crossed the Soo line.

Raritan township not being organized, they lived under Territorial law until 1888 when the township was organized. Wilbur Galbreath was elected township treasurer at the first election and served in this position until 1924, the year of his death. Mrs. Galbreath then assumed the office and served until 1940 thereby creating an unbroken term of 52 years as treasurer of a township within one family.

At the first township election Mrs. Galbreath and Mrs. F. P. Stowell hand made the ballots and then served cake and coffee after the election.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 77