McDonough County Genealogical Society
Born in 1823 in Frederick County, Maryland, John Gibbs entered the world in one of the state’s wealthiest and most productive agricultural regions. His early years were shaped by a young nation filled with optimism following the War of 1812. While Maryland remained a slave state, much of Frederick County was made up of prosperous farms, mills, and small trades, where farmers and craftsmen formed the backbone of the community.
In 1836, the Gibbs family moved west to Ohio, joining the steady stream of Americans seeking new opportunities on the frontier. Six years later, at the age of nineteen, John made a raft trip down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans. According to family tradition, he returned to Cincinnati before the family continued westward, settling in McDonough County, Illinois, in 1845.
Only scattered records survive to document John’s early years in Illinois. A personal biography states that he first settled on the farm of Samuel Cowperthwaite after arriving in the county. McDonough County records show that on August 24, 1848, he married Margaret Reed Snapp. The following year, John purchased his own farm in Mound Township for $1.50 per acre, laying the foundation for what would become the family homestead.
Happiness, however, was short-lived. Their only child died shortly after birth, and in January 1850, Margaret died just eighteen months after their wedding, leaving John a widower. A decade later, John married Margaret’s younger sister, Mary Snapp. Together they raised a large family of eight children:
