Wilson, Gilbert Livingstone, 1868-1930

Presbyterian Minister, ethnologist.

From the description of Papers, 1915-1916. (State Historical Society of North Dakota State Archives). WorldCat record id: 18088900

Ethnologist.

Wilson conducted field work among the Hidatsa Indians of North Dakota between 1908 and 1918.

From the description of Papers, 1915-1933. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 155512133

Gilbert Livingstone Wilson was born in October 1869 in Springfield, Ohio, the oldest son of Samuel and Mary (Russell) Wilson. He was educated at Lake Forest and Wittenberg (Ohio) Colleges, graduating from the latter in 1896. He went on to Princeton Theological Seminary, where he completed studies for the Presbyterian ministry in 1899. After leaving seminary, he moved to the Midwest, where his first pastorate was in Moorhead, Minnesota (1900-1902). Later he served as pastor in Mandan (1902-1905) and Langdon (1905-1907), North Dakota, before moving back to Minnesota where he was pastor at Shiloh Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis (1907-1917), First Presbyterian Church in Stillwater (1917-1920), and Lexington Parkway Presbyterian Church in St. Paul (1927-1930).

Wilson's interest in American Indians dated back to his boyhood, when he was a fan of Indian myths and history. When his ministerial work took him to Mandan, North Dakota, he had an opportunity to meet and study the Indians at nearby Standing Rock and Fort Berthold Reservations. His early work was in collecting Indian myths, many of which he later published in two children's books, Myths of the Red Children (1907) and Indian Hero Tales (1917). He also collected Indian artifacts, many of which he later donated to the Minnesota Historical Society. His archaeological work soon brought the attention of Clark Wissler at the American Museum of Natural History and, from 1907 through 1918, the museum sponsored his ethnographic studies of the Fort Berthold tribes. His artist brother, Frederick N. (1876-1961), accompanied him much of the time and provided illustrations for the books and reports that Gilbert wrote. The Wilson brothers became close to a man known in English as Goodbird and through him to his mother, Buffalo Bird Woman, and her brother, Wolf Chief. Eventually, the brothers were formally adopted into the clan of the prairie chicken people, by whom Gilbert was known as "Yellow Chicken."

Goodbird and his family were the chief informants for Gilbert's extensive studies and through his friendship with the family Wilson was able to collect a great deal of unique information, particularly in the area of Indian agricultural practices. In 1916, Wilson was the recipient of the University of Minnesota's first Ph.D. in anthropology. His thesis, "The Agriculture of the Hidatsa Indians: An Indian Interpretation" was published in 1917 and republished in 1987 by the Minnesota Historical Society as Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden: Agriculture of the Hidatsa Indians. Wilson went on to publish several other books and articles for both children and academics. From 1920 to 1925, Wilson took a break from pastoral duties to serve as a professor of anthropology at St. Paul's Macalester College.

Gilbert Wilson died on June 8th, 1930 at his St. Paul home after an illness of several months.

From the guide to the Gilbert L. and Frederick N. Wilson papers., 1894-1936., (Minnesota Historical Society)