For three decades J. C. Cobleigh has made his home in Bartlesville, arriving here at an early period in the development of the town, and with its subsequent growth and up-building he has been prominently identified, having extensive farming and stock-raising interests and also being a large oil operator. He is a keen, farsighted business man whose well matured plans are promptly executed, and opportunity has ever been to him a call to action.
A native of Pennsylvania, Mr. Cobleigh was born December 15, 1873, of the marriage of C. C. and Mary (Mahoney) Cobleigh, the former of Scotch-Irish descent, while the latter was born in Cork, Ireland. The father was an oil contractor and operator in Pennsylvania, and under his able instruction J. C. Cobleigh gained a thorough knowledge of the business, which he followed as a contractor and operator in Indiana but met with financial reverses while residing in that state. He came to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, on the 10th of August,, 1891, at which time there were not more than one hundred buildings in the town, and his first operations in the oil fields of Oklahoma were made two miles northeast of Dewey. He still owns the land, which he has converted into a highly improved farm, engaging in dairying and also in the raising of hogs. He has three hundred head of registered stock, specializing in the breeding of Duroc-Jersey and spotted Poland China hogs. His farm comprises two hundred and twenty acres, of which he has fifty acres in alfalfa, and eventually he intends to plant it all to that crop. He also has forty head of cows and calves, and his stock-raising interests are scientifically conducted, resulting in a gratifying addition to his income. For the past fifteen years he has operated in oil, having as partners Judge J. T. Shipman, of Bartlesville, and O. S. Johnston, of Hutchinson, Kansas. He is regarded as one of the most successful individual oil operators in the state, although he has passed through the usual ups and downs in the business, and has drilled seventy wells of his own, out of which but three were dry holes, while he is now interested in forty wells. He keeps himself well informed concerning all modern developments relating to the oil industry and also to agricultural development, and as a natural result success is attending his efforts.
In 1896 Mr. Cobleigh was united in marriage to Miss Carrie M. . Miller, of Indiana, who passed away leaving a daughter, Vera May. He is the owner of a beautiful home at No. 1111 Johnstone Avenue. He is a thirty-second degree Mason and assisted in organizing the Shrine at Tulsa. He takes an optimistic view of life and possesses those qualities which make for personal popularity. The word fail has no place in his vocabulary. He has made the most of his time, his talents and his opportunities, and his marked executive ability and intelligently directed efforts have brought him to a prominent position among the representative agriculturists and successful oil operators of northeastern Oklahoma.