Gilbert, Linda (1847–1895)

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Gilbert, Linda (1847–1895)

American prison welfare worker . Born Zelinda Gilbert on May 13, 1847, probably in Rochester, New York; died on October 24, 1895, in Mount Vernon, New York; one of two daughters of Horace and Zelinda Gilbert; attended St. Mary's Convent, Chicago; never married; no children.

Little is known about Linda Gilbert's childhood except that when she was about five her family moved from Rochester, New York, to Chicago, where she attended St. Mary's Convent. Purportedly, each morning on her way to school, she passed Cook County Jail where she became acquainted with an inmate who expressed interest in her schoolbooks. She subsequently brought him a book from her father's library and resolved that when she was old enough she would see to it that the prison had a library. In 1864, aided by an inheritance, she donated some 4,000 volumes to the prison facility. Hoping to establish a library in every prison in Illinois and provide other services for prisoners, Gilbert sought to raise funds by setting up a lottery modeled after a successful one sponsored by the owner of a Chicago opera house. However, when her sponsors realized that she was advertising unrealistic prizes and withdrew support, she was forced to abandon the scheme.

Around 1872, after suffering losses in the Chicago Fire, she moved to New York City and renewed her efforts. Although the city already had two prison associations, she chose to establish her own Gilbert Library and Prisoners' Aid Fund. In addition to raising money, she visited prisons, bringing gifts of food and flowers and writing letters for inmates. When prisoners were released, she often provided them with clothing, lodging, and assistance in finding employment. Another of Gilbert's grandiose money-making schemes went awry in 1875, when her "Grand Testimonial Concert" at the Barnum Hippodrome was poorly attended. Undaunted, she sought to attract a permanent endowment for her work through her publication Sketch of the Life and Work of Linda Gilbert (1876), which, although well-meaning, was filled with inflated claims. At the same time, she incorporated her Gilbert Library and Prisoners' Aid Society, which continued to provide limited prison services until 1883.

To further support her prison work, Gilbert was thought to have patented several inventions, including a noiseless rail for railroads and a wire clothespin, although her name is not included in the index of women inventors given federal patents. Linda Gilbert died on October 24, 1895, at the age of 48.