John Thomas Culbreath was the second son of Thomas Culbreath and Ann Eliza Peabody. He moved to Effingham County, Georgia, where he met his wife Mary Peavy in 1881. He was drawn to the area by the booming turpentine industry. He later moved to Wakulla County, Florida and is buried in Tallahassee. 

Of note is his retention of the "a" in Culbreath. The cause of this spelling is unknown but it is most likely that it is simply the result of the standardization of spelling in the area.