Gibson

Gibson, also called Spring Hill, was at the intersection of Farm Road 195 and a dirt road twelve miles northeast of Paris in extreme northeastern Lamar County. The site had been settled by 1881, when the post office opened. Within three years Gibson grew into a cotton, fruit, and vegetable shipping point. Postmaster J. F. McReynolds reported a population of 350, three steam gristmills and gins, three general stores, three blacksmith shops, and a wagonmaking establishment in 1884. Residents also had access to two churches, a public school, and the services of five doctors. Mail arrived on a semiweekly basis. In 1890 the town had two new churches and a new steam gristmill and gin. All other businesses, including the physicians' offices, had closed. The public school continued to function, however, and the mail arrived triweekly. Within two years the population of Gibson decreased to 100. Two gristmills and gins were still working, and two general stores were in operation. A doctor had moved into town, and Richardson Brothers Blacksmith Shop was open. The drain of residents into railroad stops had resulted in the closing of the school. The postal department closed in 1901, and by 1936 Gibson no longer appeared on maps. A scattered collection of dwellings still existed at the site, but it was unidentified.