Gibson, New Mexico Dr. Philip Kamps

L to R: Mrs. Iawarden holding baby, Adrian Van Iawarden, daughter, son, daughter-in-law Gibson Gibson NEW MEXICO Original house moved to Rehoboth in 1948

House from Gibson moved to Rehoboth in 1948 after renovation

By Dr. Philip Kamps

I probably have always been vaguely aware of a town called “Gibson,” but my awareness became more focused when a home on the Rehoboth school campus was being remodeled. I recalled then that remodeling was occurring on a structure that had been moved from the Gibson townsite to a waiting basement foundation that had been prepared by Adrian Van Iawarden in 1947. Mr. Van was a contractor who spent about six years at Rehoboth after his retirement from his work in Alamosa, CO. 1947 was the year that Gibson coal mine owners, Colorado Fuel & Iron Company, eliminated the town. Thus, every structure was removed, leaving almost no trace of the town. The second reason I became more interested in Gibson was a calendar produced by RMCHCS a few years ago that had a photo on each month of some older healthcare related items. The caption under a photo of the structure on Second Street adjacent to the old post office was “The First Hospital in McKinley County.” I suspected that while it may have been the first hospital in Gallup, it was not the first in McKinley County. I knew from some previous reading the mining towns often provided their own medical care for their miners and families. Visiting the internet as well as our own Rex Museum, yielded a lot of information.

The town of Gibson began in 1882 with the discovery of coal. The name came, as was common at the time, from the first mine superintendent, John Gibson. At that time the mine was under the auspices of the Crescent Coal Company, organized by John Gibson. The community prospered and at its maximum claimed 1200 citizens. In a relatively short time, the town boasted a two-story school, hotel, company store, meat market, Catholic church, and a hospital.

Several physicians are mentioned in the newspaper in the 1880s. Z.B. Sawyer was a local surgeon and physician for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. Apparently, his office was in the new drugstore, where patients could receive the best care and accommodation (ad in the newspaper 7-13-1889). This may have been in Gallup. Also mentioned were E.D. Harper, M.D., and T.P. Robinson who was noted to have “removed an eye and placed an artificial one.” This apparently took place in People’s Drug Store. The newspaper also noted a Mr. Sanchez, who was injured at the Heaton mine and died at the Gibson hospital. This was probably December 1910.

While I did not find a specific time that the hospital in Gibson closed, I am guessing it was between 1907 and 1920 when hospitals in Gallup began. Additionally, the family of Louis and Maria Esparza lived in the prior Gibson Hospital with their 14 children. One of their sons was killed by a taxi when the family was walking to church one Sunday. Apparently, the boy had gotten behind and was trying to catch-up. The family moved to Gallup in 1942.

There are other homes in Gallup that have incorporated homes moved from Gibson, but they would be as hard to recognize now as is the one on the Rehoboth campus.

Mining activity at Gibson probably ceased about 1920. In 1906 a fire started in one of the shafts, and they were unable to extinguish it. This, along with new mine shafts less than a mile to the west at Gamerco, led to closing the Gibson mine. Miners stayed in their homes in Gibson, however, and walked to the new mines at Gamerco. In 1947, the company required all structures to be removed so there is nothing to be seen there today.

There were at least 54 named mines in the first half of the twentieth century. Many of the well-known Gallup names today are from that time.