Old Gibbs Store

Duane's take

The way the marker tells it, here's the story of the Old Gibbs Store. Thomas Gibbs opened this place in 1841, back when Texas wasn't even a state yet. It was the Republic of Texas, its own nation, and Thomas Gibbs was already open for business.

Now that alone would be enough for most folks. But this story doesn't stop there. In 1847, Sandford Saint John Gibbs joined the firm, and with him came a new building.

A proper one. The kind that says we're not going anywhere. And they weren't.

See, what you've got here is the oldest business in Texas under original ownership and on its first site. Let that settle for a moment. Same family.

Same ground. Going back to the Republic. General Sam Houston, the man himself, was a steady customer of the partners.

He walked through that door regular as sunrise. Now somewhere along the way, neighbors started asking the Gibbs partners if they could use their safe. You do that enough times and you're not just running a store anymore.

You're running a bank. The marker says that's exactly how they became bankers, lending use of that safe to the people around them. By 1890, Gibbs National Bank was established, the forerunner of First National Bank, which itself was established in 1922.

One safe. One store. One piece of Texas ground since 1841.

Some roots go that deep.

What the marker says

Old Gibbs Store, oldest business in Texas under original ownership and on first site. Established 1841 in Republic of Texas by Thomas Gibbs. Building erected in 1847 after Sandford Saint John Gibbs joined firm. General Sam Houston was steady customer of the partners, who became bankers after lending use of their safe to neighbors. Gibbs National Bank, established 1890, was forerunner of First National Bank, established 1922.