Gibbs, Missouri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gibbs, Missouri
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Village
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Location within Adair County (left) and Missouri (right)
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| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | Adair |
| Township | Wilson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.25 sq mi (0.64 km2) |
| • Land | 0.25 sq mi (0.64 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 909 ft (277 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 70 |
| • Density | 282.26/sq mi (109.18/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
63540
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| Area code(s) | 660 |
| FIPS code | 29-26920 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2398958 |
Gibbs is a small village located in Wilson Township, Adair County, Missouri, in the United States. In 2020, about 70 people lived there. It is part of the Kirksville area.
Contents
History of Gibbs
The village of Gibbs started in 1887. This happened when the Santa Fe Railroad built its tracks through southeastern Adair County. The town was named after Frank W. Gibbs. He gave land to the railroad company. This land was used to build a train station and a place for livestock.
When Gibbs officially became a village in 1894, people hoped it would become a major shipping spot for the Santa Fe Railroad in Adair County. This hope grew because the road to Gibbs was the first one in the county that could be used in all kinds of weather.
In the late 1800s, many cattle and hogs were sent from Gibbs. They went to meat-packing factories in Chicago. Also, fresh apples, strawberries, and eggs were shipped across America during their seasons. A company called Perrin & Company from Chicago built a large building called a grain elevator. This was next to the train tracks. It was used to store and ship corn, barley, oats, and wheat. In 1908, a second Santa Fe track was added. This made residents even more hopeful for Gibbs' future.
However, most businesses in Kirksville, which was the main trading center of the county, chose to use La Plata. La Plata was on the border of Macon and Adair counties. It became their main shipping and passenger service point on the Santa Fe line.
A U.S. Post Office opened in Gibbs in 1887. The village also had several businesses. These included a barber shop, general stores, and two blacksmiths. The business area of Gibbs also had two hotels, an opera house, a bank, a lumberyard, a funeral service, and a cement factory. The Bank of Gibbs opened in 1898. It served the people of Gibbs and nearby areas well. However, it closed in 1933.
For a while around 1900, Gibbs even had its own newspaper called Gibbs Telegraph. Gibbs had four churches, but the last one closed in the early 1980s. This was because fewer people lived in the village. The last business in Gibbs, a grocery store, closed in 1970. In the same year, a health clinic that had opened in 1949 also closed. The Santa Fe train station closed in the 1960s. The two-room school joined the Brashear school system in 1966.
Today, Gibbs is mostly a "bedroom community." This means most people who live there travel to other cities like Kirksville and Macon for work. In 2007, the Gibbs post office closed, at least for a while. This happened because of a disagreement about rent.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Gibbs covers a total area of about 0.64 square kilometers (0.25 square miles). All of this area is land.
Population Information
This section shows how the number of people living in Gibbs has changed over the years.
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 168 | — | |
| 1910 | 226 | 34.5% | |
| 1920 | 217 | −4.0% | |
| 1930 | 158 | −27.2% | |
| 1940 | 152 | −3.8% | |
| 1950 | 144 | −5.3% | |
| 1960 | 158 | 9.7% | |
| 1970 | 112 | −29.1% | |
| 1980 | 107 | −4.5% | |
| 1990 | 89 | −16.8% | |
| 2000 | 100 | 12.4% | |
| 2010 | 107 | 7.0% | |
| 2020 | 70 | −34.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 Census Details
In 2010, the census counted 107 people living in Gibbs. There were 34 households and 26 families. The village had about 168 homes per square kilometer (428 homes per square mile).
Most of the people in Gibbs were White (91.6%). A small number were African American (1.9%), Native American (1.9%), or from two or more races (4.7%). About 0.9% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
In the households, 41.2% had children under 18 living with them. About 58.8% were married couples. Some households had a female head with no husband (11.8%). A few had a male head with no wife (5.9%). About 20.6% of households were single individuals. Only 2.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household had 3.15 people, and the average family had 3.65 people.
The average age of people in the village was 29.8 years. About 38.3% of residents were under 18. About 6.5% were between 18 and 24. Another 24.3% were between 25 and 44. About 24.2% were between 45 and 64. Finally, 6.5% were 65 years old or older. The population was 52.3% male and 47.7% female.
Transportation
The Southwest Chief train, run by Amtrak, goes through Gibbs. This train travels between Los Angeles and Chicago on BNSF tracks. However, the train does not stop in Gibbs. The closest train station is in La Plata, which is about 13 miles (21 km) southwest of Gibbs.
Images for kids
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Frank W. Gibbs, who helped start the town.
See also
In Spanish: Gibbs (Misuri) para niños
