Gibson, Arkansas facts for kids

Gibson is a community located in Pulaski County, Arkansas, in the United States. It's known as a "census-designated place" (CDP). This means it's an area that the government counts for population, but it's not an officially incorporated city or town. In 2020, about 4,111 people lived in Gibson. It's part of the larger Little Rock area. Gibson is special because it has deposits of silver. These silver deposits are actually why North Little Rock used to be called Argenta, which is a name that comes from the Latin word for silver!

Quick facts for kids Gibson, Arkansas
CDP
Location in Pulaski County and the state of Arkansas
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Pulaski
Area
• Total	4.79 sq mi (12.40 km2)
• Land	4.75 sq mi (12.31 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2)
Elevation	341 ft (104 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,111
• Density	864.56/sq mi (333.83/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	72120
Area code(s)	501
FIPS code	05-26710
GNIS feature ID	2402522

History of Gibson

The Southwest Trail

Gibson was one of the first places settled in the Arkansas territory. A very important military road, called the Southwest Trail, passed right through Gibson. This trail was the main route for many Americans traveling to what was then Mexico's Texas territory, and later the Republic of Texas. At one point, about 80% of all settlers coming to Arkansas used the Southwest Trail.

This old route was also known as the Old Military Road. It went from El Paso to North Little Rock, passing through Gibson. Today, parts of the trail follow modern roads like Arkansas Highway 89 and Batesville Pike Road.

Early Settlers and Land Grants

In 1821, the capital of Arkansas was moved from Arkansas Post to Little Rock. After this, people started to claim land around the new capital, including areas north of the Arkansas River. Most of these early settlers were farmers. They grew crops like cotton or grew just enough food for their families. Many of them used special land grants they received for serving in the War of 1812 to get their land. Some of the first people to claim land in the Gibson area were William Beech in 1821, and William Johnson and John Stone in 1822.

The name "Gibson" comes from one of the early families who settled in the area. In the Gibson Cemetery, you can find graves of family members like Mattie Cordelia Gibson, who passed away in 1915, and her husband John Calvin, who died in 1951.

Benjamin Kellogg and the Mines

One of the most well-known early settlers was Benjamin Kellogg. He was born around 1797 in New England and moved to Little Rock soon after it became the capital. Kellogg was a blacksmith. He is famous for making the broadaxe used to build the Chandler home in Little Rock, which was the first house in the city made from hewed (shaped) logs. Before that, homes in Little Rock were built with round logs.

Kellogg bought land in northern Pulaski County in 1834. He later reported finding lead ore that had been dug up by crayfish. He bought more land along a creek that is now named after him: Kellogg Creek. A mining company was formed and claimed to have leased mining rights to Kellogg's land for 99 years, though Kellogg believed the lease was only for five years. Miners dug at least three shafts, finding small amounts of silver, copper, lead, and zinc. Kellogg passed away in 1848. Most miners left the next year, hoping to find more gold in California.

Mining continued in the area even during the early part of the Civil War. However, the mines were abandoned before Union forces, led by Major General Frederick Steele, marched past them on their way to Little Rock in 1863. Later, in 1889, a book called "Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Central Arkansas" described these mines, mentioning lead and copper ores and attempts to find gold. It seems the mines had been left unused for a long time by then. In 1925, there was an effort to reopen the mines, which produced a small amount of silver.

For many years, the Gibson area remained mostly rural with few people. After World War II, things began to change. The establishment of the Little Rock Air Force Base in nearby Jacksonville led to a lot of new houses and businesses being built in Gibson.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Gibson CDP covers a total area of about 4.5 square miles (12.4 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Population and Demographics

2020 Census Information

The 2020 United States census counted 4,111 people living in Gibson. There were 1,617 households and 1,243 families.

The table below shows the different racial groups in Gibson based on the 2020 census:

Education

Students in Gibson attend schools within the Pulaski County Special School District. The area is divided between Cato and Sylvan Hills elementary schools. All of Gibson is zoned to attend Sylvan Hills Middle School and Sylvan Hills High School.

See also

In Spanish: Gibson (Arkansas) para niños