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Stephen Owens Gibbs was known as "Boney Face" Gibbs and on many legal documents was identified only as "S. O." He was born 18 Apr 1809 in Hyde Co NC, believed to be the son of Cason Gibbs and Sarah "Sally" Owens. At an early age he moved to Perry Co TN and on 26 Feb 1826 in that county he married Lurana Frazer "Luraney" Wells, who was born 7 Sep 1809. She died 17 Jan 1901 in Kaufman, TX and is buried at Kaufman City Cemetery. In Perry County SO had a ferry and operated a blacksmith shop and in June 1828 SO & Lurana had their first child. He is listed as Stephen O Gibbs on the 1830 Perry Co TN census, page 228. They had two more children in Perry County and one in Union Co TN, but by 1836 he had moved his family to Tishomingo Co MS. He received land in Tishomingo Co from the U S Gov't in 1835, and it is on these deeds that it was learned his middle name was Owens. It is in the records of Tishomingo County that it becomes apparent the stalwart and dutiful character of SO Gibbs. First Administration of Old Tishomingo County - 1836Amis CURTIS and Joseph PHILLIPS, elected to the offices of treasurer and assessor and tax collector, failed to file their bond within the time prescribed by law; the officers were declared vacant by the board of police, and a special election resulted in the election of William RUSHING and Stephen O. GIBBS as treasurer and assessor and tax collector respectively. The October 1836 session of the Board of Police of Tishomingo County appointed Stephen O. Gibbs as auctioneer and proceed to sell the lots in the town of Jacinto to the highest bidder. Stephen bought 4 lots in Jacinto: Tishomingo County Commissioners Minutes - Janury 4, 1837John Fitch Coroner comes into open Court refused to give Bond and Security as required by law for his performance as Sheriff ; thus gives way to S. O. Gibbs. Said Gibbs gives bond & Security and took the oath of office as Sheriff and Proceeded to business. Stephen is on the 1837 MS State Tax Census-Tishomingo Co, pg 001 with a total of 5 persons in his household. He is on the 1840 Tishomingo Co MS Census, pg 239, household# 764; 8 persons in household-1 male under 5, 2 males 6-10, 2 males 31-40, 1 female 11-15, 1 female 21-30. Jurors for April Term 1844, Old Tishomingo Co MS Circuit Court - Page 422"The State of Mississippi - Tishomingo County: This day came we, A.H. Weir and Stephen Gibbs - Sheriff and John Reeves - Clerk of the Circuit Court of said County, and in open court proceeded to draw the following names of Jurors for the April term of the Circuit Court of said County this 5th day of February 1844." He is on the 1845 MS State Tax Census-Tishomingo Co, having 6 males & 2 females in his household. In 1846 Stephen Gibbs was elected to the position of Legislator in the Mississippi House of Representatives, and served 2 years in that position. And it is in that year that we see the first proof that SO owned slaves: Tax Records of Tishomingo County - 26 Oct. 1846John F. Duncan of Pontotoc Co. MS to Stephen O. Gibbs of Tishomingo Co. MS, Circa 1849 Stephen Gibbs packed up his family and household and moved to Texas. He received 640 acres of land through Mercer's Colony, Certificate # 513, signed 29 Apr 1850. He holds the original patent to Kaufman County Land Survey #A-181. 1850 Henderson Co TX census-household 161/161
**NOTE: S O Gibbs' & M McDonld's first residences were actually in Henderson County. S. O. Gibbs moved from his original land to land west of Kaufman in 1851. He was also listed as "SO Gibbs, age 42, born NC" on he 1850 Henderson County Agricultural Census. Below is a letter written by Stephen O Gibbs to the Governor of Texas: copied from the Santa Fe Collection, Texas State Archive. **Note that the spelling in the letter is exactly as Gibbs wrote it - no (sic) is used to keep it's authenticity.
And below is the reply Gibbs received from Gov. Bell, also from the Texas State Archive:
In 1851, the Gibbs' last child, Lurana, was born in Kaufman, TX Soon after SO arrived in Kaufman County he discovered there was no grinding mill for many miles. In Warsaw Prairie he built a windmill 16 feet in diameter that turned two large millstones to grind corn and wheat and that became his first means of support in Texas. Stephen was also elected Sheriff of Kaufman County TX. He took office 17 Aug 1857 and won re-election to that position 4 times, remaining Sheriff until 16 Aug 1860. However, SO Gibbs was a businessman and he built and owned the first hotel in Kaufman County in 1856, located just east of the town of Kaufman in a community called Daugherty, now known as Gastonia. During the late 1850's he also operated a stage and mail stop there and it was widely known that he thought the best horse on his stage line was a wild mustang he had caught on Big Brushy Creek, not far from his hotel. He had a prosperous business, was a man of a charitable nature, and he was well-known and respected. He took pride in his reputation as an honest man of high moral character. Newspaper Advertisement:Dallas Herald - 20 Dec 1856 By 1859, Stephen had sold that hotel and was building another one. Mention of this comes from the Sebron M Noble papers, Barker Texas History Center, University of Texas at Austin;
The new hotel was located in town only three blocks east of the square and was located near what is now the corner of Dallas and Mulberry Streets. 1860 Kaufman Co TX Census-household 2/2:
**& 8 boarders were enumerated in Gibbs' Hotel Also, on the 1860 Kaufman County Census, SO Gibbs reported owning 1 slave - a 35 year old black female.   In April 1861 a tragic event changed the lives of the Gibbs' family. Just after the start of the Civil War, two of SO's sons, Newton and J W W, were in a saloon just south of Kaufman. A 21- year old man named James F Moore, who had recently moved to Kaufman from Rusk County, came in and began bad-mouthing the Confederacy. He had become known as an abolitionist and trouble-maker who had been bragging he was going to raise a company of Union Army soldiers since the firing on Ft. Sumter. An argument with Newton ensued after the Gibbs' told Moore his words and actions could be seen as an act of treason in Texas at that time. Details of the event and it's affect on the community are best read in a letter that was written by Kemp resident, J. M. Noble to his brother Sebron M. Noble in Nacogdoches, dated May 6, 1861.
Newton Gibbs jumped bail and never again appeared in Kaufman County, although it is strongly believed his family always knew of his whereabouts. His brother, J W W was exonerated of all wrong-doings. It was determined by the courts that he really took no part in the actual killing of James Moore, according to testimony by many witnesses who stated that JWW attempted to stop his brother Newton from killing the man. JWW swore he thought his brother's original intentions were to only scare Moore and not harm him in any way. The murder caused a lot of turmoil in the county, as written in the Noble letter, because many felt Newton should have never been allowed to go free on bond, stating they thought he was allowed to do so because of SO Gibbs' reputation as a fine man and the fact that he was once Sheriff. Newton Gibbs was caught in Erath County 2 years later, was tried for the murder and was sentenced to life in prison. His name pretty much disappeared from the family's records after that and it is rumored his family never spoke his name again. It is believed he died in prison. However, SO Gibbs was forever a changed man from the incident. His health declined, as did his state of mind. Whether it was from shame or embarrassment, SO Gibbs decided to move from Kaufman County. Taking advantage of the many people traveling due to the war, he decided to move closer to the Louisiana border. In June 1861 SO Gibbs left Kaufman and made an offer to buy the Atkins Hotel in Marshall, Texas, but the deal fell through. Marshall Texas Republican - 22 Feb 1862"Major S. O. Gibbs has concluded to remove to Jefferson and open a hotel at that place instead of taking the Atkins House in Marshall." SO left Lurana in Kaufman to run their Gibbs Hotel & Stage stand and settled himself alone in Jefferson, Marion County Texas, running a hotel there. On 21 May 1862 SO Gibbs died, apparently of natural causes. His body was brought back here and interred at Kaufman City Cemetery. His grave was once marked, but being right on the pathway of the main drive near the front entrance, the tombstone was damaged by an automobile in the 1970's, according to Turner Baxter of Kaufman. The grave is now unmarked but it's place is known to be just west of Lurana's grave.  The Unmarked grave of S. O. Gibbs in the Kaufman City Cemetery
CHILDREN of SO & Lurana Gibbs:
 LURANA FRAZER WELLS GIBBS Daggueroetype circa 1850 She was always called "Luraney" by friends and family. After SO's death she continued to run the "Gibbs House" hotel they had built in Kaufman in 1856 and did so until the 1890's, when her age and health declined. Unfortunately it took more than 15 years to settle SO Gibbs' estate and Lurana had to file suit against her dead son Donny's wife and children own to gain control of her husband's property:
On 1870 Kaufman census she is listed age 60 Hotel Keeper $3500./$400. , with son McDonald- age 22, daughter Sallie-age 25 & daughter Frazier-age 19 & 4 prominent boarders, ie: Berry S Wood, Zach T Adams, J J Hill & Chambers Allen - all Kaufman businessmen & attorneys. On the 1880 Kaufman County Census she is listed as age 70 TN Hotel Keeper With daughters Sallie - 36 & Frazer - 29 living with her, along with hotel boarders J J Hill & Frank Hatch (who both became her sons-in-law ) and with 2 other male boarders. On the 1900 Kaufman Co TX census in home of Jeremiah J Hill (Son-in-law), as age 90, born TN with both parents born TN, widowed. Kaufman Sun - 03 Mar 1882"Mrs. L. Gibbs, hostess of the Gibbs Hotel, has been gradually loosing her health for several years and being seventy odd years of age, she contemplates giving up the hotel business and rest the remaining days of her life. Probably there is not a hotel in the state that has a better reputation than the Gibbs House, and many will regret to learn of her intention to quit the business. Mr. Z. W. Heath, who ran the Terrell House several months, we learn, expects to take charge of the hotel. Mr. Heath is a fine gentleman and knows how to run a hotel" Terrell Times Star, - 02 Aug 1895"Grandma Gibbs, who is the first woman who ever lived in the town of Kaufman, still resides where her and her husband built a log house in 1846 - 49 years ago. She is the mother of Mrs. F. D. Hatch, Mrs. J. J. Hill, John G. Gibbs and grandmother of Tax Collector Gibbs." Daily Tribune - 25 Sep 1900"Mrs. L. Gibbs celebrated her 91st birthday by a luncheon on yesterday. The dining room was decorated by her great grand-daughter, Miss Mary Brown. After luncheon, Mr. Cummings took a picture of the group, consisting of herself and friends, Mrs. Barnett, Mrs. Manion and Mrs. McDaniel, her daughters, granddaughters and great granddaughters and her youngest grandson, Jim T. Hatch. Col. Hatch says he was the only man present and although the first time in his life that he was with so many ladies he never had a better time. {dispatched from the Kaufman Noon Day Sun} Terrell Daily Transcript - Jan. 17, 1901Mrs L Gibbs, age 91 years, died at the home of her son-in-law, Col. Frank Hatch, in Kaufman. her death was due from a fall she had several days ago. W N Gibbs, of Crandall, formerly Tax Collector of this county, is her grandson. Houston Post - Jan. 20, 1901Lorena Wells Gibbs, Mrs. S. O. Gibbs, died at age ninety one years, six months yesterday in Kaufman. Kaufman Sun - Jan. 25, 1901Mrs L Gibbs died at the home of her son-in-law, F D Hatch. She was a native of Tennessee, coming to Texas in 1847, settling in Kaufman. Her husband, S O Gibbs died in 1862. She was nearly 92 years old and buried in the City Cemetery. Kaufman Sun - 25 Jan 1901"On Thursday evening at 2 o'clock of last week, Mrs. L. Gibbs breathed her last at the home of her son-in-law, F. D. Hatch, Esq. Mrs. Gibbs was a native of Tennessee, and came to Texas with her husband in 1847, settling in the neighborhood of where the town of Kaufman now is, Kaufman county being at that time a part of Henderson county. Her husband, S. O. Gibbs, who died in 1862, was the most prominent man in the county after Kaufman county was established, he having served the county as sheriff for several years before his death. Shortly after the town of Kaufman was established he began to run a hotel. His wife continued this business after his death and only retired from it a few years ago. Mrs. Gibbs was nearly ninety-two years old when she died. The remains were interred Friday evening, in the city cemetery. She was among the last of the early settlers of the country and leaves children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to cherish her memory. Dallas Morning News - 25 Jan 1901 Kaufman Sun - 29 Mar 1901"The will of the late Mrs. L. Gibbs was probated today. She left all her property to her grandson, Jim Hatch. The will was witnessed by J. C. Maples, J. D. Muckleroy and T. H. Wingo."  Luraney Gibb's tombstone at Kaufman City Cemetery ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON S. O. GIBBS' CHILDRENMary Jane Gibbs McDonaldMary's husband also received land through Mercer's Colony. He served in the 13th Texas Brigade of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Children of Mary Jane & Malcolm:
James William Wells GibbsHe was called "William" by all. He received 320 acres of land through Mercer's Colony, Certificate #514, dated and signed 29 Apr 1850. 1860 Kaufman Co TX Census: household #21/21: 1870 Kaufman Co Census-District 38-household# 104: 1880 Kaufman Co TX Census-District 38-household# 191/191: CHILDREN of James & Mary:
John G GibbsHe worked in farming until he went into the Mercantile trade in 1854. His occupational change occurred after he realized he could make money when he traded John Walker a horse & $5.00 cash for a barrel of whiskey & a box of tobacco. He had a Grocery store on the Kaufman square as well as a saloon from 1878 until 1890 that was passed on to his son, John J as proprietor.  This is the J G Gibbs house- built in 1880's - it still stands on Jackson Street in Kaufman He served in CSA - Co K 2nd Partisan Rangers - his rank was 2nd Lt. He is enumerated on the following Census records: 1860 Kaufman Co TX census-household 37/37: 1870 Kaufman Co TX Census - household 105 (next door to his brother J W W Gibbs): 1880 Kaufman Co TX census pg 038, Ed 34. 1900 Kaufman Co TX census, in the town of Kaufman on Sycamore St, HH# 138/144 Terrell Daily Transcript-June 8, 1903:"J G Gibbs died Saturday. He had been a citizen of Kaufman County since before the war. Interment at Kaufman Cemetery Sunday." CHILDREN of John & Mary:
Stephen Owens Gibbs, Jr.He was called "Donny" his entire life. After marriage he lived in the Crandall area of the county. He is buried at Blackland Cemetery north of Crandall. SEE HIS MARKER Dallas Herald - Dec. 1, 1867Stephen O Gibbs, son of Kaufman County pioneer Boney Face Gibbs, died November 26,1867. Donny Gibbs was born Jan 30,1838 in Tishomingo Co Mississippi and came to Texas a mere boy. He leaves a grieving wife and twin children; a son Stephen Commodore Gibbs and a daughter, Dora Madina Gibbs. On 1880 Kaufman Co Census, his 2 children are living with their mother & step-father, James MCClure. CHILDREN of Donny & Susan: Sarah A Gibbs HillShe was called "Sallie", was always at her mother's aid and did not marry until she was 43 years old. She and J.J. Hill did not have any children. On 1900 Kaufman Census her mother, Lurana is living with her and husband Jerry Hill. On 1910 & 1920 Kaufman Censuses she is living in house of her sister Frazer. On 1930 Census Hale Co TX, town of Planview City, she is listed as age 84 and sister Frazer Hatch is living with her, age 79. Jeremiah J Hill was called "Jerry". He was an Attorny, an entrepeneur and he served in CSA - Co G 47th AL Infantry. The Obituary Below is from the Kaufman Sun - Friday, Feb. 10th 1939 edition:  Malcolm McDonald GibbsHe was called "Mack" by family & friends. Malcolm served in the CSA - Co K 2nd Partisan Rangers - enlisting when only 17 years old, and was furloughed 10 May 1865. He married Eliza Rebecca ALVIS in Kaufman TX 21 Jul 1870. She was born in AL 9 Feb 1847, daughter of Elias Henry Alvis & Rebecca Turner Ogletree. She was dead by 1880. 1870 Kaufman Co TX census- in household of his mother. 1880 Sabine Parish LA - Bayou San Miguel Lurana Frazer Gibbs HatchShe was always called by the name "Frazer" to distinguish her from her mother. She was 34 years old when she married F D Hatch. She had always worked in her mother's hotel. F D Hatch was a Colonel in the CSA - Co F 8th AL Infantry. The Daily Transcript - 31 Oct 1902Col. F D Hatch died in Kaufman from Dropsy at age 50. He leaves a wife and one child. 1900 Kaufman Co Census - Haynie St. in Kaufman 1910 Kaufman Co TX Census - Jefferson St - town of Kaufman 1920 Kaufman Co TX census CHILDREN of Frazer and Frank Hatch:
Information from Early Tax Rolls
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