A frontier Texas mercantile

by Donald R. Walker

In August, 1841, Thomas Gibbs and Gardner Coffin, two itinerant merchants traveling from the estates of the American South, arrived in the Republic of Texas and opened a small frontier general mercantile in the recently-established settlement of Huntsville. From that date to the present, members of the Gibbs family residing in Walker County have operated their business interests from the same location across from the courthouse square. The mercantile having long since disappeared, for nearly a century the Gibbses have devoted their energies to amassing large holdings in land and timber in Walker and adjacent counties. Through the years, the enlightened stewardship they have demonstrated in the management of their real estate interests has earned them commendations from professional lumber organizations and environmentalists alike, and the generous benevolence of the Gibbs family has contributed greatly to the quality of life for residents of Huntsville and Walker County. The long histo