Private Lamar County Beat No. 9 9th Brigade, Texas Militia.

From the Lamar County, Texas USGenWeb website:
From Rodgers & Wade Furniture Co. Funeral Records in possession of Fry & Gibbs Funeral Home; Book #6; page 142, Service #10; charged to estate; order given by John Pat Gibbons; secured by estate; date of funeral January 16, 1910; place of death South Birmingham; services at Catholic Church; time 2PM; Clergyman Father Campbell; Physician McCuistion; date of death January 15, 1910 at 5:30AM; married; aged 75 years; casket manufactured by Cincinnati; interment at Evergreen; others in lot W.S. Moore, J.G. Wooten, F.L. Williams, A.P. Park, W.L. Burdett and R.S. Dargan; casket price $150; vault $75; embalming $25; coach $5; 6 carriages $21; hearse $10; wagon delivery for flowers $2; outlay for lot $90; open grave $6; total $294.

Information from the files of Skipper Steely:
The Gibbons (Bankhead) Home
It is the second oldest home in Paris. The builder of this home was Sheriff, Councilman, Mayor and Judge. In between all these titles he was John Chisum Gibbons, always the civic minded citizen working towards the best for Paris.

It was in 1841 that the Gibbons family came to Paris from Tennessee. The sons were Ed and John Gibbons that concerns our story.

He aligned himself with the Confederacy but he did not favor secession. He was first elected 4 more times for this honor - serving in all 9 years.

During Mayor Gibbons terms of office, Paris got her first city water system - Lake Gibbons being named in his honor. The present Paris School System began under Mayor Gibbons. One of the horse drawn fire wagons, bought during his tenure of office was named in honor of his little girl Kittie.

The title "Judge" enters his life as United States Land Commissioner in the Indian Territory. His headquarters were at Antlers, Oklahoma.

Once he fined a man $15, for coming into court in his undershirt. It was during this time that he sent out the posse that killed Bill Dalton, leader of the infamous Dalton Gang. Until stolen by a servant, the gun that killed Dalton and the removed bullet from his body were keepsakes of the Gibbons Family.

Mr. Gibbons loved horses and dogs. He particularly liked greyhounds and raced them with his horses. Until the year before he died, Mr. Gibbons rode and hunted.

In 1869 Mr. Gibbons married Miss Kate Birmingham, daughter of an early physician of Paris. Dr. Birmingham owned a large tract of land from what is now Sherman Street west to present 3rd S.E., east to present 6th Street, once called Birmingham Street was cut through Birmingham property and in 1883 began construction of the home as it is pictured today. The lumber for the home had been kept a year before building began. All the lumber used was full dimension lumber - number one quality which is a thing of the past. These were 2 X 4 boards - sawed lumber. Today a 2' X 4' board would measure 1 1/2 X 3 1/2.

Begun in 1883 the house was not completed until 1884. Their daughter Kittie Gibbons was born here October 31, 1884.

The house has 12 large rooms. Downstairs there are two parlors on the front, separated by a wide entrance hall. The dining room is behind the south front parlor and a huge sitting room also used as a music room is behind the north parlor. The kitchen was originally separated from the house by a big open porch. Behind this was a divided room - part of this room was used for making breads, the other part of this room was used for cooking for their many dogs. Part of the large back porch was later made into a breakfast room. The furniture for this room was made from a rosewood parlor grand piano. There was also a milk room off the kitchen where all the churning was done. In this room is a staircase that leads to a storage room upstairs where trunks and wardrobes were stored. All downstairs rooms have 14 foot ceilings. The upstairs bedrooms have 12 foot ceilings and, unusual for that time, a closet in every room. Every room in the house has a fireplace and "leaning hearths" made of stone. The leaning hearths made them unusual. Colorful green tiles were used in the front room fireplaces. All other fireplaces were finished in rough stones. Brass plates were used in the summer to close the fireplaces and grates to keep out the chimney sweeps. The mantles are all hand turned and very ornate.

When the house was built gas lights were used. Some of the original brass sconces are still there. Electric lamps replaced the gas lights. This was the second home in Paris that had electricity. The glass transoms are still over the doors.

This was also the second home in Paris to have a gas cook stove but the servants refused to use it and continued to cook on the wood stove.

Over the entire second floor is an attic big enough to include two of today's houses. Attractive features of the house are the double French doors both up and down stairs on the front of the house.

A tall beautifully carved walnut staircase leads from the lower entrance hall to the second story. There is a landing on the staircase and five more steps lead to a long hall upstairs. A large bathroom to the right has all beveled mirrors in it. There are two bedrooms on the right of the hall and two on the left -- all with fireplaces. At the front end of the hall are the French doors and at the other end of the hall are bookshelves. Over the bookcases are paintings of horses in large ornate frames.

Pine tongue and groove floors - which are made of very wide pine boards - are throughout the house. The house is high enough off the ground to assure even today a firm foundation.

The third story was originally trimmed in tiers of gray slate which has now been painted white. A Coupalo was on the top and also a flagpole where the American flag was flown. An interesting story here is that Eddie Bankhead acquired this flagpole and with much ceremony installed it in his yard. To his dismay, however, he discovered one morning some vandals had chopped it down during the night.

The original tin roof is still on the main part of the house. The home with 3 acres around it had a low paling fence around it painted white.

The Bankhead or Gibbons home was noted for its dances, its parties and its contributions to Paris social life. Many newcomers to Paris recalled going to their first Paris parties as guests of the different members of the Gibbons family.

In the family were one daughter and 3 sons - all popular members of Paris society and there was always much gaiety in the Gibbons household, Kittie (Mrs. Jack Bankhead) is the only surviving member of the immediate family. Her family grew up in this house and had as much fun in it as the Gibbons children. Katherine Bankhead (now Mrs. Wayne Anderson) was the first child born to the Bankheads. There were 8 children to the Bankheads.

Katherine is aglow today when she tells how all 7 brothers and sisters slid down that beautifully carved walnut staircase - Katherine in the lead. She says a meal in this house was unheard of without guests. Mrs. Bankhead continued to live here until nine years ago [date of this writing uncertain].

A book could be written on John Chisum Gibbons - his wit, his charm and friendliness. Baseball was always played on the Gibbons property, the site where First Ward School stood. The Paris "Quick-Steps" was the team to challenge all comers.

Judge R.W. Wortham, whose particular friend was son, Ed Gibbons, said that the boys gathered every summer afternoon to play baseball. But until Mr. Gibbons got up from his nap and appeared replete with palm leaf and umbrella there was no playing. They sat around and waited - no noise to disturb his nap.

Any circus coming to town performed in the Gibbons pasture south of the present home site.

Mr. Gibbons was a life-long Republican and before his death in 1910, was received into the Catholic Church. Mrs. Gibbons survived him many years, dying in her old home, on August 28, 1928. They are both buried in Evergreen Cemetery.