Paris Gibson (July 1, 1830December 16, 1920) was an American entrepreneur and politician. Gibson was born in

Brownfield, Maine Brownfield is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,631 at the 2020 census. Brownfield is home to the Stone Mountain Arts Center. History The area was once territory of the Pequawket Abenaki Indians, whose m ...

. An 1851 graduate of

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint eng ...

, he served as a member of the Montana State Senate and as a

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

member of the United States Senate between 1901 and 1905.

Career

In 1853 he was elected to the Maine legislature.
Guide to the Paris Gibson Collection at the University of Montana After moving to Minnesota, where he built the North Star Woolen Mill at St. Anthony's Falls, he served on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents from 1871 through 1879, and was a founding Trustee for Lakewood Cemetery. He abandoned his failed business interests in Minnesota to try his luck out West and, in 1880, paid a visit to the

Great Falls of the Missouri River The Great Falls of the Missouri River are a series of waterfalls on the upper Missouri River in north-central Montana in the United States. From upstream to downstream, the five falls along a segment of the riverCutright, Paul Russell, and Paul J ...

and quickly recognized their potential for producing hydroelectric power. Gibson convinced his friend, railroad magnate James J. Hill, to invest in a townsite at the falls and urged that Hill extend his railroad through the new city. In 1883 the city of

Great Falls, Montana Great Falls is the third most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Cascade County. The population was 60,442 according to the 2020 census. The city covers an area of and is the principal city of the Great Falls, M ...

, was founded. By 1887 Hill rail lines linked Great Falls to

Butte, Montana Butte ( ) is a consolidated city-county and the county seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. The city covers , and, according to the ...

, and

Helena, Montana Helena (; ) is the capital city of Montana, United States, and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold rush, and established on October 30, 1864. Due to the gold rush, Helena would ...

. However, the main line of Hill's Great Northern Railway bypassed Great Falls to the north. Despite this setback, Great Falls became a major center of trade for area farmers and ranchers, and its dams on the Missouri River contributed power for ore processing and grain milling industries. When William A. Clark resigned from the United States Senate, Gibson, a Democrat, was elected to fill the seat, and he served from March 7, 1901, until March 3, 1905. He did not seek re-election. He died in Great Falls and is buried there in Highland Cemetery.

Personal life

Paris was married to Valeria Goodenow Sweat. They had four children; two died at an early age at 1 and 2-years-old. They had two sons who lived to adulthood, Philip and Theodore. In 1912, Philip was sent to Warm Springs, a state mental hospital in

Warm Springs, Montana Warm Springs is an unincorporated community in Deer Lodge County, Montana, United States. The town can be accessed via exit 201 on Interstate 90. The post office opened in 1871. Description The community is the site of Montana State Hospital, ...

, for "exhaustion of paresis", sometimes known as "general paralysis of the insane," where he died. Some time later, Theodore suffered a similar health problem and was also sent to Warm Springs where he died.

Gibson House haunting

The Theo Gibson home in Great Falls was acquired in 2010 by Kelly Parks. She asserts the house, which was built in 1890, is haunted by Valeria Gibson's ghost.

References

1830 births 1920 deaths People from Brownfield, Maine Democratic Party United States senators from Montana Politicians from Great Falls, Montana Bowdoin College alumni {{Montana-politician-stub