Andrew Smith Gibbons

Gibbons, Andrew S. – (12th Ten) Born March 12, 1825, in Union, Licking Co., Ohio, to William Davidson and Polly Hoover Gibbons. Orphaned at an early age, he was reared by a relative of Joseph Smith. He accepted the gospel and eventually moved to Nauvoo, where he married Rispah Knight. As a member of the original pioneer company, he was chosen assistant cook. While crossing the Platte River, he jumped into the river to help steady a wagon that rolled over in midstream. He swam safelyto the other side. A few days after the upper crossing of the Platte, he went out hunting and was missing for two days. He had killed a buffalo but missed the wagon train, so gave the meat to a Missouri company and stayed with them until he caught up. After reaching Salt Lake Valley, he returned east with Brigham Young. He crossed the plains westward again in 1852 and settled in Davis CO., Utah, where he farmed and planted orchards. He was called in 1854 to settle in Iron Co. In 1858, he joined an expedition to the Indians under Jacob Hamblin. In 1864, he was called to settle St. Thomas, then part of Arizona, an area now covered by Lake Mead, Nev. He was a representative of Piute Co. in the Arizona Legislature. He helped settle St. Johns, Ariz., in 1880 and planted the first orchards there. He was a high councilor in the Eastern Arizona Stake at the time of his death in St. Johns on Feb. 9, 1886, at age 60.

SOURCE: http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/58061/Biographies-of-the-orig...

Andrew Smith Gibbons, son of William Davidson Gibbons and Polly Hoover, was born March 12, 1825 in Union township, Licking county, Ohio. When a small boy his father and mother died leaving Andrew and his twin brother Richard. Andrew was taken into the family of Joshua Smith, a relative of Joseph Smith, where he remained until he was old enough to earn his own living. He accepted the principles of the Latter-day Saint Church, later went to Nauvoo, Illinois where he married Rispah Knight. He was one of the men chosen for the purpose of establishing a new home in the regions of the Rocky Mountains. Andrew returned to Winter Quarters with Brigham Young, and in 1852 came again to Utah with his family locating in Davis county. He there engaged in ranching, planting orchards and doing missionary work. In 1854 he was called to strengthen the new settlements in Iron county.

Mr. Gibbons was one of a group on a dangerous expedition to the Indians of northeastern Arizona as early as 1858, headed by Jacob Hamblin, in the capacity of Indian missionary. In the fall of 1864 he was called to settle St. Thomas, then a part of Arizona, later acquired by Nevada and which is now covered by the waters of Lake Mead. On the first of November, 1868, starting from Cullville, on the Colorado River 20 miles south of St. Thomas, Andrew floated down the Colorado River in a fourteen foot boat in company with O. B. Gass to Yuma and then to Tucson, Arizona to attend the fifth session of the Arizona legislature, they being the representatives from that section of Piute county which later became a part of Nevada.

Andrew and Rispah Knight Gibbons became the parents of fifteen children, eight of whom died in childhood and infancy from the then most dreaded of diseases, diphtheria and scarlet fever.

In 1880 he was called to help settle St. Johns, Apache county, Arizona. He and his family left their home in Glendale, Utah on January 20th and arrived in St. Johns the middle of March, 1880. The first orchard in that community was planted by him. At the time of his death, February 9, 1886 he was a member of the High Council of Eastern Arizona Stake of Zion. Bio courtesy of Miriam Rothlisberger