Barnett Gibbs

American politician (1851–1904)

Barnett Gibbs
Gibbs

Member of the Texas Senate from the 16th district
In office January 9, 1883 – January 13, 1885
Preceded by	James Green McDonald Sr.
Succeeded by	Jonathan Olinthus Terrell
15th Lieutenant Governor of Texas
In office January 20, 1885 – January 19, 1887
Governor	John Ireland
Preceded by	Francis Marion Martin
Succeeded by	Thomas Benton Wheeler

Personal details
Born	(1851-05-19)May 19, 1851 Yazoo City, Mississippi,^[1] U.S.
Died	October 4, 1904(1904-10-04) (aged 53) Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic^[2]

Barnett Gibbs (May 19, 1851 – October 4, 1904) was an American politician. He served as lieutenant governor of Texas from 1885 to 1887.^[3]^[4]

Biography

Gibbs was a lawyer and populist spokesman from Mississippi. He moved to Dallas, Texas, and served as the city attorney before becoming a Texas Senator in 1882. In 1884, he was elected as the lieutenant governor of Texas and briefly served as acting governor in 1885.

Gibbs supported farmers' interests and challenged a railroad attorney for a congressional seat in 1886 but withdrew his candidacy. He practiced law, engaged in real estate speculation, and promoted a deepwater harbor for Texas City. In 1891, he began organizing Democratic clubs to discuss farm problems, which led to his conversion to Populism in 1896.

He played a role in the People's party national convention in 1896, opposing the nomination of William Jennings Bryan for the Populist ticket. Gibbs ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Congress in 1896 and for the Texas governorship in 1898, focusing on the idea of a state-owned "relief railroad".

After the decline of the People's party, he returned to the Democratic party in 1899 and supported William Jennings Bryan in the 1900 presidential election. Gibbs retired from politics, focusing on real estate and mining, and passed away in Dallas in 1904.^[5] He was a member of various organizations, including the Knights of Pythias, Odd Fellows, and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.^[6]

References

^ "Gibbs, Barnett" (PDF). The Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
^ "Barnett Gibbs". Legislative Reference Library of Texas. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
^ "Lieutenant Governors of Texas". Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
^ "List of lieutenant governors of Texas" (PDF).
^ "Obituary for HON. BARNETT GIBBS". The Yazoo Herald. 1904-10-07. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
^ "Texas Politics - Lieutenant Governors: Barnett Gibbs". texaspolitics.utexas.edu. Retrieved 2023-11-07.

External links

Texas Senate
Preceded by James Green McDonald Sr.	Member of the Texas Senate from the 16th district 1883–1885	Succeeded by Jonathan Olinthus Terrell
Political offices
Preceded by Francis Marion Martin	Lieutenant Governor of Texas 1885–1887	Succeeded by Thomas Benton Wheeler