Andrew Smith Gibbons was born 12 March 1825 in Union Station, Licking County, Ohio, United States to William Davidson Gibbons (1783-1854) and Mary Hoover (1794-1825) and died 9 February 1886 St. Johns, Apache County, Arizona, United States of unspecified causes. He married Rizpah Jane Knight (1829-1895) 5 January 1846 in Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, United States. He married Phoebe Maria Dart (1832-1894) 2 October 1859 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah.
When Andrew Smith Gibbons was born in Ohio his mother died in child birth when he and his twin brother brother were born. Andrew was raised by a family named Smith as his father was unable to care for the twin newborns. He was baptized a Latter-day Saint on his 15th birthday. In Nauvoo, Illinois, Andrew married Rizpah Knight. Shortly thereafter, they left Nauvoo with the Saints. Andrew went to Utah with Brigham Young's company, then returned to Iowa to retrieve his family.
Andrew and Rizpah had 15 children, but only seven lived to adulthood. Andrew helped settle Nauvoo, Kanesville, Council Bluffs, Salt Lake City, Bountiful, Lehi, Cedar City, Santa Clara, Las Vegas, St. George, St. Thomas on the Muddy, Callville, Glendale, Moencopi, and St. Johns. Andrew's civic service included representative in AZ Territorial Legislature and Sheriff of Washington County, UT. This adventurous man was called on many missions, which often placed him in very dangerous and difficult situations. He became conversant in several native languages, and established much peace with the natives, especially the Hopi. Andrew and Rizpah escorted Chief Tuba, a Hopi, and Tuba's wife to receive temple endowments in St. George.
As he settled areas, though he didn't stay long, he planted many trees. He spoke several Native American dialects, and was always going on adventures, and traveling uncharted wilderness. He served his neighbors. He planted and harvested crops. He served neighbors, and always helped establish order, life, and peace in the communities he lived in. In 1880, Andrew and Rizpah responded to a call to settle in the middle of nowhere: St. Johns, Apache county, Arizona. After nearly 61 years, Andrew left this life, and moved on to the next adventure. He and Rizpah are buried side-by-side in St. Johns, AZ.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Rosella Josephine Gibbons (1861-1907) | |||
Siblings
Residences
See Also
- Andrew Gibbons
- Gibbons in Licking County, Ohio
- Gibbons in Hancock County, Illinois
- Gibbons in Apache County, Arizona
- 1978: Saint and Savage. By Helen Bay Gibbons (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1965) Saint and Savage is the story of Andrew Smith Gibbons, who helped to establish communities all the way from Illinois to Arizona--towns like Nauvoo, Kanesville, Council Bluffs, Salt Lake City, Bountiful, Lehi, Cedar City, Santa Clara, Las Vegas, St. George, St. Thomas on the Muddy, Callville, Glendale, Moencopi, and St. Johns. In them he left a posterity of doctors, lawyers, dentists, teachers, farmers, judges, legislators and churchmen. But Andrew Gibbons did more than help establish communities, he planted faith and trust in the hearts of the Indians, so that those who followed lived in peace and friendship with the red man. This is the story of a dedicated man and his many missions which he so faithfully fulfilled for his church.--Utah Historical Quarterly, v.34, summer 1966.