Thomas Kennedy

December 4, 1811 (age 88)

At the age of three, he moved with his family to Missouri. In the spring of 1833 he left for Dubuque (at that time in unorganized territory) and worked as a miner until the fall of 1834, when he went back to Missouri, bought cattle which he drove back to Dubuque and sold, then resumed work in the mines until 1836, when he returned to Missouri and ran a store for a while (interspersed with occasional horseback trips to Street Louis) until fall of 1837, when he moved to Benton. He worked as a miner in Benton for many years. Prior to the 1847 separation of Lafayette County, Gibson was elected a county commissioner (equivalent to a county supervisor) for Iowa County, Wisconsin Territory in September 1845. In 1848, upon the territory being elevated to statehood, Gibson was elected as a Democrat to the new Senate"s 7th district (Lafayette County). He was assigned to the s on the militia, on agriculture and manufactures, and on engrossed bills. He was succeeded in 1849 by Dennis Murphy, a fellow Democrat and later to become his brother-in-law. In 1849 he opened a store in Benton, which he would operate for the next ten years. In 1857, newly elected President James Buchanan appointed him postmaster of Benton. In 1859, Gibson sold the store and moved to Hastings, Minnesota and farmed there. They stayed on the farm in Hastings until their 1865 return to Benton, where they also farmed. He died January 3, 1900 in Benton.

Thomas Kennedy

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politician

Background

Gibson was born December 4, 1811 near Nashville, Tennessee, son of James Gibson and Diannah (Beck) Sitton.

Career

At the age of three, he moved with his family to Missouri. In the spring of 1833 he left for Dubuque (at that time in unorganized territory) and worked as a miner until the fall of 1834, when he went back to Missouri, bought cattle which he drove back to Dubuque and sold, then resumed work in the mines until 1836, when he returned to Missouri and ran a store for a while (interspersed with occasional horseback trips to Street Louis) until fall of 1837, when he moved to Benton. He worked as a miner in Benton for many years.

Prior to the 1847 separation of Lafayette County, Gibson was elected a county commissioner (equivalent to a county supervisor) for Iowa County, Wisconsin Territory in September 1845.

In 1848, upon the territory being elevated to statehood, Gibson was elected as a Democrat to the new Senate"s 7th district (Lafayette County). He was assigned to the s on the militia, on agriculture and manufactures, and on engrossed bills.

He was succeeded in 1849 by Dennis Murphy, a fellow Democrat and later to become his brother-in-law. In 1849 he opened a store in Benton, which he would operate for the next ten years.

In 1857, newly elected President James Buchanan appointed him postmaster of Benton.

In 1859, Gibson sold the store and moved to Hastings, Minnesota and farmed there. They stayed on the farm in Hastings until their 1865 return to Benton, where they also farmed. He died January 3, 1900 in Benton.

Membership

He was a member of the five-man Board of Arbitrators created in 1847 to settle disputes over land claims in the New Diggings area.

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Thomas Kennedy

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