ROBERT L. GIBSON, president of the Bank of Sugden, Jefferson county, and prominent for many years in the cattle business of the Red river country of Oklahoma, is a nephew of the famous Sugg brothers, pioneer ranchmen of the territory. He was born at Cotton Plant, Monroe county, Arkansas, on the 20th of December, 1866, and is a son of Captain Gideon and Castero P. (Sugg) Gibson. Quite early in his life his parents removed to Gainesville, Texas, where, as well as at Spanish Fort, the boy received his education. As a youth of seventeen, he joined his uncle Sugg in the cattle business, at the latter point, and although his experience had previously been in the production and handling of cotton he seemed naturally adapted to his new venture. In 1883 he took a large drove of cattle to the Powder river country of Wyoming, remaining in that section as manager of his uncle's interests until the outbreak of the Rustler's war, with its disorganizing effects upon the business. At this time he closed out the business and returned to Oklahoma. Outnumbered as they were, the cattle owners threatened to be exterminated by the Rustlers, and the government responded to their appeals by sending a military force from Fort Laramie to protect their vested interests. Mr. Gibson was one of the leaders among the cattle owners, and witnessed the last battle between the warring factions, prior to the interference of the United States regulars. On his return from Wyoming, Mr. Gibson became manager of the cattle interests of Sugg Brothers in the territory, and thus remained until they retired from business. He then entered the field independently, and only abandoned the business when statehood threatened to cut off the open range and make it unprofitable. In 1901 he became identified with the financial interests of Oklahoma by founding the Bank of Sugden, of which he remains president. He also engaged in the banking business established at Waurika, now the First National Bank, and built the first brick bank structure in the town. Besides being thus established as a strong financial factor in the prosperity of Jefferson county, Mr. Gibson is one of its large landowners and pays taxes on considerable property in Sugden. Further, he is a leading Democrat of his section, being chairman of the County Central Committee, a member of the executive committee and a prime figure in the conduct of the first campaign of the party in the state.
     Captain Gideon Gibson, the father, was born in Gibson county, Tennessee, on the 26th of December, 1838, and was reared on his father's farm, which was devoted to the breeding and raising of blooded horses. He was educated, first in the public schools of Jackson, Tennessee, and prepared for medicine in the old McDowell Medical College, of St. Louis, Missouri. As a soldier of the Confederacy, he was commissioned captain of a company in the Sixteenth Tennessee Cavalry, his command being a portion of Forrest's famous division. His troops surrendered at Johnsonville, Tennessee, on May 16, 1865, and the captain immediately located at Cotton Plant, Arkansas, and became the doctor. There he met his future wife, whom he married March 11, 1866, and later removed to Kennett, Dunklin county, Missouri, where he died in 1875. Dr. Gibson was a son of Stephen Gibson, who was a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, and at the age of sixteen migrated with his father and other members of the family to west Tennessee. He was a slave owner, a successful stock raiser and business man, and died in 1885 at the age of eighty-one. His wife was known before marriage as Miranda McFarland. The great grandfather of our subject was Israel Gibson, an Englishman by birth and the other members of his family, besides Stephen, were Roger, Tobias, Green and Newberry. They were tobacco manufacturers of Camden, Tennessee, with the exception of Newberry, who became a merchant of Memphis, Tennessee, member of the firm of Titus, Gibson and Company. He was murdered in his sleep by one of his partners.
     Mrs. Dr. Gibson was a daughter of Thomas C. Sugg, who was born in Monroe county, Mississippi, in 1812, and married Mary De Priest. The mother of Mrs. Sugg was born at Russellville, Alabama, in 1780, and died at Quincy, Mississippi, in 1883. Thomas C. Sugg passed his life as a farmer, came to Arkansas before the Civil war and followed his children to Texas, where he passed his last years, dying at Gainesville, in May, 1907. The children of his family were as follows: John W., of McLean, Texas; Mary, who married Colonel Bagly and died at Cotton Plant, Arkansas, leaving three children; Andrew, who died of wounds received in the Confederate service; William, who was killed in the battle of Little Rock; Castero P., widow of Dr. Gibson and mother of our subject; Calvin E., the noted stockman of Texas and the Territory, who died at Gainesville and left three children living at Los Angeles, California; and Joel D., of San Angelo, Texas, the surviving member of the famous Sugg Brothers. Dr. and Mrs. Gibson were the parents of Robert L., of this review; Belle, wife of C. L. McCowl, of Gainesville, Texas; and Stephen A., of Fort Worth, Texas. On December 12, 1894, Robert L, Gibson married Dora Bristow, who died July 2, 1898, leaving two children—Daugherty and Wren. His second union occurred September 15, 1899 to Dena Bristow, sister of his first wife. the issue of this marriage are J. D., and Polly. It should be stated that Mr. Gibson is well known as a fraternalist, being a Master Mason and a member of the Knights of Pythias.