Gibbonsville is an unincorporated community of around 130 residents living just below the Continental Divide in Eastern Idaho. The town is about 25 miles north of Salmon, so Gibtown people typically shop in Salmon and the kids attend school there, as well.

Settlers, including miners, arrived around 1872 when the town was referred to as Dahlongi. After gold was discovered near Anderson and Dahlonega Creeks, the place was forever after known as Gibbonsville in honor of Colonel John Gibbon.

As ore was discovered, townspeople built several mines, the largest of which was the A.D.& M. Mine. It wasn’t long until several cabins dotted the hillsides and merchants arrived to provide services for some 600 workers employed in the mines. According to early records, at its peak, Gibbonsville boasted more than 100 buildings, which included two sawmills, a newspaper, and eight saloons.

Birdie Hicks lived in Gibbonsville and attended school there beginning in 1952. In the attached video, Birdie recalls some of her memories of being a kid growing up in Gibtown.