John L. Gibbs

John L. Gibbs
14th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
In office January 5, 1897 – January 3, 1899
Governor	David Marston Clough
Preceded by	Frank A. Day
Succeeded by	Lyndon A. Smith
13th Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
In office 1877–1877
Preceded by	William R. Kinyon
Succeeded by	Charles A. Gilman
16th Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
In office 1885–1885
Preceded by	Loren Fletcher
Succeeded by	William Rush Merriam
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
In office 1864-1866 1876-1878 1885-1887 1895-1897
Personal details
Born	May 3, 1838 Bradford County, Pennsylvania
Died	November 28, 1928 (aged 90) Owatonna, Minnesota
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Martha Partridge Robson
Profession	farmer, lawyer, county attorney, legislator, railroad commissioner

John La Porte Gibbs (May 3, 1838 – November 28, 1908) was a Minnesota legislator, two-time Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives and the 14th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota.

Life and career

Gibbs was born in Bradford County, Pennsylvania in 1838 to Eli and Caroline Gibbs (née Atwood), both of whom were descendants of early settlers of Massachusetts and Connecticut (respectively). He was raised on his parents farm and attended schools in Le Raysville, Pennsylvania and at the Susquehanna Collegiate Institute in Towanda, Pennsylvania before attending the University of Michigan Law School, graduating in 1861.^[1]

Gibbs moved west, traveling through Illinois and Iowa before settling in Albert Lea, Minnesota and working as a teacher. In 1862 he was elected attorney for Freeborn County, Minnesota. In 1863 he was elected to his first of five terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives as a Republican, serving from 1864-1866, 1876-1878, 1885-1887 and 1895-1897. He also twice served as speaker in 1877 and 1885. After his time in the state legislature Gibbs also served as Lieutenant Governor under Governor David Marston Clough from January 5, 1897 to January 3, 1899.^[1][2]

While he had studied law, Gibbs earned his living as a farmer and owned property outside Geneva, Minnesota. He occasionally lectured on agricultural topics and was particularly well known as a dairy farmer, even winning election as president of the Minnesota Dairymen's Association in 1893.^[1][3]

Gibbs died on November 28, 1908 in Owatonna, Minnesota.^[2]

References

1. Shutter, Marion Daniel (1897). Progressive Men of Minnesota. Minneapolis: Minneapolis Journal. pp. 340–341.
2. "Gibbs, John La Porte — Legislator Record". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.
3. Proceedings of the 31st Annual Meeting of the Minnesota State Dairyman's Association. Journal Publishing Company. 1909. p. 145.