West Liberty History 1838-1938

Source: One Hundred Years of History
* Commemorating a Century of Progress in the West Liberty Community * WEST LIBERTY, IOWA
GIBSON COMMISSION Co.

The P. N. Gibson Commission Company was started in February 1904 and justly claims the first sale held in the state where the public was solicited to consign and pay a stipulated percent on sales. Joe Alvies and P. N. Gibson held the first sale on the identical lot where the business of P. N. Gibson Commission company still operates, and has been in continuous business since starting, except for a period of three years when it was operated by the Grigg Brothers.

At first the sales were held on Saturdays and Thursdays, but for the last nine years they have been held on Mondays, and during the entire nine years there has been but one cancellation. All classes and breeds of livestock are sold, and in the early life og the company the horse market was a thriving business. The first load of horses ever shipped by express from West Liberty was billed to Lee Coffman, West Liberty, Ohio. This load was billed out February 1at, 1912. In February of 1930 a sale was held called the " Blue Ribbon Sale " and it brought total receipts of $30,000 with top team of mares bringing $510; 20 head averaging $251. On January 29th, 1910 a team of horses sold for $630.00.

No other business brings the management in contact with the rest of the world as does the business of public auction sales, and this might well be illustrated by a time when P. N. Gibson asked all his friends by public oral invitation, to come to his house for ice cream and cake. There were 600 there and " Phin " had ice cream and cake for all.

Some of the consigners to the sales in its years of business are J. D. Watson, Great Falls, Montana; Henry Martins, Dorchester, Wisconsin; E. L. Siltson, Hazen, N. Dakota; Gov. James Cary of Wyoming; Chas. Cary, Cheyenne, Wyoming; John T. Williams, Douglas, Wyoming; R. H. Frank, Brentwood, Tenn.; L. J. Beckly, Galesburg, Illinois; Leo Marsh, Galesburg, Illinois; Fred Barrett of Nevada, Iowa; Fred Dunbar, Galesburg, Illinois; Ronny Vaughn, Boonville, New York; E. A. Walters, Victor, Iowa; C. F. Brandorn, Unionville, Missouri; C. Minton, Crondon, Wisconsin; Wm. Young, River Head, Long Island; Josia Hallack, East Orange, N. J.

At two different times the management has conducted a winter horse show paying $300 in prize money.

The auction markets have grown in popularity until there are now 88 in the state of Iowa, and the more markets start the bigger the business of the Gibson Company. The Gibson Company is a very beneficial business to the town of West Liberty, bringing people here on Mondays from far and wide. They handle 85,000 head of livestock a year, pay a labor and feed bill of $ 15,000 a year besides the advertising, lights, water and the one thousand items that keep money from rusting.

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