“We had a great reunion of Nicholas Gibbs descendants on June 13, 2026. Good food, good program and good fellowship!”

Joe Longmire was re-elected president of the Nicholas Gibbs Historical Society that supports the Nicholas Gibbs homestead and grounds. It sponsors the annual homecoming.

“We had about 75 this year,” Longmire said. “More from out of state than from around here.” (See 2022 story here)

One family came from Seattle, Washington, while others came from North Carolina and Florida. The format is consistent: Home opened for viewing, 8 a.m.; meeting starts, 11 a.m.; covered dish lunch, about noon; followed by photos including family groups holding the name of the Gibbs family member from which each is descended.

“The Emory Road DAR has helped us a lot,” Longmire said. “They’ve applied for and received an America 250 marker. It will be unveiled at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 7, 2026.”

Wonderfully maintained, the cabin is 233 years old, (built in 1793) one of the oldest structures in the state that still stands on its original site. Nicholas Gibbs received a land grant for his service in the Revolutionary War.

First Families of Tennessee

Saturday’s speaker was Ann Bloomquist, First Families of Tennessee administrator and Tennessee Ancestors editor, from the East Tennessee Historical Society. Longmire said everyone there was interested because, by definition, they are eligible for membership as descendants of Nicholas Gibbs.

First Families of Tennessee (FFT) was established by the East Tennessee Historical Society in 1993 as a Tennessee Bicentennial project. Membership is open to anyone who can prove direct descent from a person or persons living in any part of what is now Tennessee before or by statehood in 1796.

With more than 15,000 members, representing every state and eight foreign countries, the FFT applications and proof of descent comprise the largest collection of information on the state’s early settlers and their families.

The FFT Collection is housed in the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection, where it provides a wealth of research materials for present and future historians and genealogists. Search this database to see if your family has been documented in the FFT Collection.

Nicholas and Mary Gibbs raised 10 kids in this home on E. Emory Road in the community now named Gibbs.

Context for the nation’s Semiquincentennial

The world did not begin in 1776. In fact, European settlement of the Americans began about 500 years ago, putting as much history on the backside of 1776 as on this side. This neat link has a timeline of settlements including the sponsoring European country. (I expected to find more British involvement.)

Another good source is Piedmont Trails by a woman with no last name (sigh). Link here for 1756-80 early TN settlements and surnames by Carol.

And finally, the Samuel Frazier Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the American Battlefield Trust are featuring the American Revolution Experience at the East Tennessee History Center from June 30 – July 7, 2026. (The History Center is closed July 3-4).

The innovative pop-up exhibition includes display panels and interactive digital kiosks that use storytelling, illustration, technology and unique artifacts and primary accounts to connect modern audiences with the people and places that shaped the birth of our nation.

Notes & Quotes

John Rose, 61, likely won’t beat Marsha Blackburn, 74, on August 6, but he sure got a zinger ad up this week: 34 years. That’s how long Marsha Blackburn’s been in politics. She ran for Congress. State Senate. Congress eight more times and U.S. Senate twice. I voted for her. Now she wants Governor. We all owe Marsha our thanks, but we don’t owe her the Governor’s office. I’m John Rose. Like Trump I’m a CEO. To run our state, we need someone who has run a business, not just someone who runs for office.

Halls Museum Open House, 5-7 p.m. Thursday, July 2, Birch Tree Plaza, 7119 Afton Drive. An opportunity to meet “Thomas and Nancy Hall,” founders of the community in 1796. Refreshments will be served.

Red, White & Blue Bash: Clear Springs Baptist Church, 7350 Tazewell Pike, Gibbs, Friday, July 3. This free community event will feature food trucks, inflatables, games, contests, fellowship and a spectacular fireworks show to end the night. Bring your friends and your lawn chairs.

Quote: Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. – Barbara Tuchman, historian

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