Gibson, Paris, 1830–1920, American pioneer and politician, b. Brownfield, Maine. After serving in the Maine legislature he moved to Minneapolis, where he built the first flour mill and started woolen mills. By 1879 he was in Fort Benton, Mont., where he became a sheep raiser. Realizing the industrial value of the great falls of the Missouri River, he promoted and planned the city of Great Falls, becoming its first mayor. He was a pioneer in power mining, railroading, and sheep raising in Montana. As U.S. senator (1901–5) he urged progressive Western views on conservation, reclamation, and homestead legislation.
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