"Studious let me sit, and hold high converse with the mighty dead." - James Thomson
Chauncey Walstein Gibson
September 6, 1838 — June 27, 1930
Entrepreneur | Philanthropist
Beginnings & Banking
Chauncey Walstein Gibson was born in 1838 in Gibsonville—later renamed Whigville—in Genesee County, Michigan. He was the fourth of eleven children. His father, C.D.W. Gibson, a pioneer settler, operated a general merchandise store and hotel in the town.
At the age of 21, Chauncey began his own business by opening a store in Saginaw, Michigan. After several successful years, he turned the profitable enterprise over to relatives and, at 26, entered the banking industry as president of First National Bank of Bay City in Bay City, Michigan in 1864.
In 1868, he co-founded the State Exchange Bank of Holley, New York, and spent three years in the brokerage business in Rochester, New York, before relocating to Los Angeles.
Soap, Grocery & Crockery
After moving out west, Chauncey briefly entered the confectionery business before founding the Los Angeles Soap Company in 1874. He built an extensive soap factory and successfully managed the business until selling it to J.A. Forthmann in 1878.
That same year, he established one of the earliest grocery store chains in the country called the American Cash Store, which aimed to offer "first-class articles of groceries for the least possible profit, and to sell strictly for cash." The chain included locations in San Francisco (two), Los Angeles, Oakland, Stockton, and Sacramento. It was later sold to Z.L. Parmelee, which would later become Parmelee & Dohrmann Co., and credited Chauncey as "the first to begin the establishment."
Additional endeavors:
- Grand President of the United Order of Honor
- Publisher of The Economist
- President of the Los Angeles Board of Trade
He was one of the lead organizers and the first president of the Board of Trade in Los Angeles, California.
"I guess the secretary, Davis, and I had a little to do with getting people to come to Los Angeles...We used to go out in the country, find an extraordinarily large pumpkin or an extra fat cow and then write stories about them for the London and New York newspapers and I suppose we made them pretty strong." —C.W. Gibson
Carbonic Acid Gas
Chauncey founded several carbon dioxide (CO₂) manufacturing companies across the United States, including the first CO₂ plant in the western U.S., with the original company based in San Francisco. It was this enterprise—along with successful real estate investments—that built his fortune. The companies’ products provided carbonation for soda fountains and bottling companies, as well as refrigeration for long-distance food transport, including the later use of dry ice.
American Mercantile Union - 1887-1893 (105 Fremont St. San Francisco, CA) Became American Carbonic Acid Gas Co in 1893.
American Carbonic Acid Gas Co. - 1893-1904
(19 Stevenson St. San Francisco, CA) Originally located in San Francisco, relocated to Berkeley, CA - plant opened in March 1900. Renamed in 1904.
Michigan Aeriform Carbon Co. - 1890-1893 (Detroit, MI) Renamed in 1893
Chicago Aeriform Carbon Co. - 1891-1903 (40 W. Polk St. Chicago, IL) Renamed in 1903. (Charles G. Gibson Manager - 799-815 South Canal St. Chicago, IL)
Detroit Carbonic Acid Gas Co. - 1893-? (Detroit, MI)
Formerly known as Michigan Aeriform Carbon Company
The Chicago C. O2. Union - 1895?-1903 (Chicago Heights, IL)
St. Louis Carbonic Acid Gas Co. 1895-1903 (808-822 Walnut St. Louis, IL) Renamed in 1903.
Nebraska Carbonic Acid Gas Co. - 1893-1903 (Omaha, NE) Renamed in 1903.
The Carbonic Dioxide Corp. - 1903/04-1911
Berkeley, CA (1904), Chicago, IL (1903), Omaha, NE (1903), St. Louis, IL (1903). Formerly known as the various preceding companies throughout the U.S.
The Pure Carbonic Co. Inc. - 1911-1965 (60% purchased by Air Reduction Co. Inc. in 1929)
Formerly known as The Carbonic Dioxide Corp. Purchased the rights to “Dry Ice” brand in 1934. Located at 3rd & Virginia St. Berkeley, CA.
Airco 1965-1978 (Subsidiary of Air Reduction Corp.)
Formerly known as The Pure Carbonic Co. Inc. The Berkeley plant was sold to Barker Manufacturing in 1978. Airco opened a new plant in Richmond, CA in 1979 (731 West Cutting Blvd).
Airco was acquired in 1978 by BOC group.
In 2006 BOC merged with Linde AG to become The Linde Group.
Altruist Community
During the Panic of 1893, Chauncey founded the Gibsonville Altruist Community in Grand Blanc, Michigan. This cooperative aimed to help the poor, educate their children, afford women equal rights within the community, and manufacture baskets, brooms, while operating a farm and creamery. Many of Gibson’s siblings were involved in the management and operation of the community.
Houdd DeWitt Gibson (seen standing at the far right) was a successful California businessman and an avid reader. He was the only surviving son of Chauncey and Lovina, passing away in 1919, unmarried and without children. His parents inherited his estate, donating his vast collection of books to the Oakland library system in his honor.
“Camp Houdd Gibson” was the name given to the Castle Hot Springs resort upon its donation.
Philanthropy
Chauncey’s philanthropic endeavors were numerous. He donated his personal home in East Oakland, California, to the Children's Home Society. He gifted a swimming pool to Del Valle Farm, a library to Mills College, books and buildings to the Oakland Library system, and founded the Homes and Children's Alliance.
Through this organization, he established an Emergency Children's Home in partnership with The Salvation Army; The Lovina Gibson Home for low-income girls; a home for children of American Legionnaires; a home for elderly women; the first female health clinic in Alameda County (a precursor to Planned Parenthood); and a social club for retired businessmen. He also donated his Castle Hot Springs resort to The Salvation Army and contributed the C.W. Gibson Library in Middletown, California, which is now known as the Gibson Museum & Cultural Center.
Oakland Libraries:
The H.D.W. Gibson Library Collection - Books & funds donated in 1920 (Melrose Branch Library)
Rockridge Branch Library - Funds donated in 1925/26
Gibson Branch Library - Building donated in 1929
The Montclair Branch Library - Building donated in 1930
"...With the exception of Andrew Carnegie who in 1904 built Oakland's main library and later gave four branches to the City of Oakland, you (C.W. Gibson) are the only man who has ever donated a public building to the City of Oakland." —Charles W. Fisher, 1930
Archives
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![C.W. Gibson interview with Leo Raridan, 1926 [1 of 3]
Code of beliefs...Characterization of the Fath](http://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/62f08052-4600-488b-b85f-5b2f7dd89b0c/Legion%20Get%20Gibson%20Land%20(Leo%20Raridan%20Part%201)%20SM.png/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25/rs=w:370,cg:true)
![C.W. Gibson interview with Leo Raridan, 1926 [2 of 3]
"My father was as good and generous a man as e](http://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/62f08052-4600-488b-b85f-5b2f7dd89b0c/Cash%20Sales%20Fortune%20Base%20(Leo%20Raridan%20Part%202)%20S.png/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25/rs=w:370,cg:true)
![C.W. Gibson interview with Leo Radian, 1926 [3 of 3]
There is nothing sentimental about his views of](http://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/62f08052-4600-488b-b85f-5b2f7dd89b0c/Gibson%20Defends%20Jazz%20Age%20Morals%20of%20Boys%20(Leo%20Ra.png/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25/rs=w:370,cg:true)
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