Midland History: Here is What Used to be Where Bob Mills and Dollar General Are Now

For those of you new to Midland, me being a "lifer" as I am called by the transplants, I will tell you the history of the shopping center where Bob Mills, Dollar General, and Entertainment Mart are on Cuthbert.

If you can believe it, that whole building at 3111 W. Cuthbert in Midland used to be one store.

Long before Walmart and Target created "supercenters" a store called Gibson's used to be all over the West Texas area, and the entire building that now houses Bob Mills Furniture, Dollar General, and Entertainment Mart was all Gibson's.

As a kid I used to love to go to Gibson's cause while my parents shopped in the middle section of Gibson's where Dollar General and Fit Results are now, I would get lost in the toy section of Gibson's which is the whole area where Entertainment Mart is now (formerly Hastings).

Yes the toy section at Gibson's was bigger than the old Toys R Us location on Loop 250.

So Gibson's was the first "supercenter" in Midland and Odessa (the Gibson's in Odessa was in the now shopping center on the southwest corner of University and Grandview.

So Gibson's was the first place you could buy groceries, toys, records and tapes, plants and get your prescriptions filled long before Walmart Supercenters.

The nursery area of Gibson's is where the entire store of Bob Mills Furniture is now.

So yes, Gibson's was quite a large store that a kid like me could get lost in, but I never was lost because I was always in the toy section, until I became a teenager and then I would be found where the records and tapes were.

Gibson's closed down in the early 80's and shortly after that in 1984 the North Park Shopping Center was built and we got our first Walmart.

So for those who like to know what used to be where things are now, there is the glorious story of a wonderland called Gibson's on Cuthbert.