John Gibson (h) He arrived in Buenos Aires in 1819, almost with the birth of the country, representing Gibson & Co. of Glasgow (Scotland), which at that time were well-known textile manufacturers and exporters, with offices in Brussels (Belgium) and in Singapore (the maritime heart of Southeast Asia).
Estancia “Carmen”, also known as The plantation “Rincón de Ajó” was acquired by Gibson and Sons & Co in 1825, but named after the English plantation, it ended up being called “Los Yngleses”.. Being outside the limits of protection against the Indians, it was the scene of two raids by criminals. It is noteworthy that all the buildings in the center of the farm were built or rather located in a circle to protect all the flanks, and behind them were the Tuyú valleys that prevented them from attacking from that side. Regarding the construction of the structure, it was only in 1882 that the walls were made of brick and clay and tiles imported from France were laid on the thatched roof. The architecture reflects what is seen in many towns and cities in Scotland.
the Estancia Los Ingles It was also the scene of the “Southern Heat” revolt, where the defeated forces arrived, remained for four days, ate 40 head of cows a day, and then dispersed across Ajo, or set off for Montevideo. Behind them came Don Prudencio Rosas and 3,600 men, who ate the meat and hides of 60 bulls daily for three days.
The Gibson family, pioneers of sheep farming, had their first flock of 570 Creole sheep in 1828, to which were added Romney Marsh, Lincoln, Cotswold and Leicester rams. From 1865 onwards, the Lincoln breed was selected. Breeding periods were marked by different periods, and by 1883 the number of sheep reached 100,000 heads, producing 220,000 kilograms of wool annually. They built one of the first sheep baths, treated mange with tobacco product harvested on the same farm and imported the first wool presses into the country to pack it, arranging the sheaves and hides in their own shed. They are certified worldwide, exporting directly from the port of Ajo to the ports of Liverpool and Antwerp..
In 1843, the first grazing factory was opened, where old sheep were converted into boxes imported from England, in order to export the “tallow” that was used in machines and to produce candles for lighting, coinciding year and month with the factory that was installed in Australia. The industry is planned to be one of the main industries of the enterprise. This operation was carried out by taking the sheep to the edge of the Ria Ajo, where an export ship bound for England was awaiting the outcome of the mission. The meeting of workers and sailors led to the establishment of a grocery store and the town houses that today bear General Laval’s name were built around it..
Estancia Los Yngleses lies in the sublime lands of the immensity of the Pampas: almost abstract, with the horizon line dividing sky and earth, a panorama that was boring to nineteenth-century travellers, confusing to its painters, and which the English watercolor tradition knew how to capture on paper. So he did Thomas Gibson (1816-1903) wrote landscape works of his fields. With all the freedom that comes with painting alone, he painted large oil paintings showing wagons carrying wool to the port of Ajo and perhaps others to Buenos Aires. But there is a small watercolor that shows in a few strokes the eventful journey of the stagecoach going to Dolores, which crosses a deep ravine that almost covers it. On the back Gibson describes the complex maneuver to overcome the obstacle and is worth writing the relevant paragraph verbatim: 16 horses, 8 seats for 12 passengers; The first 6 sites have a pair of draws, and the “sheriff” handles the 4 horses onto the post from the dock, and accompanies the site (near right) to return the horses to the post (adding 17 horses). About 140 horsepower in total were used for the 15 tournaments. It took a day and a half (Landscape, 29 August 1878).
the Ambrot models, taken by George Corbett (1838-1915) in Los Yingles around 1860, are the first photographs of a Creole barbecue, of a companion by the fire, of the first wagon and the first clipper in Argentina. They were prepared as family records but also as business documents for the overseas Gibson company. George Corbett, son-in-law of Thomas Gibson, surprises us, among others, with two panoramas of thatched rural buildings of Los Yingles (5.5 x 16.8 cm each): both are the first photographic panoramas ever executed in the country. But above all, with the Ambrot type of country barbecue, where 15 men are gathered in the middle of winter by the fire, surrounded by half the wine and with the inevitable Creole companion, passing from hand to hand (8.3 x 10.7 cm). For its power and acting, it is the best picture of this incredible saga.
Don Ernesto Gibson (1855-1919), Tomas’ eldest son, emerged as a detailed student of Toyo’s rich bird fauna. He toured the valleys and swamps, and collected copious notes in his diary of the bird life that inhabited the area, which was published in the London scientific journal The Ibis. Guillermo Enrique Hudson, in his travels across the pampas, visited “Los Yngleses,” where he spent long days conversing with Don Ernesto.. The relationship between the naturalists later continued by letters and Hudson himself sent his friend’s notes to scientists at the British Museum.
Countless experiences of my ancestors, which were part of what distinguished Estancia Los YnglesesWhich, like its history and archive, is destined to illuminate our past, serve our present, and build our future.