Joel Dibble

JOEL DIBBLE

Joel Dibble, son of Clark and Hulda (Baily) Dibble, was born in the village of Fenton April 7, 1837. Elisa Baily, the maternal grandfather, was a native of the State of New York, who came to Michigan in an early day and homesteaded one hundred acres of land in Genesee County, two miles west of Fenton, which he later sold and moved on to Calhoun County, Michigan.

Clark Dibble, a soldier in the War of 1812, was a native of New York, where he grew up and married, then came to Michigan in 1832. He settled at Whigville, and later coming to Genesee County, where he homesteaded forth acres adjoining what is now the village of Fenton. He established a sawmill there long before there was any town. The village was first called Dibbleville in his honor. The first night there he slept by a log on the bank of the river, which runs through the town. He traded with what was known as “Fisher’s tribe” of Indians. He had a barroom where the Indians could drink and sleep.

He finally sold his sawmill and forty acres to a Mr. LeRoy and a Mr. Fenton, whereupon the name of the town was changed to Fenton. Mr. Dibble then bought an inn on White Lake, in Tyron Township, Livingston County. Before going to Tyron he established a hotel at Fenton, where the A. J. Phillips shops now stand. His family consisted of five children, namely: Thomas J., now deceased, who owned the Dibble House in Flint; Joel., the subject of this sketch, and Catherine, Velda, and Clark, deceased. The last-named met death while clearing his farm in Tyron Township, Livingston County, when a tree fell on him.

Joel Dibble, who was the second white child born in Genesee County, grew up amid pioneer conditions, the country for many miles round about being then a veritable wilderness. He was five years old when his father died. He had little chance to obtain an education. He worked hard when young, clearing and developing land and he has devoted his active life to general farming and raising stock He lives on the property of his deceased brother, Clark, on which place also still resides the latter’s widow, Mrs. Hannah Dibble, although he owns a residence and a lot and a half in the eastern part of the village.

After devoting most of his active life to farming, Clark Dibble moved to Fenton and engaged in the grocery and meat business six years. He owned ten acres of land there. In 1862 he enlisted in Company G, Eighth Regiment, Michigan Volunteer Infantry, in which he served faithfully for three years, engaging in many battles, in one of which he was shot in the shoulder. He was born on November 12, 1835, and died on April 25, 1912. He married Hannah M. Gibson, who was born on September 18, 1840, and to their union two children were born, Martha, who married Mark Peck, who is now engaged in the moving-picture business in Fenton and has three children: Olive, J. C., and Rowena, Olive married Roy Parker, who now runs a general delivery wagon in Fenton, and has one child, Madeline.

In August 1860, Joel Dibble married Sarah R. Gibson, who was born in Farmington, Michigan, in 1837, and died in November 1911. She was the daughter of Joseph and Martha (Wright) Gibson, both natives of Canada, in which country they spent their earlier years, coming to Michigan sixty years ago, and locating with the early settlers in Tyron Township, Livingston County. They later moved to Ingram County, locating on a farm where he and his wife spent their last days, his death occurring in February, 1883. His widow died in 1908. To Mr. And Mrs. Gibson nine children were born: Sarah, who married Joel Dibble; Amarilla, deceased; Charlotte; Hannah M. married Clark Dibble; Lottie, Antoinette, Flora, Melvin (deceased) and Dora.

To Joel Dibble and wife three children were born: Fred A., of Flint, who married Ada Burch and has one child, Floyd; Nettie J., who married Walter Joslyn, of Holly, Michigan, and has two children, Bernetta and Henrietta Josephine, and Daisy M., who married Fred Miles, and died twenty eight years ago.

Joel Dibble enlisted in the Union army in February, 1865, and was on detached service under Colonel Keogon. He spent eight months in a military hospital with rheumatism and was remembered by the government with a pension. He was made a Mason in Fenton in 1859, and holds a forty-year certificate, which entitles him to life membership in that order without dues. Mr. Dibble is a Democrat and has served as street commissioner, as constable, and for three years as marshal. He has played well his part in the general development of this locality.

[Back to Top]

This article was transcribed by Mrs. Mary E. Byam from a work by Edwin O. Wood, LL.D., President Michigan Historical Commission, History of Genesee County Michigan Volume II, Her People, Industries and Institutions (Federal Publishing Company: Indianapolis, Indiana, 1916), Pages 680ff

Michigan Counties
Alcona	Alger
Allegan	Alpena
Antrim	Arenac
Baraga	Barry
Bay	Benzie
Berrien	Branch
Calhoun	Cass
Charlevoix	Cheboygan
Chippewa	Clare
Clinton	Crawford
Delta	Dickinson
Eaton	Emmet
Genesee	Gladwin
Gogebic	Grand Traverse
Gratiot	Hillsdale
Houghton	Huron
Ingham	Ionia
Iosco	Iron

Isabella	Jackson
Kalamazoo	Kalkaska
Kent	Keweenaw
Lake	Lapeer
Leelanau	Lenawee
Livingston	Luce
Mackinac	Macomb
Manistee	Marquette
Mason	Mecosta
Menominee	Midland
Missaukee	Monroe
Montcalm	Montmorency
Muskegon	Newaygo
Oakland	Oceana
Ogemaw	Ontonagon
Osceola	Oscoda
Otsego	Ottawa
Presque Isle	Roscommon
Saginaw	St Clair
St Joseph	Sanilac
Schoolcraft	Shiawassee
Tuscola	Van Buren
Washtenaw	Wayne
Wexford