Joseph Stibbs
Joseph Stibbs was born in Washington County, Pa., November 2, 1779, and both on the paternal and maternal side, descends from old English stock. His father was a merchant tailor in London, and at an early period immigrated to America, and settled in Washington County, Pa., where he died about 1786.
Joseph Stibbs, the subject of this notice, left Pennsylvania about the year 1803 and went to New Lisbon, Colum- biana County, Ohio, where he went into business with William Hogg, of Browns- ville, Mr. Stibbs, however, remaining in Lisbon. He continued the partnership with this gentleman in the dry goods business until the spring of 1813, when he removed to Wayne County, settling across the race and west of what is now called Naftzger's mill, having been out in 1809 and built the grist mill and a cabin (this is the mill at which the powder explosion occurred, killing Michael Switzer, etc.).
He now took possession of the mill which he had constructed four years before, superintending it personally, and as it was the only one then in the county its patronage came from all quarters. Soon after his arrival, and in about 1816, he added a carding machine to his mill property, having made the necessary arrangements for this addition. This was the first card- ing machine constructed in the county.
James Miles was the first carder, and frequently would facetiously offer Mr. Stibbs six and a quarter cents to pick packages of wild thorns to pin up the rolls.
He next erected a woolen factory on the site of the one which was burned, and which was subsequently rebuilt by his son, Thomas Stibbs.
After the building of the woolen factory he built an oil mill for the manufacture of linseed oil. A grist mill was also run in connection with the oil mill, and he had an interest in the old Plank grist mill.
He was married September 21, 1809, to Elizabeth, daughter of Reasin and Rebecca Beall. He died, August 19, 1841, after a brief illness. At the time of his death he owned 1,200 acres of land on Apple Creek, the principal part of which was in Wooster township. Mr. Stibbs was an active, enterprising and useful citizen, and his various public improvements were of incalculable value to the early settlers. He lived a consistent Christian life, and died in the faith of the Presbyterian church, of which he had long been a member.
His sons, Reasin, Joseph, and Thomas, are dead. Reasin B. Stibbs was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, September 12, 1812, and was married to Miss Sprague, sister of Lindoll Sprague, of Wooster. He led an active business life, engaged in numerous public enterprises, and had various banking connections. He was a moral, earnest working man of most agreeable and fascinating manner, a member of the Presbyterian church, whose life was exemplary, and whose death was the occasion of a general sorrow.
From History of Wayne County, Ohio, From the Days of the Pioneers and First Settlers to the Present Time, by Robert Douglass, 1878