Tibbets
Samuel Holmes Tibbets was born in Halifax, Vermont 6 December 1806. In 1840, young Tibbets came to Sugar Creek Township, Walworth County, Wisconsin and staked a claim on some land. He returned to Canada to bring his wife and infant daughter, Clarissa. In Canada, the pioneer Tibbets bought a span of horses and a covered wagon; after a long, hard six weeks trip, the family arrived in Wisconsin.
There sad news welcomed him. During his absence, someone had dispossessed him of his claim. He had only $16 left. He bought some land one-half mile east of the crossroads store and school house later named Tibbets in his honor. He build a home and wooden tavern and livery stable which served as a stopping place for teams of oxen and horses hauling loads from Milwaukee to Janesville, Wis. This early road is now County Highway Trunk A.
Excerpt from Samuel Holmes Tibbets bio (WCHS)
Capt. George Washington Kendall kept a tavern in 1839 at the corners, since known as Tibbets. in section 10. He sold this place in 1843 to Francis
Rublee, who passed it by deed to bis son, Francis M. Rublee, in 1845. During the latter's ownership his brother. Martindale, began to build of lime
and gravel concrete, as is told; but before his work was finished the place passed by sheriff's sale in 1853 to John D. Cowles, who completed and occupied
the Gravel Tavern. This landmark fronted northward on the territorial road from Milwaukee to Janesville. and on a section-line road leading
to Elkhorn. In 1859 Mr. Cowles sold the property to Freeborn Welch, one of the jolliest sons of St. Boniface. When tavern custom wholly ended Mr.
Welch made of it his dwelling. His heirs sold the house and ground in 1907 to John and Matthew J. Newman, who pulled down the ancient walls and
built a fine dwelling in present century style and added barn, silo, and other out-buildings suitable to a well-managed dairy farm. A few rods eastward
along the territorial road Samuel H. Tibbets built a bouse, about 1842, which for some time served as a wayside inn, and for ten years as a postoffice. Captain
Kendall had been postmaster from 1840 to 1842.
In 1889 a newly established postoffice, named Tibbets, received a triweekly mail from Whitewater and Elkhorn.