Joseph Gabel
Joseph Gabel was born December 25, 1839 in Alabama. He was the 4th child of Elias Gabel and Charlotte Ann Fulford Bishop.
The Elias Gabel family came to this area from Marengo Co., Alabama before 1850. Elias owned a 35 acre tract of land just south of Red Gully in Montrose, Alabama.
Joseph fought in the Civil War, enlisting in 1861 as a private with the 22nd Alabama Infantry Co.H. He was wounded in the Battle Of Shiloh in 1862, although not seriously. His military record shows him still present and active in 1864.
Joseph and Michael Deady started a pottery business together in Montrose in 1867 that was located on Elias Gabel’s land. The partnership lasted until 1880.
Joseph married first in 1868 to Sarah Marshall. In 1871 he married again to Susan Denning and by 1880 he and Susan had 5 children. At this time, Joseph was operating his own pottery at Battles Wharf (Point Clear). To my knowledge the sight of this pottery has never been located. By 1882 Joseph and his family were living on the west side of Fish River where he relocated his pottery business, purchasing 2- 10 acre tracts of land, becoming known as the Gabel Pottery at Clay City.
Joseph died November 30, 1896 just shy of his 57th birthday, leaving behind 7 children. He operated his business up until that time. Susan preceded him in death 10 years earlier in 1886 along with newborn twins. The pottery was bequeathed to Joseph and Susan’s oldest daughter, Laura Gabel, to support the family until the youngest of the seven children came of age. Some of Joseph and Susan’s grandchildren even worked the pottery throwing jugs, producing 3 generations of potters and leaving behind an incredible legacy.
Anyone with more information on this family, please contact:
Vicki Browning
vickybrowning@bellsouth.net