JOHN HIBBS was born in New Jersey around 1854 to John and Sophia Hibbs. The family was living in Camden's South Ward when the Census was taken in 1860 and 1870. When the Census was taken in 1870 the family consisted of John and Sophia Hibbs and their children Matilda, John, Mary, Virginia, and George B. Hibbs. Older sister Amanda was not living at home by this point.

John J. Hibbs' father was a shoemaker, and he taught his son the trade, which he followed on occasion. The City Directories show him at 438 Cherry Street in the late 1870s.

The 1880 Census shows John J. Hibbs and his wife Barbara living with their one year-old son George B. Hibbs at 348 Joint Alley. The 1881-1882 Directory gives an address of 921 South 4th Street. By April of 1882 he had moved to 422 Lawrence Street, where according to Directories he remained into 1884.

On April 5, 1882 John Hibbs was appointed to the Camden Fire Department to serve as an extra man with the Hook & Ladder Company, replacing John Gray. John Hibbs served with the Fire Department for one year, then was replaced by Michael Devinney. 

According to news accounts of the time, John Hibbs had a habit of getting in trouble with the law. He was in Camden County Jail in May of 1883 when he took part in an eight man escape. He was again in jail in October of 1886, on a charge of larceny, when another jailbreak he was taking part in was thwarted by law enforcement personnel.