Arthur Leroy Hubbard

ARTHUR LEROY HUBBARD, one of the successful farmers of Spring Valley township, and a member of a very prominent family of this section, was born at Galena, Kansas, February 5, 1881, and is a son of John Clabourn and Olive (Maynard) Hubbard.

John Clabourne Hubbard, who is a prominent farmer of Cehrokee[sic] County, owning 200 acres in Shawnee township, was born in Washington County, Indiana, December 16, 1839, and is a son of Joseph and Mary Ellen (Franklin) Hubbard, the former of whom was born in Indiana and the latter in Kentucky. Joseph Hubbard was a carpenter, farmer and stock raiser. The mother was a daughter of Clabourn Franklin, of Kentucky. Nine children were born to Joseph Hubbard and wife, and four of them grew to maturity, as follows: John Clabourn; William G., a member of the 66th Regiment, Indiana Vol. Inf., during the Civil War, who fell at Collierville, Tennessee; David, who is deceased; and Nancy, who is the widow of Thomas Wier, of Indiana. Joseph Hubbard was a class leader in the Methodist Church, but he and his wife at length became identified with the Christian Church.

The grandfather of our subject died when John Clabourne Hubbard was 10 years old, and the latter's early boyhood was spent on the farm of his uncle, P. C. Franklin. Later another uncle, Rev. Aaron Hubbard, who was a prominent elder in the Christian Church, gave the youth employment as a clerk in his store. Two years later he began to farm on rented land and was so engaged when the Civil War opened.

In August, 1861, John Clabourn Hubbard enlisted in Company C, 38th Reg., Indiana Vol. Inf., and was discharged in August, 1865, having veteranized at Rossville Gap, Tennessee, in 1864. The 38th Regiment was in the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, of the 14th Army Corps and was one of the "star" regiments of the war. Mr. Hubbard participated in many battles but escaped with but few wounds. After the close of the war, he opened a grocery store at Little York, Indiana, which he conducted about a year and a half. In 1867 he removed with his family to Iola, Allen County, Kansas, and lived on a farm there for about seven years and then sold out and went to Granby, Missouri, where he embarked in a grocery business with Jacob Mingus, under the firm name of Mingus & Hubbard, which continued until 1879, when Mr. Hubbard sold his interest to his partner and went to Leadville, Colorado. It was in the spring of the year and until snow came he was engaged in furnishing transportation for a railroad survey between Leadville and Georgetown.

The closing of the business in the mountains by the advent of winter caused Mr. Hubbard to remove to Leadville to engage in business and he bought a feed store there, which he continued until spring, when he was obliged to leave that climate on account of rheumatism, and returned to Granby. In the spring of 1883 he went to Texas, but conditions there did not attract him, and in a few months he came North and stopped at Galena. Here he began prospecting and mining and met with fair success and remained a resident of Galena until 1892. He was then elected register of deeds and removed to Columbus, where he resided during his occupancy of that office. In 1896, Mr. Hubbard bought his present farm of 200 acres, on which he raises grasses and grain, and keeps more than the average of stock, having between 50 and 60 head of cattle and 50 head of Poland China hogs. He owns one of the finest Shorthorn herds in the county. His registered bull is "Albion Duke Second," No. 202,385, and his Poland-China boar is from "Western Wilkes." Mr. Hubbard has made splendid improvements on this place. His fine residence was remodeled in 1903, the frame of which was erected in 1877, entirely of the best white pine. It contains 11 rooms and 10 large closets, and 25 windows insure plenty of fresh air and sunlight. In 1903 he also built his substantial bank barn, the posts of which on one side are 14 feet in height and on the other, 20 feet. It will accommodate eight head of horses and 75 tons of hay. In addition, Mr. Hubbard has an implement building of the same size as the barn, with 10-foot posts; it is furnished with grain bins and has hay racks overhead. Mr. Hubbard is credited with having the finest corn cribs and grain bins in the county, every protection being given the cereals to keep them in the best marketable condition. In making other improvements, Mr. Hubbard has not neglected his fruit orchards, having 700 hundred apple, peach, cherry and plum trees, in fine bearing condition. His vineyards contain four varieties of grapes and they have been selected with the idea of continuing the season as long as possible. This is one of the ideal rural homes of Cherokee County.

The first marriage of John C. Hubbard was to Olive Maynard, who was born in Indiana, and was a daughter of A. K. Maynard, of that State. Of their 11 children, seven grew to maturity, viz: Flora, a well known educator, who is principal of the First Ward School, at Galena; Francis M., a mechanic of St. Louis, who married Catherine Watson, a daughter of James Watson, of Pittsburg, Kansas, and they have one daughter.—Marjorie; Walter G., who is in the undertaking and livery business at Bisbee, Arizona, and lives in that city with his wife of Katherine; Calvin, a general merchant of Appalachie, Oklahoma, married Eva Wade, of Columbus, Kansas, and they have one son,—Harold; David Albert, who married Katherine Wiles, of Joplin, Missouri, and resides with his father on the home farm; Annie, who is the wife of John McMillin, of Joplin, Missouri; and Arthur Leroy, the immediate subject of this sketch. The mother of these children passed away on November 9, 1888, aged 44 years. She was a consistent member of the Christian Church. The second marriage of John C. Hubbard took place August 15, 1900, Minnie Van Metre, a native of Wisconsin, becoming his wife.

Until he was 12 years of age, Arthur Leroy Hubbard remained in his native place and attended the local schools. Then he went to Orangeville, Orange County, Indiana, and there completed his school course. In 1895 he returned to Galena and made a visit, but subsequently went back to Orange County and engaged there for a year in farming. A second year was spent in Washington County, Indiana, where he continued to farm, and he then came back to Galena. Here he engaged in lead and Zinc mining until the spring of 1902 when he became an agent for the Prudential Insurance Company, at Webb City, Missouri, and remained in the employ of that corporation until the following winter. On August 31, 1902, Mr. Hubbard was united in marriage with Minnie M. Stone, who is a daughter of J. W. Stone with whom Mr. Hubbard now resides in Spring Valley township, engaged in extensive farming and in the hay business in the Indian Territory. Mr. Hubbard is politicallv identified with the Republican party. Formerly he was a member of the Fraternal Aid Association. He is one of the enterprising young men of Spring Valley township, well posted on matters of public importance and highly regarded for his sterling traits of character.

History of Cherokee County Kansas and its representative citizens, ed. & comp. by Nathaniel Thompson Allison, 1904, transcribed by Dustin Jackson, student from USD 508, Baxter Springs Middle School, Baxter Springs, Kansas, April 18, 1997.