Thomas S. Hubbard

 

SOURCE: "History of Champaign County, Illinois with Illustrations," 1878

SURNAMES: BRONSON, HUBBARD, WOODRUFF

 

THOMAS S. HUBBARD was born in Middletown, Conn., September 25th, 1825, and is a son of Geo. HUBBARD, for many years a captain on a sailing vessel, but finally married Electa BRONSON, and settled down to farming.

The gentleman of whom we write, was their only son, there being five girls.

Mr. HUBBARD received his rudimentary education in Middletown, and graduated from Yale College with the class of 1849. On November l4th, 1849, he was married to Jane E., the accomplished daughter of Dr. Wyllys WOODRUFF, of Meriden, Conn. Miss Woodruff had recently graduated from the Whittlesey Young Ladies' Seminary at New Haven. Mr. Hubbard arrived in Urbana, Dec. 8th, 1854, and opened a banking-office---the first in the county. In the fall of 1855, he, in company with W. N. Coler and Edward Ater, erected the first bank building in the county, and the following spring started the "Grand Prairie" bank, with W. N. Coler, president, and Mr. Hubbard, cashier. This was a bank of issue, with a circulation of about $800,000, secured by Missouri state bonds.

The Company also opened a branch office in Champaign, which was the first institution of the kind in that city. These banks, like many others of like security, went out of existence when the war broke out.

Since 1861 Mr. Hubbard has been doing an extensive hardware business and making commercial loans.

When the Urbana and Champaign R. R. Co. was organized, be was the first treasurer---which position he held as long as the company existed. In 1861 he was appointed, by the board of supervisors, to act as "fiscal agent for the purpose of collecting all demands arising from the sale of swamp lands," with full power to renew, sell, or exchange notes for county indebtedness. As a mark of confidence in Mr. Hubbard, the board did not even require a bond of him, although the trust embraced notes to the value of $50,000. Mr. Hubbard has been an efficient member of the city council for the past four years.

In politics he has always been identified with the Republican party. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church, in Urbana, of which church, Mr; Hubbard has been an elder for many years.