Headstone: Samuel B. Hubbard

Maybe it sounds creepy, but I like to stroll in old cemeteries, especially pre-1900’s cemeteries. Talented artisans have created stunning works in marble, granite and limestone during a period of time when there were few tools and no power tools.

In the oldest cemeteries of Jacksonville, Florida, lie the remains of the prominent families responsible for the building of our city. Only the giant mausoleums, statues and memorials remain of what were considered Jacksonville’s ruling class of the 1800’s. These titans of the day deserve more than a headstone. It is only right that we should forever remember their names. The name we will examine today is Samuel Birdsey Hubbard (S.B. Hubbard).

Back in what truly had to be known as the original front of the Evergreen Cemetery stands a 30 ft. obelisk overlooking the site where the Hubbard family has gone to rest. Most of us hear the name Hubbard regularly and know it as the wonderfully benevolent Hubbard House. Its only connection to the Hubbard family is the fact that it originated in 1976 as a safe harbor for domestic violence victims on the Hubbard Street named after S. B. Hubbard. Hubbard Street runs North and South between State Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway.

S.B. Hubbard was born in Wadesboro, North Carolina, on June 18, 1833, where his father, Charles Hubbard was known as one of the prominent merchants. Charles and his brothers started the local general store in approximately 1803 and for the past 30 years developed it into one of the region’s foremost companies. But this was not the beginning of the Hubbards. Upon arriving from England in 1650, the family dominated the state of Connecticut. Besides carrying their wealth to this newly formed nation, they brought the family motto of “Thrift and Hard Work.” S.B. Hubbard’s great-grandfather was a Captain in the Revolutionary Army.

The Hubbard family actually funded a portion of this conflict which took place between 1775 and 1783. Elijah Hubbard and another relative Nebemiah Hubbard were listed as two of the wealthiest people of New England. Elijah’s son, Henry G. Hubbard of Connecticut (died 1892), was S.B. Hubbard’s mother’s uncle.

By 1876, the Hubbard family had extended its influence to three states. That year, the Governor of Texas, Minnesota and Connecticut were all Hubbards. S.B. Hubbard’s mother, Delia Birdsey Hubbard, because of her work ethic was a called a “true” Hubbard. Her father (a very wealthy man for the period) left her with what was described in New England as an “ample fortune.” Delia gave birth to seven children and distributed the wealth among them.

As a boy, S.B. Hubbard was needed on the family farm and was not able to enjoy the educational advantages. He could only attend public schools during the winter when the fields were dormant. As a teenager, he attended the noted preparatory school of Daniel H. Chase, in Middletown, Connecticut. He lived and studied at Chase for four years before joining his father as a clerk in the family store in North Carolina.

The Hubbard family owned and operated general stores all over the country. In 1853, S.B. took control of the family store in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. In 1860, his health deteriorated so badly that he was forced to retire and move back to Connecticut. It was in Middletown, Connecticut, that he met and married Almira T. Hubbard (February 21, 1860). Almira nursed him back to health and gave birth to two sons and one daughter. It took another 6 years for S.B. to regain some strength.

His illness was Jacksonville’s gain. Someone mentioned to S.B. that Jacksonville might have the perfect climate for improving his health. Armed with a bundle of cash and time to spare, he traveled by train to Jacksonville and arrived in 1867. Immediately, his health improved. Recognizing that Jacksonville needed a well-organized general store, he opened the S.B. Hubbard Company.

His business was not completely free of setbacks. His building burned to the ground three times: 1870, 1885 and 1891. The 1891 fire caused $175,000 in damages to his store. Besides having a poor (mostly volunteer) fire department, Jacksonville’s water supply for fires were a series of artesian wells dug at various street corners. By 1891, S.B. was a force to be reckoned with. He expanded into the banking business and opened the Southern Savings and Trust Company. As its President, he quickly built its capital base to over $150,000.

From this point on, Hubbard was unstoppable. With a bank to fund his business development and the family know-how to keep them going, he formed, acquired or built many of Jacksonville’s most significant businesses. They included: the Citizens’ Gas Company, the Jacksonville Electric Company, the Jacksonville Electric Car Line and the Springfield Land Company. S.B. even served as a city councilman. In 1878, the Mayor appointed him to oversee the city improvements. One might say that Jacksonville was very beneficial for his health.

His oldest son grew up through company ranks and ran the Hubbard family hardware business, and his other son graduated from Princeton University.

When the motor car (steam-powered) was first brought to Jacksonville by Charles Clark, S.B. immediately began working on a new invention. Jacksonville citizens watched and waited as he brought mechanics and tradesmen to the city in order to develop the first “natural gas” powered motor car. Several attempts are well documented of S.B. driving his completed vehicle down Main Street, but the venture collapsed. This may have been his only failure in his lifetime but as S.B. would state “Nothing ventured nothing gained.”

Jacksonville owes continuing gratitude to the Hubbard family. Samuel Birdsey Hubbard was laid to rest at the age of 70 in 1903. The entire town mourned his passing.

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Joseph Miller is a life-long resident of Jacksonville, Florida, and an active member of the Rotary Club of South Jacksonville. As a historian, he recently completed his first book on the Founder of Rotary, Paul P. Harris, titled “That Paul Harris.”

Joseph can be reached at JaxHistory@gmail.com.