Biography - Simeon Hubbard
SIMEON W. HUBBARD, a prominent farmer and a man well known all over the county, is the subject of the present sketch. He was born on his present farm August 7, 1842, and his father was Philip Hubbard, who was a native of North Carolina, and his grandfather also, as far as known, was a native of the old North State. The family were originally from England, and the grandfather died here.
The father of our subject came here when the country was unsettled, in 1827, having made the journey by wagon. He entered land just west of this farm, and here built a log cabin, and lived in it with only a ground floor. Later, he sold this place, and entered his present farm from the Government, and upon this he built a log house. This was a rude dwelling, but it was comfortable with the hewed puncheon floor, and open fireplace with its mud and stick chimney. The Indians were numerous and were often seen, and deer and wolves were abundant, and the latter could be heard at night, and very often killed the sheep of the settlers.
Almost all of the trading was done in St. Louis, and very small was the sum received for the produce. Mr. Hubbard owned and mostly developed two hundred and ninety acres of land, was a hard worker, and one who was always busy. Later, he hauled the most of the, goods to the Greenville stores, and he was the one who hauled the stone for the old Methodist Church from St. Louis. He died at the age of sixty-five years, his death occurring January 14, 1862. He was a Democrat in his politics, and voted with that party.
The mother of our subject was Emily Smithwick, who was a native of North Carolina. She reared eight out of her eleven children: Eliza, now Mrs. Smith; John M.; Elizabeth, now Mrs. Gerry; John R.; Melvina, now Mrs. Etzler; Albert; Simeon; and Emily. The mother is still living in her eighty-ninth year. She endured all of the hardships of pioneer life, and when younger spun all of the clothes worn by her family.
Our subject was reared here on the farm, and attended the pioneer log schoolhouse, with its slab benches with the pin legs, and obtained what education he could in this primitive dwelling, as the terms were very short in those days. He remembers seeing deer and wolves in his boyhood, and has made the trip to St. Louis with grain many times. His father died when he was nineteen years of age, and the whole management of the farm fell upon his young shoulders. Finally, he bought the rights of the other heirs, and became sole owner.
The marriage of Mr. Hubbard took place March 30, 1864, to Margaret E. Floyd, who was born in Mills Township, in this county, and one child was born to them, Ollie, who is the wife of George Grube. Mr. Hubbard has two hundred and eleven acres of improved land, and has carried on mixed farming and stock-raising. He has bought and shipped stock for the past twenty-five years. His places of shipment are Chicago and Indianapolis. He is well known all over the county, and has been a witness of the most of the development that has taken place. Mrs. Hubbard is a member of the Methodist Church and an excellent lady.
In politics, Mr. Hubbard is a Democrat, and was a candidate for Sheriff of Bond County in 1886, and, although the county was four hundred votes Republican, our subject was defeated by only one hundred and seven votes. He has served as School Trustee for three terms, and is a man well thought of in his neighborhood. His farm and house are in fine condition and show prosperity upon the face of them.
Extracted 20 Dec 2016 by Norma Hass from 1892 Portrait and Biographical Record of Montgomery and Bond Counties, Illinois, pages 361-362.
