The Constitutional Commission - Part 1: John F. Hubbard, Jr. (1873)

 The Constitutional Commission

Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, March 13, 1873

Among the sketches of members of the Constitutional Convention, now sitting in Albany [Albany Co. NY], published by the Times of that city, we find the following mention of those of its number, natives of Chenango County [NY].

John Flavel Hubbard, Jr.

Mr. Hubbard was born in Norwich, Chenango County [NY], October 14th, 1822.  He received an ordinary academic education, and afterwards read law, but never practiced the profession. After some years spent in editorial life, he received, in 1847, from Hon. W.L. Marcy, an appointment in the War Department at Washington.  He remained in that city, holding various subordinate positions in the government service until about 1854, when he resigned and again took up his residence at Norwich.  In 1860 he was chosen a delegate to the Democratic National Convention at Charleston from the then twenty-first district of the state and participated in the proceedings of that body.  In 1866 he was again a delegate ot the Democratic National Convention.  In 1866 he was appointed by President Johnson assessor of internal revenue but was not confirmed by the United States Senate.  In the fall of 1867, he was unexpectedly to himself nominated for the office of State Senator to represent the twenty-third district, and was elected by a majority of 247 votes, beating Hon. Daniel Waterbury of Delaware County, and was re-elected in 1869 over Hon. Lewis Kingsley of Norwich, an able and popular republican, by a majority of 1,352 votes, Mr. Hubbard leading his ticket in almost every town in the district. While in the Senate he served as chairman of the committees on "affairs of villages" and "engrossed bills," and also on "railroads, literature and retrenchment."  In Politics he is and always has been a decided democrat.  He is a careful politician, bold and undisguised in his political sentiments, yet affable in her personal address.  Mr. Hubbard is a robust man of medium height, with a full face, good looking, fair complexion, brown hair, and moustache, tinged with gray.  He takes great interest in all debates, more especially those on the canal question, on which subject he speaks soundly and to the point.  His delivery is free and distinct.

Death of Hon. John F. Hubbard

Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, July 6, 1893

John Flavel Hubbard, Jr.

Another of our old and most respected citizens has passed ot his rest.  After months of lingering illness, John Flavel Hubbard died at his home on East Main Street, Friday morning at five o'clock in the seventy-first year of his age.

Mr. Hubbard was born in this village [Norwich, Chenango Co. NY], October 14, 1822, and with the exception of three years' residence in Brooklyn, Norwich has been his home.  His father, Hon. John F Hubbard was the editor of the Norwich Journal, and the son early acquired a knowledge of the business and later became editor and manager of the paper, although it was still conducted in the senior's name.  In October 1847, the Journal was purchased by La F. Leal and J.H. Sinclair, who also owned the Oxford Republican, and the two papers were untied under the name of the Chenango Union.  Mr. Hubbard accepted a responsible position in the Pension Department at Washington, which he held until 1852, when he returned to Norwich.  In 1860 he was elected justice of the Peace, but resigned the office in 1862, and took the editorial charge of the Union relieving his brother, Harvey Hubbard, whose failing health incapacitated him from his editorial duties.  January 1, 1863, his brother having died, he became proprietor of the paper, which he ably conducted until July 1, 1868, when he disposed of it to G.H. Manning.

In politics Mr. Hubbard was a Democrat, and he early became prominent in the councils of his party.  He was an eloquent speaker, and frequently addressed political meetings in this and adjoining counties, holding his audiences by the magnetism of his oratory.  He was a graceful, vigorous writer, and popular as an editor.  In the fall of 1867, he was elected State Senator for the district composed of Chenango, Delaware and Schoharie, a strongly Republican district, and re-elected in the fall of 1869.  He was appointed one of the members from the Sixth Judicial District of the commission to propose revision and amendments to the State constitution which met in December 1872. At the State Convention in the fall of 1872, Mr. Hubbard was nominated for Canal Commissioner, but was defeated with the rest of the ticket, Francis Kernan, Chauncey M. Depew, Enos C. Brooks ad Samuel S. Cox.

As a citizen he was public spirited and favored all measures which were calculated to improve his native village.  He was a zealous advocate of the Union School system, and a member of the first board of Education.  Identified with Emmanuel church, he was for many years one of its vestrymen.  In this community he enjoyed in a marked degree the confidence and esteem of all, and in his death, all feel that they have lost a friend.

September 5, 1866, Mr. Hubbard was united in marriage with Josephine Henrietta Moore, of this village.  Five children were born to them:  John Flavel, Ensign in the United States Navy; George Clinton, M.D. of St. Vincent's Hospital, New York; Reuben Jeffrey, Myra Josephine and Julia Henrietta, of this village, who with their mother survive him.

The funeral was held from his late residence Monday afternoon at three o'clock conducted by Rev. H.D. Stebbins. A quartette composed of Messrs. Chapman, Houghton, Randall and Johns rendered the selections.  The pall bearers were Hon. W.F. Jenks, C.W. Olendorf, Benjamin Frink, D.E. Comstock, Christopher R. Frink and Dr. D.J. Mosher.  Interment in Mt. Hope.