The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-28
A HUNDRED YEARS OF LIFE.
Games Hubbard Completes the First
Century of His Earthly Existence.
The Life and Experiences of Patriarch-A
Family Reunion Attended by Represent
atiyes Of Five Generations.


'spelt one way by some members of the family,
and the other way by others.) scored his one
Aundredth birthday yesterday. He lives in
Washington township this county, about two
miles west Of New Augusta and family re-
union was held to celebrate the centenary OF
this patriarch of patriarchs- few days ago the
old man was seized with lung fever and it was
feared he would not quite touch par, and this re-
port going abroad had the effect to diminish the
attendance of friends and neighbors, who other
wise would have graced the occasion by their
presence. AS it was, over one hundred and nifty
representatives, neighbors and friends, some
of them from a considerable distanee-came to
the celebration s.Are you not afraid the ex-
element will be injurious to him." inquired the
Journal reporter of DR.. Light, of Broad Ripple,
who is in attendance upon him, and who is his
grand son-in. law Not at all,' was the reply.
tsHe is much better to-day The stir and ex-
citement have done him great good. Besides, the
visit Of a son who is here from Iowa, and of
other of his descendants, has given him great
satisfaction and comfort
James Hubbard was born in Sussex county,
Delaware VERY near the Maryland line, which
has given rise to a difference of opinion among
the members of the family as to whether he was
born in the former or the latter State), on the
9Th day of March, 1185-two years before the
adoption of the Constitution of the United
States ard four years before the election of
George Washington to the presidency. Longevi
~ appears TO be contagious in his family His
father John Hubbard, died in Dearborn county,
this State near Wilmington, only four weeks
.Se o11 iS1 nd 10
buried at Mount Tabor burying ground. His
grandfather lived to the age of one hundred and
FIVE years. sister of James Hubbard 1.-THE
mother of the venerable VIM. Glenn, the we'll
known wholesale grocer, of Cincinnati. who is
now eghty-six years old) also died on the old
farm near Wilmington but a few weeks
less than the centenary mark. Scores of
his kith and kin, living and dead, have passed
three score and ten.
sits q grand line of Wing stock" said James
ID. Glenn, of Cincinnati, who is grand nephew
of the patriarch There never was but one or
two Democrats in the family I remember
when boy, in 1874, taking John Hubbard, the
father of my grand-uncle, to Wilmington to vote
for Henry Clay" After the Wing party passed
away they all became Republicans.
When James was about five years old his
father removed to North Carolina and in that
State, in Orange county, in 1909, James Hub
bard and Nancy Thomas were married. Soon
afterward the newly married couple came West,
and settled near Lebanon, O. They did not
main there long, but in 1911 removed to Dear
born county then in Indiana Territory, where his
father, John Hubbard, had entered land. In
1888 James Hubbard sold out his possessions in
Dearborn county and removed to Marion coun-
y, where he entered 160 acres of land, the same
quarter section upon which he now lives, and
which he yet owns, holding The original grant
therefor from the government Soon after his
removal to Dearborn county the war of 1912
broke out and he enlisted as a ranger-one of
those keen sighted, coon-skin capped pioneers,
whose steady hand with an AK and rife, as the
skirmish line of civilization pushed back the
red man, made way for civilization to come
In and possess the land. He was
in no battles, but did scout duty
and was engaged in the work of building a line
of block houses along the Ohio Fer his serv-
ices in that trying time in which the Indians
were the allies of the British, he still draws an
annual pension Of 500 He was in Captain Will
lam Spencers company, in General Dills COM
mand. When he first came to Dearborn county,
that and what are now Ohio and Switzerland
counties were famous hunting grounds; and the
entrance of the white man was an intrusion that
stirred tho enmity of the red man to its pro-
foundest depths There was aprofuson.o of bar
deer. and wild turkeys. and the deer were to be
found in the wild and broken hills along the
Ohio long after they had disappeared
from other parts of the State. When
hc removed to Marion county the land he en-
tered was covered by an unbroken wilderness,
but AK and FIRE soon cleared out space for the
cabin and corn-patch. For some years in the
new home he had made game was abundant.
The Indian no longer to be dreaded or de-
Tended against, but the woods were full of war
minis" and the screech OF the wildcat and the
howl of the wolf were frequent Accomplishments
20 the long winter nights To-day will be the
seventy sixth anniversary of his wedding
day. His wife died nearly twenty years
celebrate her golden wedding being great
grandmother when she died. Of ten children
born to them tive sons and five daughters) three
sons and two daughters survive. These are
Solomon Hubbard, nearly seventy five years old,
of Davis county, Ia. Richard Hubbard of
Mapleton. this county, seyenty-two years old;
Charles Hubbard, who lives near Lincoln, Neb.,
sixty seven years old; Mrs. Elizabeth Record,
wife of Thomas Record, of Indianapolis. and
Mrs Jane Berry, with whom the centenaran lives.
These were all at the reunion, with the exception
of Charles, who could not come
Within the past two years. on more
than one occasion, the old gentleman has
walked from the residence of his Richard to
this city, distance of four miles. Last sum
mer he worked in the garden at his home almost
daily, and last fall he digged his potatoes. He
was always handy man about the house" said
one of the sons, and could turn his hand to
anything. Here's scribe awl he made last
summer" The reporter looked it over. 1t was
shapely piece of work THAT side gate there"
continued the son, gave him good deal OF
bother last summer. He made it over, and
hung and rehung it half dozen times"
Said one of the daughters: Father was
blind for about four years, He had a cataract
on each eye, but at eighty seven years OF age he
made up his mind to have them removed DR..
Thompson of Indianapolis, performed the
operation. 1t was successful, and father has
been great reader ever since. He will read
half day at time. Of course he wears
glasses: two pairs, one for reading and one when
he walks to look about with. His teeth are not
all gone. He still has enough to chew his food.
Until recently he ate as we do, almost every
more milk and eaten more bread
He is q small eater now but Pelishes his food,
and his taste is not impaired. Father has no
bad habits. He has never used either tobacco
or alcoholic drinks, except | believe many