Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard
Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard (August 22, 1802 – September 14, 1886) was an American fur trader, insurance underwriter, and land speculator. He was influential in the development of the city of Chicago and responsible for its growth during the 19th century. First arriving in Chicago in 1818, he settled in the area in the late 1820s. He became one of the most prominent residents of the town and was one of its first trustees in 1833. He went on to build Chicago's first stockyard and help foment a land boom for Chicago in the East. In addition to his work in developing and promoting Chicago, Hubbard was known for his athletic prowess. Hubbard Street in Chicago is named for him, as is Hubbard High School. Early life Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard was born in Windsor, Vermont, on August 22, 1802. His parents were Abigail Sage and Elizur Hubbard. Sage was a daughter of the general Comfort Sage and his wife Sarah Hamlin, and was from Middletown, Connecticut. The elder Hubbard was a son of the Revolutionary War officer George Hubbard and his wife Thankful Hatch. Hubbard was descended from and named for the Connecticut governor Gurdon Saltonstall. Hubbard disliked going to school at an early age and was often truant. When his father, a lawyer, lost his money in 1812 in speculative ventures, his aunt took him in at her house in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, where he was educated. The situation of the Hubbards continued to worsen, and the elder Hubbard decided to take the rest of the family north to settle in Montreal and continue his practice. Hubbard left Bridgewater to join them and they departed in early May 1815. The family discovered upon their arrival that Elizur could not practice law as he was an American, but made money by renting a house to lodgers. Hubbard started working at a local hardware store in April 1816. He befriended John Dyde, the son of a boarding house proprietor. Dyde's father housed William Matthews, an agent of the American Fur Company. In 1818 an expedition of the company was planned for Mackinac Island, Michigan, with 12 young men needed as clerks. Dyde informed Hubbard of this and expressed a desire to go, eventually pressuring Matthews into including him. Hubbard also became interested in the expedition, but was discouraged from applying by his family, Dyde, and coworkers at the hardware store. He nevertheless persisted in his attempts and eventually obtained the consent of his parents and Matthews, and was indentured to the company for five years at $120 per year. While clerking at the store, Hubbard was an eyewitness to the accidental shooting of Alexis St. Martin in 1822, whose recovery under Dr. William Beaumont with a permanent hole in his stomach was considered a medical miracle and allowed Beaumont to make observations that revolutionized the study of digestion. Early Chicago Hubbard first arrived in Chicago on October 1, 1818, as a member of a brigade led by Antoine Deschamps. Hubbard carried an introduction