John Hubbard (Maine Politician) - Childhood and Early Career

Childhood and Early Career

Hubbard was a native of Readfield, Maine. He was born March 22, 1794, and was a son of Dr. John and Olive Wilson Hubbard, both natives of New Hampshire. The father was born in Kingston, in 1759, and the mother in Brentwood, in 1761. They came to Readfield in 1784, where they had a family of twelve children, eight daughters and four sons, two of whom died in childhood. John was the eldest son. The father was a physician and farmer and for a time was prosperous, but misfortune overtook him and he finally lost a greater part of his property. His father died April 22, 1838, and his mother died October 20, 1847.

John in his boyhood days had only the advantages of the district school of his town, and when he was sixteen years old he had spent only ten months in a high school. He was a young man of great muscular power, and his strength was utilized in carrying on the work of the farm, of which he had charge. Having resolved to get an education, he devoted all his spare hours to study until he was nineteen years old.

In 1813, then in his twentieth year. his father gave him fifteen dollars and a horse. With this outfit John started for Dartmouth College to learn the requirements for entering that institution, and then immediately commenced to fit himself for complying with them. He rode across the country to Albany, New York, where he engaged as tutor in a private family, devoting all his leisure hours to study. So good progress had he made in the work of preparing himself for his contemplated collegiate course, that in one year he was able to pass the examination for admission to the Sophomore class. Entering Dartmouth in 1814, he graduated in the class of 1816, with high rank, especially in the department of mathematics.

After his graduation he became Principal of the Academy at Hallowell, where he taught two years to earn money to pay the debts incurred in college. He then accepted a flattering offer to go to Dinwiddie County, Virginia, to teach an academy. Here he remained two years, and having decided to take medicine as a profession he entered the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, in 1820, receiving his diploma as Doctor of Medicine in 1822.

During his former residence in Virginia Mr. Hubbard had made many warm friends, and on graduating from the medical school he resolved to go to that State and practice his profession. Here he remained seven years, until 1829, during which time he had built up a very successful business. In 1825 he had married Miss Sarah H. Barrett of Dresden, Maine. They had two children, one of whom died in Virginia. A brother, Thomas, who had fitted himself for a doctor, followed John to Virginia, and just as he was entering upon a most promising professional career was stricken with disease and died.