As time goes by, we often lose track of some accomplished people who once lived in Knox County, Indiana. While recently perusing old photographs stored at the McGrady-Brockman House, I discovered a couple of old photos pertaining to Hubbard T. Smith. On the back was an old paper clipping that caught my attention. Reading it made me curious to learn more about Hubbard Smith.
I went looking for his obituary (obit) and found that it was published in the Vincennes Commercial on February 11th, 1903. Within the obit it stated that Hubbard or Hub, as he was often called, was born in Vincennes on March 29th 1854 to Dr. and Mrs. Hubbard Smith. The article stated that Hub had attended Vincennes University but had not graduated. It also stated that at the age of 14, he had worked at the J.W. Maddox dried goods store. Smith worked at the local store for a while before clerking for other stores in Indiana and Kentucky, then he moved to Colorado to work with mining interests.
In 1874, Hub made an application to Washington D.C. asking for a clerking position in the War Department. His only recommendation was his beautiful handwriting. After working in that department for a few years, he was then transferred to the Treasury Department, and, eventually, he was transferred into the Diplomatic Service as a Clerk for the Bearing Sea Commission. Eventually, he moved up to the position as Vice Consul of Paris, Constantinople, Cuba, China, Japan and, then, Cairo, Egypt.
When the Spanish American War broke out, Hubbard translated the dispatch telling of the sinking of the Spanish fleet at Santiago. When ordered to Japan, he was on the vessel which carried the news of the annexation of Hawaii to the people of that island. He served three months in Yokahoma, Japan and three months in Kobe, Japan. While in Canton, China, he served as the U.S. Consul during the Boxer Rebellion. The Emperor of China was so impressed with his work that he presented Smith with the Order of the Double Dragon (photo of medal seen above). In addition to being very involved in these governmental duties, Hubbard Smith also was very active within the Columbia Athletic Club and the Gridiron Club in D.C. He also wrote plays and songs. His most popular song was “Sweethearts and Wives” which was sung on all Navy vessels at Christmas. He was also a journalist for the Washington Newspapers.
After suffering weeks of illness, Hubbard Smith passed away February 3, 1903 from Bright’s disease in Genoa, Italy. On March 2, 1903, Hubbard Smith’s remains and several large beautiful floral arrangements arrived in Vincennes on the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern Railroad. His funeral was conducted at the First Presbyterian Church, in Vincennes, with burial in the family plot in Greenlawn Cemetery. He was survived by his father, 2 sisters, and 2 brothers.