Larrabee - Hubbard
Source: Tippecanoe Co Death Records, newspaper clippings, Montgomery County histories
Hubbard Labaree was an early Montgomery County physician, coming here about 1839. Evidently, young doctors thought they should be able to learn a great deal from him as he was touted as one of the best doctors to bless our county. His younger brother, William studied under him as well as others.
His wife, Amanda died ten years before he did, she in 1878 and he in 1888. They are buried in Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Their children numbered at least four, possibly more. Eliza Jane; John Joseph; William and Arthur. Eliza studied at Ladoga from 1863-1873. The boys perhaps did, too. It is said that Hubbard's home in Ladoga is one of the largest of the old homes built.
Hubbard was born in Vermont, the son of Joseph and Hulda Layman Labree. Hubbard's brother, William, practiced and died (Sept 11, 1891) in the Clark's Hill area.
Source: Zach, Karen Bazzani. Crawfordsville: Athens of Indiana.
The intriguing, twisting and overall happy tale of a Ladoga doctor
By Karen Zach, Around the County
Thursday, February 20, 2020 3:45 AM
Always, always, always since I began researching Montgomery County History some 40 years ago, I’ve had a fascination with two items, especially. One is the towns, villages, spots in the road and with some help from friends have gathered over 500 of these places. The second leads us to our subject today, early county doctors, one in particular for this article, the man with unusual names, and one of the first Ladoga physicians.
Hubbard Labaree son of Joseph and Hulda Lyman Labaree was born (1817) in (Windsor?) Vermont and was their oldest child of 13. His father was a minister, dying in Ohio in 1852 at age 69; his mother moved with Hubbard’s younger brother, William to Tippecanoe County (Clark’s Hill) where she died at age 86. Joseph’s father, Peter was in the Revolutionary War.
The name while here was often spelled incorrectly in the newspapers, county histories and census records as Larabee and at one point, it was noted in an early family history the original spelling was even more French, spelled DeLarabee. Most of the family tombstones, however are spelled Labaree. The Labaree family was mainly from the Sullivan County, New Hampshire and Salem, Massachusetts areas and was widespread in the early years.
Hubbard married Amanda Hayes in Pickaway County, Ohio, the ceremony performed by Rev. Thomas Chestnut on 13 October 1841 and they became parents to five children: Eliza Jane, John A, Joseph Hayes; William Armstrong (Will); and Arthur Lyman. However, Hubbard was here previous to his marriage for about five years, perhaps as a trial run. Glad he liked it and returned back to Ladoga where all their children were born.
Known for his teaching abilities, several young men learned to be a doctor under his tutelage, including his brother, William who was quite a gifted physician, as well as cousins, friends and others interested in the profession.
He also dealt in real estate having a section of Ladoga as the Labaree addition. In the 1860 Clark Township census, Hubbard had $13,500 in real estate, quite a sum. Seems like his true love was politics, however. He gave Lew Wallace a good run in 1856, the C’ville Weekly Journal even noting that “Lew lives too much in the past and we are alarmed on his account, whereas Labaree goes with the present issues.” Also, he was quite active at the county fairs awarding prizes and his schedule to speak (by the way their whole family were captivating in that aspect) was quite a tough one, all happening at 1 in the afternoon. August 12 he spoke at Parkersburg; 13th Ladoga; 14th Centre School House, Walnut Twp; 18th Darlington; 19th Peterson’s Saw Mill; 20th Linden; 21st Moore’s Store in Coal Creek Twp; 22nd Middletown; 25th Alamo and Waveland on the 26th. This was just about repeated again in September and October of that year.
After that election, when things didn’t go the Republican’s way, they rerallied with notations, “Let our brethren from the country be on hand to RALLY! RALLY! RALLY!.” Dr. Hubbard was right in the middle of it all when it was noted to “put our pens, our energies, our influences against slavery!”
With his children in school by this time, he was also quite involved with public speaking for education and headed-up a school reform in the county to make sure that the buildings were properly ventilated.
Unsure as to when or why the family left Ladoga, but this was about the time there were four or five more physicians settled there and besides that, he was sued for $450 in 1867 and lost the case. Unknown reason for the lawsuit, but that would have been just about the time when they left. 1867 is also pointed to son Arthur enrolling in Chickering Classical Institute on George Street in Cincinnati. By 1870 the family was living in a lovely home at 370 Baymiller Street where they remained until their deaths.
It was at this home that his two youngest sons passed away in very sad and odd circumstances. The youngest son was the first to pass - August 23,1874. Arthur was just 18 and when an article first came out in newspapers it pointed to suicide. His parents and Aunt Hulda (who lived many years with them, helping to raise the children and aiding Amanda with household duties) absolutely refused to believe this. “Arthur had no bad habits, he was in perfect health, always in a cheerful mood,” but a shot was heard from his room and this cry, “Oh, Pa; Oh, Mother!” The three adults rushed there and Arthur was already gone. The headlines to articles noted he was a somnambulist. Definitely, he walked in his sleep and his aunt thought he had so done that a few minutes before as she asked if he had gotten tea and was going to bed – he always answered as if he were awake and he told her, “Yes.” Hubbard felt that and his mad passion for Shakespeare, was what lead him to shoot in the night. Sadly, they didn’t even know he owned a gun. Perhaps because of the Labaree’s insistence, or perhaps a committee found evidence not noted, but they did give quite a different rule on the incident of: “Death by shooting self while asleep!”
Their other son, William Armstrong was born in Ladoga May 9, 1854 and passed away on his summer vacation August 17, 1877. This was quite suddenly. His college roommate said of “Will” that he was older and more mature than the norm, interested in forensics, but wanted to be an “honest” lawyer. A “true Christian,” he always attended all religious meetings at Yale where he would be returning as a Sophomore. Certainly, one gets the feel that the Labaree home must have been an excellent one because both boys were said to be “always laughing,” and well-loved by their parents, friends and teachers.
Mystery to me as to what happened to their daughter, Eliza Jane. It is also unknown as to what happened to John A, their oldest son but the second one, Joseph Hayes Labaree was a groceryman either married quite young and divorced or there was an illegitimate son Joseph Walter Labaree who lived with gpa’ Hubbard for some time. Joseph went to Manhattan, New York where he died November 30th, 1907, with two other children, one named for his brother Arthur and the other for her mother, Meta. They were still young with 20 years difference from older brother, J.“Walter.”
He, Amanda and the two boys are buried in Spring Grove Cemetery not far from their Cincinnati home; however, none have a tombstone, sadly. However, overall, Hubbard Labaree seemed to have had a good and wonderful life, having been married to his beloved Amanda for over 40 years. Of course, there were sad happenings - losing the two youngest boys in tragic and surprising ways the man ones. At least, two grandsons had the chance to carry on the family name and now you know the story of one of my fascinating MoCo doctors!
Karen Zach is the editor of Montgomery Memories, our monthly magazine all about Montgomery County. Her column, Around the County, appears each Thursday in The Paper of Montgomery County.
1