Demas Hubbard

Demas Hubbard Jr. (January 17, 1806 – September 2, 1873) was a U.S. Representative from New York. Born in Winfield, Herkimer County, New York, on January 17, 1806, he was the son of Demas Hubbard and Fanny (Cutler) Hubbard. He attended the public schools of the region and in early life engaged in agriculture, becoming a farmer before turning to the study of law. His upbringing in central New York and his early work on the land helped root him in the concerns of rural communities that he would later represent in local and national office.

Hubbard’s formal education was limited to the common schools, but he pursued self-directed study and quickly became active in local affairs. By 1829 he had entered public service in the Village of Smyrna, Chenango County, New York, where he was elected Overseer of Highways. From 1831 to 1832 he served as Village Clerk of Smyrna, gaining experience in municipal administration and local governance. During this period he studied law, and in 1835 he was admitted to the bar and commenced legal practice in Smyrna, combining his legal career with his continuing involvement in community affairs.

At the outset of his political career, Hubbard was affiliated with the Whig Party. He was elected to the New York State Assembly and served as a member from 1838 to 1840, participating in state-level legislative deliberations during a period of significant economic and political change. With the realignment of parties in the 1850s, he joined the newly organized Republican Party, reflecting his adaptation to the emerging political landscape. In local government he held several important posts: he served as Town Supervisor of Smyrna from 1859 to 1864 and, in that capacity, also became Chairman of the Chenango County Board of Supervisors. In addition, from 1862 to 1863 he was President of the Village of Smyrna, further solidifying his role as a leading figure in local and county governance.

Hubbard’s long experience in local and state office led to his election to the national legislature. As a member of the Republican Party representing New York, he was elected to the Thirty-ninth Congress and served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1865, to March 3, 1867. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, immediately following the Civil War, when the nation was grappling with Reconstruction and the reintegration of the seceded states. During this term he contributed to the legislative process, participating in the democratic governance of the postwar era and representing the interests of his New York constituents in the House of Representatives. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1866 and, upon the conclusion of his term, returned to his legal practice in Smyrna.

In his personal life, Hubbard married twice and was the father of three children. His first wife was Laura Catlin, whom he married before his rise in public life; she died in 1830. With Laura Catlin he had one son, Alvin C. Hubbard (1829–1867). After her death, he married Caroline Franklin, who survived him only briefly and died in 1873. With his second wife he had two children, Abigail Laura Hubbard (1830–1880) and Franklin Hubbard (1832–1853). His family life unfolded alongside his expanding responsibilities as lawyer, local official, state legislator, and member of Congress.

After leaving Congress, Hubbard resumed the practice of law in Smyrna and remained a respected figure in the community he had long served. He continued to live in Smyrna until his death on September 2, 1873. Demas Hubbard Jr. was buried in Smyrna East Cemetery, in the town where he had built his legal career, held multiple local offices, and from which he had risen to represent New York in the United States House of Representatives.