Village History
From frontier settlement to resilient community — the story of Hubbardston, Michigan across nearly two centuries.
Timeline
First Settlers Arrive
Hector Hayes and Hiram Brown become the first Euro-American settlers in North Plains Township, arriving in October 1836.
Nathaniel Sessions Arrives
Nathaniel Sessions arrives in May 1837 with three sons, settling on Section 23. He will become the first township supervisor when North Plains Township organizes in 1844.
The Glass Tragedy
Ansel D. Glass's cabin is found burned with three bodies inside — his wife and two children. Glass vanishes. The mystery is never solved.
Township Organized
North Plains Township is formally organized. Nathaniel Sessions wins the first supervisor race. Thirty-seven votes are cast at Bartley Dunn's house.
Irish Immigration Begins
John Cowman becomes the first Irish Catholic immigrant to settle in North Plains Township, founding the community that would define Hubbardston.
Irish Chain Migration
Six additional Irish families follow John Cowman to North Plains Township, establishing the chain migration pattern that would define Hubbardston's Irish Catholic community.
Village Established
Hubbardston is formally established, named after Thomas Hubbard of Hubbard, Taylor & Co., a lumber company operating a local sawmill.
Parish Organized
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is formally organized to serve seven Irish Catholic families. Fr. George Goditz of Westphalia begins pastoral visits.
First Church Built
The first St. John the Baptist Church is built on Section 11, on John Cowman's farm, approximately one mile west of the village.
Village Incorporation
Hubbardston is officially incorporated as a village in Ionia County, Michigan.
Tuscan Masonic Lodge Founded
Tuscan Lodge No. 178 F&AM is established in Hubbardston, becoming one of the village's oldest continuously operating fraternal organizations.
New Church Completed
The current St. John the Baptist Church is completed at a cost of $8,000, built entirely by Irish immigrant labor. It is the largest church in Ionia County.
Railroad Bypasses Hubbardston
The railroad is routed through neighboring communities instead of Hubbardston, limiting the village's growth potential for generations.
Cemetery Consecrated
St. John the Baptist Cemetery is consecrated on land donated by the Roach, Welch, Hogan, Cahalan, and Connell families.
Hubbardston Advertiser Newspaper
The Hubbardston Advertiser begins publication, providing the village with its own local newspaper covering community news, events, and commerce.
Rectory Built
The parish rectory is built, designed by Donaldson and Meier, Detroit architects.
Parish School Opens
St. John the Baptist School opens, designed by the same Detroit firm. It will operate until 1965.
Fr. Eugene Fox Arrives
Father Eugene R. Fox begins his nearly 50-year pastorate at St. John the Baptist, serving until 1986.
Parish School Closes
St. John the Baptist School closes after 48 years of operation, ending parochial education in Hubbardston. Students transition to the Pewamo-Westphalia School District.
World's Shortest Parade
Hubbardston begins its tradition of hosting the "World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade," celebrating the village's deep Irish roots.
Irish Dance Troupe Founded
Patricia McCormick Baese founds the Hubbardston Irish Dance Troupe, a non-competitive performance-based group that will grow to approximately 95 dancers ages 3-18.
National Register Listing
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (September 24) and designated a Michigan State Historic Site (January 18).
Michigan Irish Hall of Fame
Patricia McCormick Baese is inducted into the Michigan Irish American Hall of Fame in recognition of her founding and leadership of the Hubbardston Irish Dance Troupe.
Articles
Agriculture & The Central Fair
By 1870, North Plains Township ranked 4th in Michigan for agricultural productiveness. The Central Fair Association showcased the community's farming heritage on 20 acres.
North Plains Township — Hubbardston's Home Township
The history of North Plains Township in Ionia County, Michigan — organized in 1844 with 37 voters, it is the township that contains the village of Hubbardston.
Pioneer Life on the Michigan Frontier
What daily life was like for the earliest settlers of Hubbardston and North Plains Township — clearing land, building cabins, and surviving on the Michigan frontier in the 1830s and 1840s.
Schools & Education in Hubbardston
From frontier one-room schoolhouses to the parish school designed by Donaldson & Meier, the story of education in Hubbardston, Michigan spans nearly two centuries.
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
The spiritual heart of Hubbardston since 1855 — from a converted sheep-shed to a Gothic Revival landmark on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Founding of Hubbardston
How a small settlement in the Michigan wilderness became Hubbardston — from the first pioneers in the 1830s through formal establishment in 1854.
The Glass Tragedy of 1838
The most notorious event in the township's early history — the murder of the Glass family and the mystery that was never solved.
The Hubbardston Advertiser
The local newspaper that chronicled village life — births, deaths, market prices, and the small events that made up the fabric of a rural Michigan community.
The Railway That Never Came
In 1876, the railroad was routed through neighboring towns instead of Hubbardston — a decision that would shape the village's fate for generations.
The Sawmill Era & Fish Creek
How Fish Creek powered Hubbardston's early economy — the sawmills, the lumber trade, and the transformation of forest into farmland.
Village Incorporation (1867)
How Hubbardston transitioned from frontier settlement to an officially incorporated Michigan village.