Notable People
Founders, families, and community leaders who shaped Hubbardston.
Founding Era (1830s-1840s)
Hector Hayes
First Settler
One of the first two Euro-American settlers in North Plains Township, arriving October 12, 1836. Purchased 280 acres on Sections 31-32.
Hiram Brown
First Settler
Co-first settler of North Plains Township, arriving October 3, 1836. Acquired 320 acres on Section 31.
Nathaniel Sessions
First Township Supervisor
Arrived May 1837 with three sons. Described as 'a man of mark.' Won the first supervisor race when North Plains Township organized in 1844.
Bartley Dunn
Early Settler & Meeting Host
Early settler who hosted the first North Plains Township meeting at his house on April 1, 1844, when thirty-seven votes were cast.
Ansel D. Glass
Tragic Pioneer
Central figure in the Glass Tragedy of 1838. His cabin was found burned with three bodies inside — his wife and two children. Glass vanished and the mystery was never solved.
Founding Era (1830s-1860s)
Irish Settlement (1849-1880s)
John Cowman
First Irish Settler
The first Irish Catholic immigrant to settle in North Plains Township in 1849. His sheep-shed became the community's first church; his hilltop meadow became the first cemetery.
Thomas Welch
Early Irish Settler & Church Trustee
Among the earliest Irish settlers (arrived 1851). Original trustee of St. John the Baptist Church. The Welch family donated land for the cemetery.
Mathew McKenna
Irish Pioneer from County Monaghan
Emigrated from County Monaghan, Ireland. His gravestone at St. John the Baptist Cemetery documents the county origins of the community.
Katherine Roach
Irish Pioneer from County Wexford
Born in County Wexford, daughter of Thomas Roach and Bridget Cowman. At least four Roche siblings emigrated to Hubbardston.
Fr. George Goditz
First Visiting Priest
Pastor at Westphalia who began pastoral visits to Hubbardston around 1853, holding services at John Cummings' house for a congregation of seven families.
The Hogan Family
Founding Irish Family & Church Trustees
John Hogan was an original trustee of St. John the Baptist Church. The Hogan family donated land for the cemetery.
The Cahalan Family
Founding Irish Family & Church Trustees
John Cahalan was an original trustee of St. John the Baptist Church. The Cahalan family donated land for the cemetery.
John Cahalan
Original Church Trustee
One of the original trustees of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. The Cahalan family was instrumental in establishing the parish and donated land for the cemetery.
Nicholas Roach
Original Church Trustee & Pioneer
Original trustee of St. John the Baptist Church. The Roach family emigrated from County Wexford, Ireland, and donated land for the parish cemetery.
John Hogan
Original Church Trustee
Original trustee of St. John the Baptist Church. The Hogan family donated land for the parish cemetery consecrated in 1884.
John Cummings
Early Irish Settler
Early Irish settler who hosted the first Catholic services at his house when Fr. George Goditz began pastoral visits around 1853.
Victorian Era to Present
Modern Era (1938-1986)
Modern Era (1990s-present)
Modern Era (2010-present)
Emma Jandernoa
Irish Dance Troupe Director
Became director of the Hubbardston Irish Dance Troupe in 2010, continuing the tradition founded by Patricia McCormick Baese in 1998.
Barbara A. Blanchard
Shiels Tavern Owner
Current owner of Shiels Tavern since 2010, continuing the legacy of Michigan's oldest continuously licensed bar under the same name.
Modern Era (1950s–present)
Richard Osborne
Hubbardston Family Patriarch
Patriarch of the Osborne family in the Pewamo–Hubbardston area. Father of Kenneth, Edward, Mary, Rick, and Rodney. A member of St. John the Baptist Parish.
Mary Ellen Williams Osborne
Hubbardston Family Matriarch
Matriarch of the Osborne family. Born Mary Ellen Williams — the Williams family has deep 19th-century Irish-Catholic roots in Hubbardston.
Kenneth F. Osborne
Community Member
Son of Richard and Mary Ellen Osborne. Pewamo-Westphalia High School class of 1973. Buried at Most Holy Trinity Cemetery, Fowler.