Detroit has a Hubbard Street. A dormitory at Michigan State is called Hubbard Hall. On Six Mile and Schaefer is the Hubbard branch of the Detroit Public Library. There’s a small neighborhood on Detroit’s southwest side called Hubbard Farms.
All of them honor Bela Hubbard, a 19th century Detroiter of many occupations, but most people have no idea who he was.
Hubbard arrived in Detroit as a young man from Hamilton, N.Y., in 1835. He settled in Springwells Township – a sprawling area that ran from southwest Detroit to the Rouge River and included Dearborn. While in his twenties, Hubbard explored northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula as an assistant geologist to state geologist Douglass Houghton (for whom the city of Houghton is named). When the geology survey was finished Hubbard became a land agent and used his newly acquired knowledge of the northern wilderness to buy timbered land for contacts in New York and for himself. In turn he made a fortune selling the pine lumber.
Hubbard also was a lawyer, farmer, historian, writer and civic leader. He had an interest in Native Americans and prehistoric mounds. He traveled to Europe. It was Hubbard’s days in Paris with its wide, tree-lined avenues that inspired him to push forward the concept of Grand Boulevard in Detroit; he donated a large chunk of his own land for the boulevard.
Note : Not only did Hubbard fund Hubbard Hall but in 1855 he was instrumental in establishing Michigan State University, originally called State Agricultural College and Model Farm.
Source : Bill Loomis, “The Renaissance man who envisioned Grand Boulevard”, Detroit Free Press, May 11, 2014.