Matthew Hubbert [Parents] [scrapbook] 1 was born 2 28 Jan 1810 in Bouldt, Sevier, Tennessee, USA. He died 3 1886 in San Luis Rey, San Diego, California, USA and was buried in San Luis Rey, San Diego, California, USA. Matthew married Elizabeth Stallworth Thornton on 28 Apr 1833 in Tennessee, USA.
Had 15 children: Sarah Hollingsworth (1834), Nancy White (1835), David Crockett(1836), Robert Henry (1837), Andrew Jackson (1839), George William (1841), Martha Ann Virginia Drisila (1842), James Monroe (1845), Presley Thornton (1846), Eppie (1848), Washington Irving (1850), Mary Jane (1852), Elizabeth (1854), Susanna (1857), and Benjamin Franklin (1860).
ADDRESS: Rylander Memorial Library
Christine Bessent, Librarian
103 South Live Oak
San Saba, TX 76877Christine Bessent said get book "The Call of San Saba" from rare book store (out of print).
BIR-MAR-DEATH: Family records of Annette Andersen
Elizabeth Stallsworth Thornton Hubbert's Bible recordUnited States Census records:
1830 Rhea Co., Tenn.; 1840 Fayette Co., Ala. pg 22 or 211;
1850 Attala Co., Miss. pg. 146 or 140 (says born in Tenn.)
1860 & 1870 San Saba, TXMay have been born in Blount County, TN
Death Cert. of his son, Presley says that Matthew was born in Memphis, TN.
Land Grants: Fayette County, Ala. 1830, 1831 to 1837
Seemingly the four sons of James Hubbert had sand in their shoes and/or they did not care for the location of Sevier, Co., Tenn. It is quite possible that the father, James Hubbert sold all his property to pay for his part in the Yazoo Land Speculation.
The article on Matthew Hubbert and his his wife was written by his great grandaughter, Ouida Hubbert Williamson, after many, many years of correspondence with descendants of Matthew.
OCCUPATION: Farmer and Rancher
BURIED: Old Protestant Cemetery (Mission Ave. & Rancho del Oro)
RELATIONSHIP: 2 g g dau
Matthew was the restless one. In 1854 he left Mississippi and traveled to an area of Texas which later became known as San Saba County. At that time this was the western frontier. Beyond the San Saba and the Colorado Rivers the Indian tribes were most active. Often, usually during a full moon, they would ride down upon the settlers to carry off cattle, horsese and sometimes scalps. Because of the Indian raids, the Hubbert family had to move to Williamson County, Texas, for a few months. However, in about a year they were able to return to their original location on Simpson Creek about one fourth mile from the San Saba River and one-fourth mile from the head of the small stream fed entirely by a huge spring of cold, clear water.
On 10 Oct. 1856 a meeting of the settlers was held to discuss the building of a court house. The contract for the building was awarded to Matthew Hubbert who was to build it for $850.00 and have it finished by April 1857. County records show that Matthew was also active in serving on juries and assisting with the building of the early roads. San Saba's first Methodist Sunday Schools were started in 1859; Matthew Hubbert was the Superintendent of the one located on Simpson Creek. Many years later a beautiful Methodist Chrich was built in the city of San Saba. It was built of native marble, one of the very few in the United States built entirely of marble. The front entrance of this church features four tall, two-story colums. At the base of each column is carved the name of a family who assisted in the establishment of Methodism in San Saba County. The oldest son of Matthew Hubbert, David Crocket Hubbert and wife Mary were so honored to be one of the four.
From the Call of the San Saba, by Alma Ward Hamrick, pp 202-205, "Trail-blazing Matthew Hubbert, verturesone and dependable, had traveled many miles when he heard of opportunities offered in the section along the Rio San Saba, where a few brave souls had ventured to erect cabins for their homes. In 1855 he left Williamson County, Texas, and with good ox-teams forded the Colorado River, likely at Eagle Ford and come across into the then unorganized county of San Saba. Born in Tennnessee, he had migrated to Mississippi where he lived before coming to Texas.
Matthew Hubbert purchased land on Simpson Creek from the German surveyor, Gustave Schleicher, and shortly thereafter began the erection of the Hubbert home two miles from the side which was later selected as the county seat. In the following years his was one of the houses most noted for hospitality.
Mr. Hubbert freighted from south and central Texas to San Saba. During the time Hubbert was accompanying his oxfreighting wagons he was active in community activities. A big oxen-team, however, was on the road all the time and trips were made regularly to Bastrop, Austin, Brenham and Port Lavaca and two trips to Shreveport, Louisiana, each one taking three months,
Many interesting times were enjoyed by the Hubbert children; there were eight boys and seven girls and what one of the seven sisters could not think of for amusement, one of the eight brothers could. The home was so constructed that parts of the house were set aside for the children, for the guests, for the mother and father and for cooking purposes. The floors of a part of the structure were constructed of large, white, flat rocks hawled from a distance by the father and sons and placed in such a way that they fitted evenly together, forming and excellent place for games and other amusements. Two negro women did the cooking and fifteen to twenty persons were present at each meal.
Possibly no home in San Saba County in the early day had more visitors than the Matthew Hubbert home. The second camp meeting ever held in the county was near his home. Always the latch-string was on the outside for those perspns attending these meetings, whether they were from a distance or lived nearby. Also, during district court, this home was the stopping place of the district judges and others from afar who attended court here.
After the Civil War, Matthew, in company of his son, Washington Irving Hubbert and others drove a herd of cattle from San Saba County to the large springs near Roswell, New Mexico. This herd is said to have been the first to be driven across the Pecos section of Texas toward the west. He stayed in the New Mexico area for two years while his family remained in Texas."
However, Matthew was the restless one. Again he blazed another trail. This time he crossed from the stock ranch at Rio Hondo, New Mexico to San Diego, California with the first herd of cattle to make that hazardous trip. The cattle were driven to the Warner Ranch and sold to Los Angeles butchers, Dodson, Hines and Vickery. Two cattle drives were made by Hubbert before he decided to settle in California, first at Julian and then at Banner in the area close to Oceanside, California. A clipping from a San Diego newspaper from a column titled "75 Years Ago", stated: "Mr. J. M. Hubbert has just completed a 5 stanp mill at the Relief Mine in the Banner District." (Could it be that James Monroe Hubbert lived for a time in San Diego Co., CA?)
It was in 1871 that Matthew Hubbert sent directions and money for his wife and children to move to California. I would love to travel the route that my great-grandmother, Elizabeth Stallworth (Thornton) Hubbert traveled from San Saba, Texas to Julian, California. The first part of her journey was by wagon from San Saba to Galveston; then by boat to New Orleans; then via riverboat up the Mississippi to Omaha, Nebraska; then by train to San Francisco; back to a boat to San Diego and the final leg of the journey via stage coach to Julian, California. Again, from the data relating to the children, not all moved to California.
In July 1873, Matthew Hubbert sold out his interest in the gold mine south of Banner and moved to the San Luis Rey River Valley, just west of the Mission San Luis Rey de Fancia. This was his last move. Here, he bought 360 acres of land and finally dusted the sand out of his shoes. Here, with his wife and two sons, Presley Thornton Hubbert and Benjamin Franklin Hubbert, and three daughters, Mary Jane, Elizabeth and Susannah all settled down in an adobe house. Again, they were in a pioneer area where neighbors were far apart and the school was very meagre. Matthew Hubbert continued to be very active and did his part in the development of the San Luis Rey Valley. At the time of his death in 1886, he was seventy-six years of age. His wife lived to be eighty-five and passed away in 1903. They are buried in San Luis Rey, in an old Protestant cemetery across the road from the old San Luis Rey Mission. This cemetery is not far from Oceanside, California on Hwy. 76 in San Diego County.
The family was Methodist and Baptist. The first camp meeting in San Saba County was held on Matthew's land. He help build the first Methodist Church and was a Sunday School teacher there in 1857. This info. is from the book "Call of San Saba" a history of San Saba Co., AL located in the FH library in Salt Lake City, UT.
The picture of the remains of the Matthew Hubbert ranch house and adobe "smoke house" in San Luis Rey, San Diego, CA was taken between 1906 and 1910. Most of the house was moved to his son's (Benjamin Franklin Hubbert) farm. (Copy of photo in possession of Annette Hubbert Andersen)
As of 1995, there is a sub division built in the area of the old farm house. Benjamin Franklin Hubbert's farm was by a lake/pond (possiblly Hubbert's Lake as shown on map of San Luis Rey in 1997). There is a no trespassing sign across a bridge. Where the old pepper tree stands is where Matthew's home was Presley's ranch was in the middle of the intersection. There is a rise in the hill which Mary Jane Harford Haskell and the cousins called "Pumpkin Hollar". Babson Hubbert, Grand-daughter of Matthew said that Mathew was spelled with one "t". It was spelled both ways on legal documents.
The Pioneer Cemetery is across the highway from the San Luis Rey Mission. It is on private property. It is overgrown with weeds and when excavation was done for the shopping center to the west it made a rather difficult entry. The road was steep and quite tilted when I was there for the burial of Frances Hubbert in November, 1985....Mary Jane Haskell
Annette Andersen and her son Steven, who was living in Hemet (Mennifee) area in about 1993, went to San Luis Rey on a Sat. prior to taking the whole family down on Sunday. When they were looking for the Pioneer Cemetery they were over at the San Luis Rey Mission and started to leave when suddenly they saw, away across in the distance the grave markers sparkling in the afternoon sunshine. They drove across the highyway and drove into a shopping center, by a Real Estate office and a Home Depot or Builders Emporium. They went behind the bldgs. and climbed up a bank where there was a fenced off grave yard. On Sunday, when the whole family went all the graves were located and filmed for posterity. Matthew & Elizabeth's graves are fairly large, not too large and definitely not small. It was so inspirational to stand where our ancestors once stood.
