Solano County Biography
Charles H. Hubbs
Charles H. Hubbs - third son of the Hon. Paul K. Hubbs, was born in Pennypack, now a portion of the City of Philadelphia, on September 17, 1843, and accompanied bis parents, in the ship " Susan G. Owens," leaving Philadelphia May 3d, and arriving in San Francisco October 12,1849. He first attended Doctor Vermehr's school, then the only one in that city. During the legislative sessions of 1852 and 1853 was Page of the Assembly, being Chief Page in the latter year, with Virgil C. Bartlett and William Fosbender as assistants. During these sessions he received ten dollars a day as compensation, and out of the salary saved, a sum of twenty-five hundred dollars, which was invested for him by his father, the interest paying for his schooling and other necessaries. Was educated at the Collegiate Institution, Public School, and High School of Benicia, and in 1857 entered the telegraph service as messenger in the Benicia office. During the fall of the year he came to Vallejo, for the purpose of instructing W. W. Chapman in the art of telegraphy, and in April, 1858, when the Northern Telegraph was being constructed from Marysville to Yreka, hy Messrs. Strong and Hubbard, he accepted a position on that line, being the first operator at Tehama, where he taught Charles Harvey. While there was promoted to be Chief Operator on the line. From thence he proceeded to Horsetown, where he was preceptor in telegraphy to Judge James N. Eby, and after Frank W. Blake at Weaverville, Trinity county, whence he returned home, having resigned his position. He next went to Shaw's Flat and there received propositions to proceed to Napa to open the office of the line which was being extended from Vallejo to that city. This he, however, only held for a few weeks, when he was called by bis father to accompany him to Washington Territory. In 1865, when James Gamble, the General Superintendent, was extending telegraphic communication from California through Oregon and Washington Territory, to meet the Collins line, which was proposed should cross at Behrings Straits to Asia, Mr. Hubbs again entered the telegraph service, and was appointed agent at the Swinomish station, which was the office where all the business between the offices north of that station had to be repeated. In 1868 he was transferred to Fort Vancouver, and here purchased a bookstore, which business he followed, in conjunction with that of telegraphy and photography. In 1869 he sold out his book-store and proceeded to Stockton, Sacramento, and Marysville, in the employ of the Western Union Telegraph Co., when, in October, 1870, he was installed as Manager of the Vallejo office. In 1875 Mr. Hubbs was appointed a Notary Public by His Excellency Governor Irwin, and reappointed in 1877. In the following year he was selected by Governor Robinson Commissioner of Deeds for New York. In 1876 he was elected a member of the Board of Education for Vallejo Township, and took strong grounds against excessive taxation and in favor of promoting the advancement of the educational interests of Vallejo, which was appreciated by his constituents, who re-elected him, giving him the largest vote of any candidate who had opposition for office.
History of Solano County, California
Pages 364-365
Transcribed by Julie Appletoft, February 2008
Solano County Biographies ~ Archive Biography Index ~ Archive Index
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