Charles Guernsey Hubbel Papers, 1869-1946
Content Description
The Charles Guernsey Hubbel Papers contains correspondence, land transactions, deeds, monument and property surveys, legal case notes, and photographs. A majority of the materials relate to Hubbel, but some correspondence and land records focus more on his friends and/or family.
This collection is arranged into four series: Correspondence, 1869-1945; Land Records, 1869-1930; Property Surveys, 1917-1918; Photographs, 1920-1925. Land Records make up a majority of the collection, followed by Correspondence.
Dates
- 1869 - 1946
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open to the public without restriction. The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material.
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to duplicate or publish material for any collection belonging to the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room must be obtained by Library staff.
Biographical / Historical
Charles Guernsey C.G. (Tommy) Hubbel was born on March 21, 1873 in Hudson, New York. His parents were Charles and Sarah Guernsey Hubbel. According to family sources, C.G. Hubbel lived in Charlotte for sixty years, which is corroborated by the Charlotte City Directory (1897-1989). He worked as a Superintendent with his brother-in-law, Henry E. Knox, Jr. who worked as a Civil Hydraulic Engineer at the Hunt Building. The company moved the next year to the Piedmont Building that was located at 222 South Street. Hubbel also resided with the Knox family at 7 E. Vance Street until they moved to 633 Sunnyside Avenue. He died on December 27, 1957 of a cerebral hemorrhage. His niece, Dorothy Knox, was a columnist for the Charlotte News donated the papers on November 5, 1974.
Extent
0.5 Linear Feet (1 document box, legal, full)
0.5 Cubic Feet (1 document box, legal, full)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection contains correspondence, land records (deeds, deeds of trust, property surveys), tax receipts, and documentation on the re-surveying of the US Post Office, Assay Site, and Courthouse in Charlotte. Land records largely reference properties including Brevard, Myers-Cedar Groves Farm, Chatham Estates, present-day Plaza Midwood, and other areas in Mecklenburg County. Materials are dated 1873-1957.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into four series: Series 1- Correspondence, 1869-1945; Series 2- Land Records, 1869-1930; Series 3- Property Surveys, 1917-1918; Series 4-Photographs, 1920-1925.
Series 1 contains correspondence between C.G. Hubbel and J.C. Abbott re: lots for sale in Piedmont Park; C.G. Hubbel, Ella May Hutchins, and Donald Dinsmore (joint owners of 100 acres in the town of Brevard) re: lots for sale.
Series 2 includes land transactions, lists of land transacations, deeds to properties in Chatham Estates, and a legal case involving John Wesley Wadsworth, in which C.G. Hubbel testified. (J.W. Wadsworth was born in Davidson County in 1835 to Ridgen Wadsworth, a native of England. Wadsworth came to Charlotte in 1865 and began a career in the horse and mule trade, later being recognized as one of Charlotte's most successful businessmen. He married twice, first Mary Houston of Providence Township, and second Margaret Cannon of Concord. He had a total of nine children between the two marriages--John C., Mrs. A. B. Reese, Laura Madge, Louise, Charles, Jim, George, and Joe. Wadsworth died on March 2, 1895 at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, but his body was returned to Charlotte for funeral services and burial.
Series 3 is comprised of correspondence and documents relating to C.G. Hubbel's task--given by the US Treasurer's Department--of re-surveying the property of Charlotte's US Post Office and the US Assay Office, as well as mount two monuments to build at each of the aforementioned sites. Correspondence is addressed to Alexander Blumberg and J.H. Moyle to discuss issues with the surveys and the costs of the monuments.
Series 4 features two photographs of C.G. Hubbel and others in his office.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated to the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room by Dorothy Knox in November 1974.
Condition Description
Materials are in good condition.
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of this collection was completed by Shelia Bumgarner in 2015, and re-processed by Sydney Carroll in December 2019.
- Contracts for deeds Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Deeds of trust Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Family Papers/Genealogy Subject Source: Local sources
- Plaza-Midwood (Charlotte, N.C.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- Charles Guernsey Hubbel Collection, 1869-1946
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Shelia Bumgarner
- Date
- 2015
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Edition statement
- Finding Aid revised and collection reprocessed by Sydney Carroll in December 2019.
Revision Statements
- 2019-12: Finding Aid revised and collection reprocessed
Repository Details
Part of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Repository
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library-Main
310 N. Tryon Street
Charlotte NC 28202 USA
carolinaroom@cmlibrary.org
