Charles T. Hubbard
By: Alexa A., Nicole L., Stephanie V.
Who was Charles T. Hubbard?
What is he famous for?
Hubbard Memorial Library
The History of Ludlow, 1912
Charles T. Hubbard played a huge role in the “Industrial Revolution” in Ludlow. Mr. Hubbard first began the Boston Flax Mills in 1848, which was located in East Braintree, Massachusetts. There they produced many textiles, and with their Irish and Scottish workers the business became a huge success. Then, in 1868, Charles T. Hubbard purchased the Ludlow Mills Company (what remained of the old Springfield Manufacturing Company) and Ludlow Manufacturing Company was formed. Charles Hubbard was its treasurer. Finally, in 1878 Charles had an idea to sell the Boston Flax Mills to the Ludlow Manufacturing Company, so the industry in Ludlow kept growing. For the next sixty years the Ludlow Manufacturing Company was very successful.
While Charles T. Hubbard was a very successful businessman, he began to think about the knowledge of others. So, in 1881, Hubbard established the first Ludlow Library in a hotel facing Putt’s Bridge. The collection of books grew larger and larger as time went on. On January 18, 1887, Charles T. Hubbard died suddenly. His wife and children decided to build a new library for the town of Ludlow, the Hubbard Memorial Library, so Mr. Hubbard could be remembered for all the great things he’d done. The Library was completed in 1889 and it is still used by Ludlow citizens today.