Gurdon S Hubbard

• American

Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard was a fur trader, insurance underwriter, and land speculator whose long career made him one of early Chicago's most influential residents. Born in Windsor, Vermont, and descended from Governor Gurdon Saltonstall, he entered the American Fur Company as a young clerk and first reached Chicago in 1818. Hubbard settled permanently in the town in the 1830s, becoming one of its first trustees, a booster of canal development, and a central figure in the meat-packing and insurance industries. He built Chicago's first stockyard, opened its first warehouse, and helped promote the city's land boom in the East. Known for his athletic endurance — earning the nickname "Swift-Walker" — he also served in the Illinois House of Representatives and later as alderman of the 7th Ward. Though nearly ruined by the Great Chicago Fire, he rebuilt his affairs and remained a prominent civic figure until his death in 1886. He was buried at Graceland Cemetery, where his role in shaping 19-century Chicago is still remembered. - AsNotedIn