Biography of
Caleb Colvin Tubbs
Caleb Colvin Tubbs was born April 15, 1826 at Woodhull, Steuben Co., New York. Caleb was the eldest son of Frederick and Lucy Philena (Colvin) Tubbs.
The Woodhull, Steuben Co. NY area is rich with Tubbs’ family history, and it was here that Caleb is believed to have spent his childhood.
After Caleb was born, Frederick and Lucy had ten more children, Simeon Richmond, Harriet Lodema, Mary Ann, James Henry, Abi Maranda, Martha Malinda, Elizabeth (Betsey) Maria, Lucy Lurana, and twins, Emily Jane and Electa Emogena Tubbs. Frederick and Lucy divorced shortly after the birth of Emily and Electa, and when the twins were but a year and a half old, Lucy died.
About 1862 Fred remarried to Mary Gafford and three children were born to this union, William, Marinda A. (Rindy), and Frederick G. Tubbs. By this time Frederick, and his new wife, along with Caleb’s stepsiblings had moved south to Ward Twp. Tioga County Pennsylvania, and Caleb was well on his way into adulthood.
According to family records, Caleb married Jane E. Harris in 1846, most likely in New York. They had a son named Hiram H. Tubbs that was born in 1851 and died in 1852. Little Hiram is buried at the Woodhull Cemetery.
In 1855 Caleb and Jane arrived at Mitchell County Iowa. The History of Mitchell County, written in 1883, mentions various names of early settlers including Daniel J. Tubbs, and C.C. Tubbs. Daniel J. Tubbs was a cousin of Caleb Colvin Tubbs. No mention is made of any children having arrived with Caleb and Jane.
One can only imagine all the hardships Caleb and Jane must have faced their first year in Mitchell County. The years 1855-56 are known to have been difficult ones in Mitchell County with both a harsh winter and late spring. Mitchell County was yet untamed and Caleb would have had his work cut out for him with clearing the land, building a home and providing for the necessities of life. Regardless of the brutal conditions, Caleb and his wife stayed, and made their first settlement at West Mitchell, Cedar Twp.
Sometime between 1855 and 1859, Caleb and Jane apparently moved south from the area of West Mitchell to a farm just west of Osage.
On March 7, 1859 Charles Jackson Tubbs was born to Caleb and Jane.
Ruth (Tubbs) Coonradt, daughter of Charles Tubbs, wrote in a letter dated December 27, 1989, "I have heard my Dad say that he was born on what was later called the Stacy Farm west of Osage. As you turned south to go to Spring Park, he was born off to the left next to the river."
Eleven months later, on January 29, 1860, a sister, Mary J. Tubbs joined the family. Three years later in 1863 a brother, Silas G. Tubbs joined them as well.
Evidently there were more children born to this union as Jane’s obituary states that she was the mother if nine children. A letter from Ruth (Tubbs) Coonradt also states that, "my father had twin brothers buried in the Austin Cemetery which we used to pass on our way to Kenyon, Minn. He often said as we went by there that he would like to look up their graves someday." It is not known why the twin baby boys would have been taken as far as Austin for burial, and to date no record of their burial has been found. One possibility is that Daniel Tubbs, a cousin of Caleb, who had settled just south of Austin, Mower County MN, had something to do with that area being chosen for burial.
Six children of Caleb and Jane’s have been at least somewhat accounted for, yet three remain unknown. Jane’s obituary tells us that all of her children preceded her "to the other shore" except for Charles and Mary, (Silas had died in 1896). From various records it can be ascertained that Caleb and Jane had only three children that survived to adulthood, Charles (married Ruth Clark), Mary (married first a Packard and second John Wagner), and Silas (married Martha Packard).
Sometime between 1864 and 1869, Caleb and Jane were divorced.
The 1870 Census record for Mitchell County Iowa shows that Caleb was living, apparently alone, in Osage Twp. Little is known of Caleb’s life during the next 16 years, but on October 18, 1886 he married Mrs. Clara June Shafer in Worth County Iowa.
Clara had been born Clarissa June McGrath in Ohio, and it was there on August 28, 1851 that she had married first to Jacob Shafer.
On May 10, 1890 Caleb moved to Sherburn, Martin Co. Minnesota. He made this journey in order to visit his daughter Mary Packard and to spend the remaining years of his life in the home of his son Silas. The preceding year, Silas and his wife Martha had lost all three of their young children to the Cholera Epidemic, and Martha was now expecting their fourth child. No mention is made of Caleb’s wife Clara in these accounts and it is uncertain what became of her. Shortly after her Grandpa Caleb had arrived, Josie Elmeda Tubbs made her appearance in the Silas Tubbs’ home June 7th 1890.
Just months later Caleb became ill. He fought the illness for 2 weeks but to no avail, and on November 22, 1890 he died at Sherburn Minnesota at Silas’ home.
Caleb’s funeral was held at the Baptist Church in Sherburn, and he is said to have been laid to rest in an unmarked grave in Sherburn Cemetery.
Notes for Caleb C. Tubbs
Census Records
- 1856 Mitchell Co. IA age 24, (DOB 1832)
- 1870 Mitchell Co. IA age 42, (DOB 1828)
Family record
- Born April 15, 1825
- Died November 11, 1890
Newspaper Account
- Died November 22, 1890; age 65 years 7 months 7 days .
(This would make Caleb's date of birth April 15, 1825)
Written by Kathy Pike, Austin, MN, Aug. 2003
Copyright ©2003, Kathy Pike.