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Collection Summary | |
Creator: | Roman Hubbell Family |
Collection Name: | Roman Hubbell family papers, |
Inclusive Dates: | 1899-1982 |
Physical Description: | 6 linear feet |
Abstract: | The papers in this collection are arranged in five series: Family History and Reminiscences, Correspondence, Business and Financial Records, Photographs, and Printed Materials. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence to and from Roman and Dorothy Hubbell relating to their family, friends and business ventures. Primary correspondents include anthropologist, Gladys Reichard, and Commissioner of Indian Affairs, John Collier. |
Collection Number: | MS 322 |
Repository: |
University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections University of Arizona PO Box 210055 Tucson, AZ 85721-0055 Phone: 520-621-6423 Fax: 520-621-9733 URL: http://speccoll.library.arizona.edu/ |
Roman Hubbell (1891-1957) was the second son of John Lorenzo Hubbell (1853-1930), noted pioneer Indian trader and founder of the J. L. Hubbell Trading Post at Ganado in Arizona Territory, 1876. The area surrounding the trading post eventually became part of the Navajo Reservation. Over the years Don Lorenzo, as he came to be called, opened additional trading post locations in New Mexico and Arizona and gained fame as a trader in Navajo rugs.
Don Lorenzo's two sons, Lorenzo, Jr. (1883-1942) and Roman succeeded their father in carrying on his trading post operations; and Roman developed a reputation as an advocate for the Indians in their relations with the federal government. After the death of Roman's first wife, he married Dorothy Smith (1899-1993) who assisted in the management of the family's business interests. Dorothy continued to run the trading post as a museum after Roman's death in 1957, until it was purchased by the National Park Service as a designated National Historic Site in 1965.
The papers in this collection are arranged in five series: Family History and Reminiscences, Correspondence, Business and Financial Records, Photographs, and Printed Materials. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence to and from Roman and Dorothy Hubbell relating to their family, friends and business ventures. Primary correspondents include anthropologist, Gladys Reichard, and Commissioner of Indian Affairs, John Collier.
The Personal Correspondence Series contains the transcript of an interview with Dorothy Hubbell by Frank McNitt which relates to Mrs. Hubbell's recollections of Don Lorenzo Hubbell during her early years at the Post. There is also a series of interviews with Mrs. Hubbell in the Hubbell Trading Post as National Historic Site Series which reconstructs the history of the trading post and its collection of art, furnishings, and Indian crafts. Photographs in the collection include members of the Hubbell family, portraits of individuals visiting the Post such as Theodore Roosevelt, Howard Pyle, Gladys Reichard, and John Collier. There are also photographs of Ganado and other trading posts, other Hubbell business operations, and Navajo weavers and participants in traveling exhibitions to Texas and New York.
None.
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for the University of Arizona, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.
Hubbell Trading Post Records (AZ 375) are also located at the University of Arizona Library Special Collections.
Roman Hubbell family papers(MS 322). Special Collections, University of Arizona Libraries.
Series I: Family History and Reminiscences, 1930-1971 | |||||||||||
Contains family record of births and deaths, a genealogical chart for the Hubbell family, reminiscences by John Lorenzo Hubbell, titled "Fifty Years an Indian Trader" (15 pages) and by Madge W. Hubbell, titled "As It Was Then" (56 pages). | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
1 | 1 | Family History and Reminiscences. , 1930-1971 |
Series II: Correspondence, 1899-1979 | |||||||||||
Family, 1933-1962 | |||||||||||
Family correspondence includes letters to and from Dorothy Hubbell, Lorenzo Hubbell, John L. Hubbell, Roman Hubbell, and LaCharles Eckel concerning activities at Ganado, education of the Hubbell children, and condolences on the deaths of Lorenzo Hubbell, Jr. and Roman Hubbell. | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
1 | 2 | Eckel, LaCharles. , 1933-1953 | |||||||||
1 | 3 | Hubbell family. , 1937-1942 | |||||||||
1 | 4 | Hubbell, Lorenzo, Jr., condolences. , 1942 | |||||||||
1 | 5 | Hubbell, John L. , 1934-1962 | |||||||||
1 | 6 | Hubbell, Roman, Jr. , 1945-1947 | |||||||||
1 | 7 | Hubbell, Roman, condolences. , 1957 | |||||||||
Personal, 1899-1975 | |||||||||||
Consists primarily of incoming letters and carbons of some outgoing, from personal and professional friends of Roman and Dorothy Hubbell. Many of the correspondents visited the Hubbell Trading Post to enjoy the scenic beauty of the area and to purchase rugs, ceramic vessels, and other trading post items. Of note are letters from Laura Armer concerning the exhibition of a movie, "The Mountain Chant;" from Witter Bynner about the United China Relief Fund donation drives during World War II; from Carl Hayden on military and education appointments for Hubbell children (additional Hayden letters in Hubbell Post National Historic Site folder); from Ruth Knight about the airing of a CBS radio series "Death Valley Days" segment titled "White Medicine Man" based on Roman Hubbell's assistance to the Navajos during a snow storm; with Frank McNitt concerning his research on the Hubbells including an interview with Dorothy Hubbell regarding Don Lorenzo Hubbell and life at Ganado; with anthropologist, Gladys Reichard on mutual friends, travels, and her projects; and artist, Frederic Allen Williams on his travels and exhibitions of sculptures. | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
2 | 1 | A. , 1935-1969 | |||||||||
2 | 2 | American Red Cross. , 1941-1942 | |||||||||
2 | 3 | Armer, Laura Adams & Sidney. , 1928-1964 | |||||||||
2 | 4 | B. , 1934-1967 | |||||||||
2 | 5 | Bynner, Witter. , 1930-1943 | |||||||||
2 | 6-11 | C-H. , 1899-1967 | |||||||||
2 | 12 | Hayden, Carl. , 1938-1962 | |||||||||
2 | 13 | I-K. , 1938-1965 | |||||||||
2 | 14 | Knight, Ruth Adams. , 1941-1946 | |||||||||
2 | 15-16 | L-M. , 1927-1974 | |||||||||
2 | 17 | McNitt, Frank. , 1958-1972 | |||||||||
2 | 18-19 | N-Q. , 1931-1974 | |||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
3 | 1 | R-T. , 1931-1975 | |||||||||
3 | 2-3 | Reichard, Gladys. , 1934-1955 | |||||||||
3 | 4 | Republican Party. , 1935-1952 | |||||||||
3 | 5 | U-Z. , 1934-1963 | |||||||||
3 | 6 | Wiliams, Ferderic Allen. , 1942-1959 | |||||||||
3 | 7 | Miscellaneous. , 1928-1949 | |||||||||
Roman Hubbell Navajo Tours, 1931-1965 | |||||||||||
Contains letters from travel agencies, journalists, hotels, guest ranches, and tourists regarding coming to the area, the Hubbell Trading Post, lodging, sightseeing, or purchasing goods from the Post. Roman Hubbell operated this tour service in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Of note are letters from movie director, Fritz Lang of Universal Studios, and artist, William R. Leigh. | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
4 | 1 | A. , 1938-1960 | |||||||||
4 | 2 | Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. , 1931-1965 | |||||||||
4 | 3-5 | B-C. , 1936-1956 | |||||||||
4 | 6 | Coapman, Wall G. , 1940-1947 | |||||||||
4 | 7-12 | D-J. , 1938-1963 | |||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
5 | 1-2 | K-L. , 1934-1952 | |||||||||
5 | 3 | Lang, Fritz. , 1938-1940 | |||||||||
5 | 4 | Leigh, William R. and Traphagen, Ethel. , 1938-1958 | |||||||||
5 | 5 | Luckie, Dorothy P. , 1939-1949 | |||||||||
5 | 6-7 | M. , 1937-1946 | |||||||||
5 | 8 | McFie, Amelia. , 1938 | |||||||||
5 | 9 | Motor News. , 1941-1942 | |||||||||
5 | 10-12 | N-P. , 1938-1950 | |||||||||
5 | 13 | Page, Katherine. , 1934-1950 | |||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
6 | 1-3 | Q-S. , 1934-1957 | |||||||||
6 | 4 | Santa Fe Trailways. , 1939-1942 | |||||||||
6 | 5-6 | T-U. , 1938-1949 | |||||||||
6 | 7 | Universal Studios. , 1944 | |||||||||
6 | 8-9 | V-W. , 1938-1965 | |||||||||
6 | 10 | Ward Hicks Advertising. , 1938-1946 | |||||||||
6 | 11 | Werntz, Carl. , 1940-1941 | |||||||||
6 | 12 | X-Z. , 1933-1950 | |||||||||
6 | 13 | Unidentified and Miscellaneous. , 1941-1942 | |||||||||
J.L. Hubbell Trading Post, 1923-1969 | |||||||||||
Miscellaneous letters sent from the Post on a wide variety of issues including merchandise inquiries, impounded goods, accounts owed, and letters from employees. Of special note are letters from artist, E. A. Burbank, and four folders of correspondence relating to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, John Collier, and the American Indian Defense Association; issues such as state congressional delegations; relief funds for Navajo stock; Navajo religion and ceremonies; land use; traders; schools; events leading up to Collier's appointment as Commissioner; Collier's resignation; and the appointment of succeeding commissioner, John R. Nichols. | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
7 | 1-2 | A-H. , 1935-1965 | |||||||||
7 | 3 | Burbank, E.A. , 1935-1947 | |||||||||
7 | 4 | Employee Letters. , 1935-1967 | |||||||||
7 | 5-7 | I-Z. , 1923-1969 | |||||||||
7 | 8-11 | U.S. Commissioner Indian Affairs, John Collier. , 1924-1950 | |||||||||
7 | 12 | Miscellaneous. , No Date | |||||||||
Hubbell Trading Post as National Historic Site, 1957-1979 | |||||||||||
The first two folders contain correspondence including letters from visitors to the Post expressing their views on its historical importance and support for the establishment of a National Historic Site. The next three folders document the struggle in the early 1960s to obtain National Historic Site status for the Post which was achieved in 1965. Selected correspondents include Clinton P. Anderson, Paul Fanin, Carl Hayden, Morris K. Udall, the National Park Service, and personnel at Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site. Additional information and clippings on this topic are located in the Printed Materials series of this collection. The last three folders contain inventories which serve to document the physical condition and artifacts of the Post at the time it was acquired by the National Park Service and an interview with Dorothy Hubbell by a National Park Service curator. | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
8 | 1 | Tourist letters/history. , 1957-1964 | |||||||||
8 | 2 | Interest in National Historic Site Bill. , 1957-1976 | |||||||||
8 | 3-5 | Correspondence. , 1959-1979 | |||||||||
8 | 6 | Furnishing plans for Hubbell home. , 1973 | |||||||||
8 | 7 | Inventories of Hubbell Trading Post. , 1975-1982 | |||||||||
8 | 8 | Interview: Dorothy Hubbell by David M. Brugge. , 1969 |
Series III: Business and Financial Records, 1919-1982 | |||||||||||
Contains financial and legal records relating to land and buildings purchased by the Hubbell family, stocks, leases, personal tax returns, and estate and bankruptcy proceedings. | |||||||||||
Personal, 1919-1982 | |||||||||||
Contains financial and legal records relating to land and buildings purchased by the Hubbell family, stocks, leases, personal tax returns, and estate and bankruptcy proceedings. | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
8 | 9 | Contracts and deeds. , 1919-1968 | |||||||||
8 | 10 | Lease, Standard Oil Company, 1961-1982 | |||||||||
8 | 11 | Stocks. , 1931-1934 | |||||||||
8 | 12 | Taxes. , 1944-1965 | |||||||||
8 | 13 | General. , 1919-1974 | |||||||||
Roman Hubbell Navajo Tours, 1934-1946 | |||||||||||
Contains correspondence, legal and financial records relative to the operation of a tour company, including state and federal regulations, and tariff and rate charges filed with these agencies. | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
9 | 1 | Apache County Assessor. , 1938-1941 | |||||||||
9 | 2 | Arizona Corporation Commission. , 1938-1943 | |||||||||
9 | 3 | Arizona Highway Department. , 1938-1941 | |||||||||
9 | 4 | Banking Records. , 1936-1945 | |||||||||
9 | 5 | Equipment leases. , 1939-1942 | |||||||||
9 | 6 | Insurance. , 1938-1943 | |||||||||
9 | 7 | Interstate Commerce Commission. , 1937-1943 | |||||||||
9 | 8 | New Mexico Corporation Commission. , 1934-1946 | |||||||||
9 | 9 | New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division. , 1934-1942 | |||||||||
9 | 10 | Transportation Rules & Regulations. , 1937-1942 | |||||||||
9 | 11 | Miscellaneous. , ca. 1938-1942 | |||||||||
J.L. Hubbell Trading Post, 1931-1975 | |||||||||||
Contains correspondence, receipts, invoices, and tax returns for Hubbell Trading Post. Also includes three files on other family business ventures, the largest of which documents the activities of the Hubbell Truck Line under three subfiles, Gallup-Farmington Freight Line, 1931-1939; Mail Service, 1933-1937; and Fort Wingate Project, 1941. | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
10 | 1 | Accountants. , 1946-1975 | |||||||||
10 | 2 | Insurance. , 1956-1969 | |||||||||
10 | 3 | General. , 1941-1967 | |||||||||
10 | 4-5 | Tax returns. , 1951-1966 | |||||||||
10 | 6 | Casa Don Lorenzo. , 1950 | |||||||||
10 | 7 | Hubbell Truck Lines. , 1931-1941 | |||||||||
10 | 8 | Lorenzo Hubbell Motor Company. , 1946-1952 |
Series IV: Photographs, ca. 1900-1965 | |||||||||||
Contains mostly black and white, with some color photographs, and a few negatives of people and places on the reservation. The bulk of the photographs document the Hubbell family, especially Roman Hubbell's activities with Navajo Indians in the promotion of Arizona as a tourist attraction; the Hubbell Post at Ganado; and Roman Hubbell Navajo Tours. In the family photographs are portraits of three generations of Hubbells. Of interest are a photograph of J. L. Hubbell with Theodore Roosevelt at Walpi in 1914, and Roman Hubbell with John Collier at Window Rock, c. 1940s. There are photographs of Ganado and Little Bridge Trading Post. Politicians campaigning or officiating at ceremonies in the area include Barry Goldwater, Stewart Udall, Robert Taft and Howard Pyle. Navajo medicine men, leaders, weavers, and families are also represented. | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
11 | 1 | Texas Frontier Centennial. , 1936 | |||||||||
11 | 2 | Hubbell family. , ca. 1900-1936 | |||||||||
11 | 3 | Portraits. , ca. 1928-1962 | |||||||||
11 | 4 | Marble Canyon. , 1938 | |||||||||
11 | 5 | Navajo National Monument dedication. , ca. 1965 | |||||||||
11 | 6 | Places, unidentified. , ca. 1940-1960 | |||||||||
11 | 7 | Portraits, unidentified. , ca. 1910s-1950s | |||||||||
11 | 8 | Little Bridge Trading Post. , ca. 1950 | |||||||||
11 | 9 | Ganado. , 1930s-1960s | |||||||||
11 | 10 | Arizona Unlimited Exhibition. , 1948 | |||||||||
11 | 11 | Colorado River Boat Trip. , 1950s | |||||||||
11 | 12 | Portraits, Navajos. , ca. 1920s-1950s | |||||||||
11 | 13 | Navajo weavers and rugs. , ca. 1920s-1960s | |||||||||
11 | 14 | Roman Hubbell Navajo Tours. , 1938-1940s | |||||||||
11 | 15 | Navajo weavers and rug. , No Date |
Series V: Printed Materials, 1928-1970s | |||||||||||
Contains advertisements for various businesses and miscellaneous matters on topics relating to Navajos, Ganado, and Arizona. Of note in the general file is a copy of Father Berard Haile's essay, "Some Cultural Aspects of the Navajo Mission," c. 1934; and "Pageant of Navajo History," presented by Navajo schools at the Navajo Tribal Fair in 1940. The bulk of this series consists of newspaper clippings on Ganado and feature stories on the Hubbell Post and family. | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
11 | 16 | Advertisements. , 1940s-1960s | |||||||||
11 | 17 | Advertisements and news clippings. , 1930s-1940s | |||||||||
11 | 18 | Clippings on Establishment of Hubbell National Historic Site. , 1960s-1970s | |||||||||
11 | 19 | Clippings. , 1930s-1970s | |||||||||
11 | 20 | General. , 1928-1950s | |||||||||
11 | 21 | General: Navajo, Hubbell, Arizona. , 1930s-1940s |