The home of William Hubbard was a stop on the Underground Railroad in Ohio in the years before the American Civil War. Around 1840, William Hubbard built a house in Ashtabula, Ohio. In 1834, Hubbard had moved to Ashtabula from Holland Patent, New York, to assist several relatives in their lumbering and warehouse businesses. Hubbard was an abolitionist, and his new home became an important stop on the Underground Railroad in Ohio. Located near Lake Erie, Hubbard's home was commonly the last stop for runaway slaves before they gained their freedom by escaping to Canada. Hubbard hid the fugitives in his basement and in his hayloft. Runaway slaves and conductors on the Underground Railroad referred to Hubbard's home as "Mother Hubbard's Cupboard" and as "The Great Emporium." From surviving records, it appears that all of the African Americans assisted by Hubbard managed to escape to Canada successfully. Today the Hubbard House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public as a museum.
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