J.C. Hubinger

John Carl Hubinger, an industrialist and philanthropist, was born in New Orleans in 1851, the first of eight children. His family moved north when he was four, living in Kentucky and Indiana before settling in Keokuk, where his father opened a bakery on Main Street and later at 1308 Johnson Street, the family residence. In his mid-twenties, Hubinger left Keokuk to join his brothers Nicholas and Joseph, who were selling housewares door-to-door in New England. By 1881, they had developed a formula for Elastic Starch and opened the J.C. Hubinger Bros Company in New Haven, CT. The business prospered, and in 1887 Hubinger returned to Keokuk. As his wealth increased, he built a lavish mansion at 1229 Grand Avenue that stretched from 8th to 15th on both sides of the street, with many staircases and silks and velvets used as wallpaper. Electricity came to Keokuk in 1389 because he wanted electric power for his home, so he built his own plant and sold electricity to citizens for 75 cents per light bulb per month, operating daily from 4pm to 1am. In May 1902, with 20 million dollars in financing, construction began at 5th and A Streets on a second Hubinger Starch Plant, and President Theodore Roosevelt visited Keokuk on April 29, 1903, to participate in the plant's opening ceremony. On December 21, 1903, an explosion set the factory ablaze. The plant was rebuilt in 1904, and Hubinger was eventually bought out by his brothers. He died of pneumonia on January 27, 1908, while living in a boarding house at 616 High Street, and he was buried in Oakland Cemetery. The Hubinger mansion was razed in 1918. The remaining Hubinger brothers and their descendants owned the Keokuk factory until 1925, and the plant continued production before being acquired by Roquette in 1991.

Keokuk, Iowa · United States