Hubbs descendants tell commission how early family helped shape Kingman

Richard Anderson, a descendant of Harvey and Johanna Hubbs, told the Kingman City Commission about his family’s role in the city’s early development, tracing stories from an 1882 tent restaurant to construction of the Hotel Beale and civic contributions that included establishing a local water system.

Anderson recounted that Johanna and her sister Frances opened a tent restaurant and boarding house in 1882, serving meals for 45 cents and later boarding up to 70 people. He said Harvey Hubbs went from working in mines to advertising and investing in real estate, and that the couple opened Kingman’s first true hotel in 1888.

“They shaped Kingman into, I believe, one of Arizona’s most distinctive communities,” Anderson said, describing how repeated fires destroyed early buildings but did not deter local rebuilding and growth. He noted that the Hubbs family later built the larger, more fire‑resistant Hotel Beale and that the Hubbs home, restored in the 1970s, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Anderson highlighted the family’s civic roles: serving on county bodies, holding elected posts and developing early infrastructure. He pointed to educational and cultural ties, saying his family participated in local music events and that his daughter Alta taught in early schoolhouses.

The presentation was informational only. Anderson closed by urging appreciation for Kingman’s pioneer history and thanking the commission for the invitation.

The commission did not take action on the presentation; members later discussed monitoring preservation efforts for historic downtown properties and requested future reports on related matters.