A similar fate was in store for John Hubbard. He was known to have come from Illinois and his uncle, Noah Smithwick, was openly against the war, said so, and packed up and left for California in 1861. Smithwick was neither a Unionist nor a Confederate. He stated that both of his grandfathers fought in the American Revolution, and he would not lift his hand to destroy the nation. His nephew John felt the same, but stayed behind and continued operations at Smithwick Mill. He must have realized the danger, and it was said that he made arrangements to follow his uncle west. In a statement in court in 1863, Eliza declared that her husband John died on or about March 1, 1863. The couple and their chicken were living in the Bluebonnet House at the time. There are two stories regarding what happened to him. One is that he made a business trip to Austin and was known to have a large sum of money on his person when he returned. He was attacked and murdered on Cow Creek, close to present day Hubbard Falls in Travis County. The falls were apparently named for him, and it was said that his body was weighed down and dropped into the creek at the foot of the falls. His remains were discovered a few years later. The other story comes from a letter kept in the family. It states that Hubbard was attacked and lynched at his mill. His body was mutilated and thrown into the water below the falls.
Amazingly, Eliza and her children lived on in the house, isolated as it was. The rest of her family, including sisters, aunts, and uncles, lived in the southern part of Burnet and south of the town itself. She never remarried. At last, in 1869, she exchanged properties with her youngest sister, Emily, who by that time was married and beginning to have a family of her own. The deeds can still be found in the courthouse. It was a simple swap, no cash exchanged, and it was explicitly stated that she was deeding the house and the acreage to her sister as her sole and separate property and inheritance. The story told in the family was that Eliza wanted to be nearer to town for the sake of her children and their education.
Evidently, sister Emily and her husband. John C. Christian, shortly felt the same way, and in late 1870 the couple sold the Bluebonnet House and acreage to N. A. Cavin. Thus the property passed from the possession of the Vandeveers.
Read Part 5 of our series here!
